Kershaw, Saved by Japan
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 8:47 pm
A very interesting video discussing the rise and success of Kershaw Cutlery but it also probes into some of the reasons behind the failure of the American Cutlery industry circulate 1990s- early 2000s.
Personally I had a unique View of Kershaw and the cutlery business in Oregon in the 1980s to 2000. I managed a Cutlery store that sold Kershaw, Gerber, Al Mar and Benchmade Knives. I did not know Pete Kershaw personally nor Pete Gerber, though I have met them. I did know Al Mar and Les de Asis of Benchmade. The window through which I watch the Oregon Cutlery business develop here in Oregon was a little different I'm sure than the person who put this video together. I am enough of a historian to realize that every history you read is written through the lens of the writer and those he chooses as credible sources. While there are some things that I would dispute with this video, I think that for the most part it is correct. It is definitely a well researched and produced video, (with the exception of their pronunciation). Definitely worth 25 minutes of your time!
https://youtu.be/BGi1Zd15sD4?is=Tpsr_xszcRwg-hiG
Personally I had a unique View of Kershaw and the cutlery business in Oregon in the 1980s to 2000. I managed a Cutlery store that sold Kershaw, Gerber, Al Mar and Benchmade Knives. I did not know Pete Kershaw personally nor Pete Gerber, though I have met them. I did know Al Mar and Les de Asis of Benchmade. The window through which I watch the Oregon Cutlery business develop here in Oregon was a little different I'm sure than the person who put this video together. I am enough of a historian to realize that every history you read is written through the lens of the writer and those he chooses as credible sources. While there are some things that I would dispute with this video, I think that for the most part it is correct. It is definitely a well researched and produced video, (with the exception of their pronunciation). Definitely worth 25 minutes of your time!
https://youtu.be/BGi1Zd15sD4?is=Tpsr_xszcRwg-hiG