Made in the USA
Nearly nothing of what I own is made in America or bought from an American company. I couldn’t give a toss about American jobs. Well why should I? I’m not American. So I’m not going to buy cheap American crap for inflated prices. At the moment I drive two motors: a Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce (the company’s) and a Maserati GranCabrio — not at the same time and lets be honest, I’m not going to swap either of them for some crappy GM, Ford or Chrysler. I’d rather walk.
The same’s true with firearms. I’m not denying that some American gun manufacturers make decent guns but they don’t make better guns than Beretta, Benelli, Franchi, Tanfoglio and Glock. When it comes to power tools I buy Bosch or Metabo. Does anyone buy Black and Decker? And with garden tools: I’ve got an Alpina chainsaw and Efco hedge trimmer. I don’t buy American because there are better European products available.
Which brings me to American knife manufacturers, some of them make decent knives but most of them don’t compare to Italian or German made knives, and those that do are usually stupidly overpriced, like Strider knives, who sell their tactical folders from $300 to $625 with most of them around the $500 mark. Emerson and Benchmade are more reasonably priced but they’re still overpriced for what they are. They’re not anywhere near as good as some comparable priced Europeans knives. And as for Gerber and Cold Steel, given that most of their products are made in the China, you can’t really consider them American knives. If I want to buy cheap Chinese crap — a nation of one billion people, and not one of them can make a decent knife — I don’t want to be paying American prices either. At least with Böker, all their Chinese takeaways are sold as Böker Plus, and they don’t overcharge for them. That way you know when you buy Böker it’s made in Germany.
Most of the forty-five knives I own are made by Italian companies — Beltrame, Beretta, Consigli Scarperia, Extrema Ratio, Fox, FKMD, Lion Steel, Maserin, Piscitelli and Scuotto — and all of them without exception were made in Italy and personally blessed by the Pope. But I don’t just buy off Italian knife makers, I own Böker (German), Eickhorn (German), Glock (Austrian), Sheffield (English), Böker Arbolito (Argentinian), Yarará (Argentinian) and Condor (El Salvadorian), and KA-BAR (American). All of these knives are made in the country of the manufacturer except for KA-BAR, one of my KA BAR knives is made in China, which is little bit hypocritical given that KA BAR trade off their relationship with the US military, and there they are propping up the economy of the People’s Republic of China.
A Lamborghini is your take-home car, who do you work for?
@ Ian
For me
We own a sports company together, which sells Italian sports cars. Rob will drive it until we sell it. A perk of the job. The Maserati’s his own car though.
Ian —
Me and Stefi. It’s cool working with your sister. I get to drive it until we sell it. I can’t afford to hang on to it, but I still get to drive it for six weeks, and I get to drive a lot of very nice Italian supercars, so I can’t grumble.
“a nation of one billion people, and not one of them can make a decent knife”
Or anything else but most the American recovery and reinvestment money end up in China. You can’t buy American now even if you wanted to most our companies make their stuff overseas.
American companies should learn from Italian companies and make their products at home. we can make make better stuff than the Chinese.
@Ian “A Lamborghini is your take-home car, who do you work for?”
The Mafia
@ Jenny
Hilarious, another Mafia joke. Never gets old
I’m sure you could afford $625. Why would any one want 45 knives? I get the antiques and collectors pieces but how many knives can you carry? Why do you have such a problem with Chinese goods? The Chinese can make just as good things as Americans for half the cost. If the companies go to China for their workforce that cost American jobs.
@ jenny
I have more bras and knickers than Rob has knives but I don’t wear them all at the same time.
@ jenny
If the Chinese exports are as good as American products, God help American manufacturing.
She’s the Imelda Marcos of knives LOL
@ Chris
This isn’t my post. It’s Rob who has 45 knives not me.
Stefi…
LMBO
A girl can never have too many.
@ Ian
See, I agree with that. How can we buy American when American companies make everything overseas?
Apologies–HE is the Imelda Marcos of knives LOL
@ Chris
He has under 50 knives, that’s hardly a large collection.
Chris —
I wish! But I don’t have that sort of money. I spend a lot more on firearms and ammunition than I do knives. Do you own any knives?
We have to agree to disagree on this, my freind. The PX4 Storm Subcompact I own is made in America. I try to buy American products, but will buy others when the American products are not up to par or are way overpriced. I then look to buy products from countries and peoples friendly to my nation.
