jrayyy wrote:From the buyer's point of view, looking at the two knives, what makes the one knife worth $79 and the other $8?
Where is the $71 worth of difference?
I know that many of you are speaking from your heart on this topic, and I respect that. Don't you think it's interesting that out of 31 replies to this question not 1 specific hard difference has been pointed out between the actual knives themselves. The closest we came was a comment about the quality of the blades of the China-made knives. But aren't Rough Rider blades made of 440 stainless, and don't they have the reputation of an extremely sharp blade?
So what am I saying? If we are willing to pay $71 more for a knife that has very few actual qualitative benefits over the $8 imported clone, doesn't that put the ball back in the court of our American knife makers to build more cost-efficiency into their knives and sell their knives to us at more competitive prices?
In other words, is there $71 difference between them? It appears that most of the difference is more the intangible kind like emotional and political than actual tangible differences in the hardware, materials and workmanship.
I see your point. I really do. BUT where are American companies supposed to find $71 in savings when making a knife? Not all the $71 difference in price of your example knife (I don't know where you got the $79 dollar figure but I'm guessing it's an arbitrary figure pulled out of the air) is labor and materials. A good portion of the $71 difference comes straight from the government coffers of the country of origin (usually China in the current discussion). Do you expect the U.S. to cough up those kinds of subsidies for the knife industry, the clothing industry, the automobile industry, the tool and manufacturing equipment industry, etc, etc? Subsidies on top of the social programs already in place and in addition, those social programs the liberals are asking for? Do you really believe any country can manufacture a quality knife, with shipping and profit margin built in, that can be sold for eight bucks?
Do you think Schrade wanted to go bankrupt while trying to compete?
Right now, one of the least expensive American made knives is manufactured by Utica. They run from $18.95 for a little single blade coping knife with composite handles to $32.95 for a three blade stockman with jigged bone handles. Those are the prices at their retailer so you know Utica sells them to KnifeCenter for less because everyone who touches them has to make some profit. I've never seen one but according to those on this forum that have purchased them, they're a well made knife. That's the no subsidy, no forced labor, quality material, as close to straight to the consumer as you can get equivalent of your Chinese made $8 knife. Ask any number cruncher at Utica Cutlery Company and I'm sure they will tell you there's no fat on those prices.
If you want to buy $8 Chinese knives, that's your privilege. As an American citizen, you are free to spend your money any way you want. Just don't ask me to jump on that bandwagon. They're addicting because they're cheap. I own a dozen Chinese knives and admittedly they are better made than a knife made in India, Pakistan, Mexico or Singapore but that doesn't make me want to buy more.
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.
This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.
"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012