It is impossible in America not to buy some chinese product. Just 20 years ago, the founder of Walmart based his company on selling American products whenever possible. Now after Sam’s death, his company is a poster child of everything that is wrong with corporate America and American business.
I don’t drive American either. I have a Mercedes and a Toyota large SUV. I’ve been driving myself Honda and Toyota for the past 30 years. Excellent cars all of them. A lot of those cars were made in America, except for the Benz. There is no comparison between the Benz and most Jap cars, but the Lexus gives it a run here in the States and has less maintenance issues. Still, I’d buy another Benz.
I’d love to have any of the sports cars you drive, having formerly driven a Mustang Mach One, several hot rod trucks, an early 80′s Toyota Supra and a 70′s Z-28. Amongst other cars. But I can’t afford them since I’m not in the biz.
To avoid turning this into somekind of nationalistic debate, I’ll say I like italian products. I’ve owned suits and shoes and shirts and ties and guns and other items, and they were and are favorites of mine. I like the Italian people, just as I favor the English, Scottish and Irish in that I have many friends from all of these countries.
I also like many American products, and I won’t get into a debate with you about all that because I greatly enjoy your blog, respect your opinion and reasonable minds can respectfully disagree.
I’d love to live in a paradise in some of the Italiian locales that friends of mine live/lived in and where their families still live. Close to the Sea or a river or a creek. One old friend used to dwell in a hilltop rock home, overlooking his acres of oilive trees. Just an idyllic spot.
I think certain nations in this world ought to form a fair trade pact where we agree to deal primarily with others in our merchandising and trade. I would pay a few more dollars for a product from a country that was giving Quid Pro Quo to mine in trade exchange. Like minded Christian folks in these nations need to stick together to benefit one another. Economies everywhere are struggling, and some near collapsing save for millions of intervention money, and I say we the people need to make our representatives negotiate deals with our countries not only for trade deals but for tourism deals.
I’m no economist, nor business magnate, but I just think that those of us who are allies and have been allies and have shared common past and present need to rethink our current economic relationships, to benefit us all. Taking into account the Euro deal and all of that. We’ve had recent differences, but I say look to the future for a better world for those of use willing to take care of each other.
@ Fish
My PX4 Storm Subcompact is made in Italy. Yours was made by Beretta USA. If you buy an American made or Italian made Beretta, you know they’re made to exactly the same standard, and they’re both Beretta. But if you’re buy products made from the Far East (with the exception of Japan) you know they won’t last 5 minutes.
I don’t we can buy ethically, if we did, we wouldn’t buy anything. But Rob’s point isn’t that we shouldn’t buy American, it’s that we’re not. Europeans are buying a lot less American products than we did 10 or 20 years ago. American manufacturing just isn’t as competitive as it once was, and American companies aren’t really supporting American manufacturing, they’re to quick to relocate their factories in the Far East. That is a huge problem for American manufacturing.
I think it was a big mistake to bailout the big 3. I drive a Lamborghini gallardo lp560-4, which is admittedly out of most people’s price range, but Amica doesn’t. She’s just bought an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which is the less than a Ford Focus RS. Is a Ford Focus RS really in the same league as a Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
El Fish —
Fox have an American subsidy — Fox USA — so you can buy American made Fox knives. But when I buy from Fox or Beretta I’m not buying from their American subsidiaries. If I buy from them, it’s made in Italy. If you buy a Remington or Spyderco, it might be made in Italy. The reason I wouldn’t buy a Lexus isn’t because it’s American, it’s because there are better motors in it’s price bracket. There was a time when Ford was worth driving. The Mustang Mach One is a good example. I’ve driven the 2003 model, which to be fair was poor, but the old 1969 model was an awesome motor.
My philosophy espoused above is basically what could be called the “Mr. Rodger’s Be A Good Neighbor” plan of economic and friendship salvation for our countries.
El fish
That doesn’t work for me because I believe in free trade. I’m just as happy to buy from Argentina as I am America. It makes no difference to me.
Stefi…
See, that’s what I mean. I want to buy American and I would buy more American goods if more American companies made them in America.
My first car was a used 1970 Mach One with a 351 Cleveland engine. It was rebuilt by a fellow known in Detroit, from where he hailed, as “Mr. 289″. He was quite good at rebuilding engines, and if it ran strong when it was stock, it ran awesome when it was rebuilt.
Back in the late 70′s, I had the chance to trade that Stang and $5k for a 1969 Shelby that Mr. 289 had. How foolish of me not to take that deal.
I don’t believe in free trade anymore. I think that to survive and prosper, America is going to have to stop exporting jobs and spend money here.
@ El fisdh
I used to have a renovated 1985 Ferrari 308 GTB QV. My mate Danny worked on it. He ran a garage at the time. He also rebuilt a 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GT. He’s married to my cousin, she hates the Dino because it’s got no air conditioning but he also drives a F430 Scuderia, she likes that. She can’t understand why he prefers the Dino. Amica and Stefi are the same. I try explaining it’s a classic but to them it’s just a 37-year old motor.
Chicks don’t know anything about cars.
@ Ian
This chick buys and sells cars.
Stefi –
But to be fair, you prefer the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 to the Ferrari F430 Scuderia because it’s got a stereo and has a nicer interior.
@ Rob
The Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 is easier to drive and has E-gear, but it’s a fair point about the F430 Scuderia’s interior. It doesn’t have one!!! Why do you prefer it to the Ferrari? Because it’s faster!
Rob … many American products are outsourced to Asia – because the labor costs are much cheaper. As a result, there is a wide variety in quality for the goods sold by American companies. Personally, I don’t blame this on the Chinese, Japanese, or Koreans. I have noticed that Chinese companies can make high-quality items – but it requires strict attention to manufacturing standards and quality control. In other words – US companies need to be very selective (and careful) about who they work with when they outsource products. Those that do their homework can produce good items are competitive prices. But unfortunately, all too often we are now seeing a lot of junk getting made. Believe me – it’s irritating to American consumers too!!
However, I do think that there are still quite a lot of US gun manufacturers who take pride in their products and try to produce good quality firearms.
You are fortunate that you can afford to buy the best. It’s always a nice position to be in, and I’m sure you can find a lot of good manufacturers in Europe if you want to do that. But I think it’s also possible to shop selectively for US products and find good deals.
cheers,
P
@ Rob. No stereo is a deal breaker. If you spend that sort of money and you expect them to stick in a stereo.
Jen
You don’t buy a Ferrari because it’s got a good sound system. You buy it because it’s a work of motoring genius. Anyhow, you shouldn’t be listen to Celine Dion or whatever crap you listen to when your driving and putting on your war paint at the same time; you should be concentrating.
@ Jenny
I agree, Rob doesn’t listen to the stereo when he’s driving he likes to listen to the engine and police sirens in the distance when he’s doing 200mph.
Have to agree with Rob on this one. Automotive excellence does not require stereo, A/C, power windows or 27 drinkholders. Or trunk space.
My dad had a ’69 Vette with no A/C (in Texas A/C is mandatory) with no radio. It was some kind of extra hot rod Vette. I wish he’d a kept it for me. He drove it quite a while, then got something that didn’t make his arm hurt shifting it. Apparently it had a hella serious 4 speed and a very stout clutch.
@ El Fish
It matters though when you’re buying a car, I wouldn’t buy a car without a stereo or A/C.
El Fish — I don’t know anyone who has driven a ’69 vette Stingray but to be honest I don’t like the look of it. From that era I think the Jaguar E-Type is the best looking car and it did alright at Le Mans and Sebring. Never driven one though. I driven an XJS. Really unreliable.
@ Rob I guess you had to be there in the US in the sixties and seventies to witness the awesomeness that was the relatively inexpensive “drive off the showroom floor” high performance motor vehicle. Yeah, handling didn’t compare to modern high $$ sports cars, but sheer ballsiness and cubic inches made for a fun and good ride.
I buy American because I am in America. But most of what is “American” is not American made. I know for a fact that on of the major retailer here in the past advertised they only sold American made product but the clothing was being made in the Philippines. I will put my Pontiac Sunfire up against your Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 any day. But we have to race in my home state of Pennsylvania. The pot hole in the road will slow you down.
@ Thedragonsedge
The Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 isn’t just a fast car on the straight, I’ve taken around the narrow roads going up Mount Etna at speed. Now that’s where you want to race. I’ve taken a Ferrari around the track at Monza and believe me it’s not as hair raising as going around a mountain at stupid miles per hour, but great fun
Rob
My racing days are over now. Getting older and not as brave. I just race on Need For Speed. I get to race the top end cars and if I crash into a wall I just start over. To many close ones in the past. I am no longer invincible. Besides your cars would laugh at mine. It goes from 0 to 60 eventually. I only have a chance if we race here in the spring when the roads have pot hole all over the place. You wont want the hit them in your nice car. We have blown tires out hitting pot holes. So let just say YOU WON the race.