"CHINA" stamped on the blade.

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jeffsenpai

jeffsenpai

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We all know that nowadays most major knife companies have knives made in China.

What I find inconsistent is that some manufacturers prominently stamp CHINA on the blade, denoting country of origin, while others omit it. Is there some requirement (ie law) that requires the country of origin to be marked on a folding knife?

As a knife buyer, even if a knife is made in China, I prefer not to see the markings. The company has to realize that marking it as such is not a selling point. For example, Chinese Kershaw knives are all well marked with CHINA, yet Chinese CRKT knives are not always marked. Boker, for instance makes the higher end Epicenter in China, and the first run of knives were marked, while the current run is not.

I would think that if there was an option, every company would omit it, anyone know more about this?
 
Like singularity, I was under the impression that blades imported into the USA had to be somehow marked to show country of origin, but like you said, some seem to have a way around this. My Gerber Steadfast, for example, is made in China but not marked as such in any way. It doesn't bother me one way or the other, but I agree that the inconsistency is mysterious. :confused:
 
If I'm not mistaken, and I could well be, identification on the container in which the knife comes (box or clam shell) is an adequate way of identifying country of origin under the law.

Again, I could be wrong but that is my current understanding. :)
 
I think that if any part of the "manufacturing process" ie. if any part is assembled here in the U.S. it doesn't have to be marked China and can even be marked made in USA.
 
I thought it had to say made in China (our anywhere else) if the majority of the parts are manufactured on China. IIRC it doesn't matter if it's assembled here, it still has to say made in China, BUT it CAN say "Assembled in U.S.A".

But I could be wrong.
 
I'm not going to post the entire document - it is huge and linkage below - but here are some of the critical wording and my opinion on how they get around placing the country of origin on the knife itself, but must place it on the container:

MARKING
35. Country-Of-Origin Marking
U.S. customs laws require that each article produced abroad and imported into the
United States be marked with the English name
of the country of origin to indicate to the
ultimate purchaser in the United States what country the article was manufactured or
produced in. These laws also require that marking be located in a conspicuous place as
legibly, indelibly and permanently as the nature of the article permits. Articles that are
otherwise specifically exempted from individual marking are also an exception to this
rule. These exceptions are discussed below...

...When an article or its container is required to be marked with the country of
origin, the marking is considered sufficiently permanent if it will remain on the article or
container until it reaches the ultimate purchaser...

...The following classes of articles are also exempt from marking to indicate
country of origin:
101
101
•
Articles incapable of being marked,
•
Articles that cannot be marked prior to shipment to the United States
without injury,
•
Articles that cannot be marked prior to shipment to the United States
except at a cost economically prohibitive of their importation,
•
Articles for which marking of the containers will reasonably indicate their
country of origin,
•
Crude substances,
•
Articles produced more than 20 years prior to their importation into the
United States,
•
Articles entered or withdrawn from warehouse for immediate exportation
or for transportation and exportation.

Although the articles themselves are exempted from marking to indicate country
of origin, the outermost containers in which they ordinarily reach the ultimate purchaser
in the United States must be marked to show the articles’ country of origin.
Click to expand...

The bolded part is probably how they get around putting the markings on the knife itself. I strongly suspect that they have petitioned the gov. to accept that additional markings would be cost prohibitive (that doesn't mean that it really is, just that they have been able to show such to the gov.). Hence, they put it on the box and not the knife.

Of course, JMO.

To read the document in its entirety and draw your own conclusions:
http://cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/newsroom/publications/trade/iius.ctt/iius.pdf
 
Special Markings on Certain Articles
The following articles and parts thereof, unless otherwise subject to the marking exceptions provided for in 19 U.S.C. 1304, must be marked legibly and conspicuously with their country of origin by die-stamping, cast-in-mold lettering, etching (acid or electrolytic), engraving, or by means of metal plates which bear the prescribed marking and which are securely attached to the article in a conspicuous place by welding, screws, or rivets:

Knives, forks, steels
Cleavers, clippers, shears
Scissors, safety razors, blades for safety razors
Surgical instruments, dental instruments
Scientific and laboratory instruments
Pliers, pincers, nippers and hinged hand-tools for holding and splicing wire
Vacuum containers and parts of the above articles
Click to expand...

Exceptions:

(3) Authorize the exception of any article from the requirements of marking if—
(A) Such article is incapable of being marked;
(B) Such article cannot be marked prior to shipment to the United States without injury;
(C) Such article cannot be marked prior to shipment to the United States, except at an expense economically prohibitive of its importation;
(D) The marking of a container of such article will reasonably indicate the origin of such article;
. . .
Click to expand...
 
I'm glad they stamp "Made in China", it makes it easier to pay the extra few dollars for a knife made in Japan or the US.

China can make very good stuff, they just usually don't because the company doesn't specify higher levels of QC.
 
I have purchased some knives where the made in China label is on the wrapping of the commerative box. When you remove the clear wrapping the country of origin goes into the trash. The blades of the knife have no country of origin markings.
 
MatthewSB said:
I'm glad they stamp "Made in China", it makes it easier to pay the extra few dollars for a knife made in Japan or the US.

China can make very good stuff, they just usually don't because the company doesn't specify higher levels of QC.
Click to expand...

yup US or japan for me.
 
from what I've seen it's only the companies I have little respect for who do not mark it prominently on the knife itself.

the good companies like spyderco and Kershaw have nothing to hide.

it leads to clueless people buying overpriced Camillus knives and then trying to say it's an American knife and better than my "China spyderco". even though the spyderco I'm carrying happens to be marked "Golden Colorado, USA Earth" :D
 
MatthewSB said:
I'm glad they stamp "Made in China", it makes it easier to pay the extra few dollars for a knife made in Japan or the US.

China can make very good stuff, they just usually don't because the company doesn't specify higher levels of QC.
Click to expand...

I'm glad $30-40 is what you call a "few" extra dollars. Must be nice.

And I have plenty of good quality Chinese made Kershaws and a Spyderco Tenacious, plus a nice little Enlan as well. Sure, with 8cr13MoV they don't an edge as long as my S30V Native, but they're easy to sharpen and do just fine for the daily use I put them through.
 
mmarkh said:
No need for any of the crap from China. I'll pay the extra.
Click to expand...

Actually, most of the knives made by (for) the big companies like Kershaw, Spyderco, and Benchmade that are from China actually can and surprisingly frequently match the quality of the US or Japanese made products. Country of origin means very little. The factory it is made in and who it is made for means everything.

Also, don't you dare knock the Taiwanese Spyderco's. Them's fightin' words.

Don't have a bias on where the product is made. Have a bias on who the money goes to. Sanrenmu makes a good product, but I will gladly pay more for my money to go to a company that does American production.
 
dkb45 said:
Actually, most of the knives made by (for) the big companies like Kershaw, Spyderco, and Benchmade that are from China actually can and surprisingly frequently match the quality of the US or Japanese made products. Country of origin means very little. The factory it is made in and who it is made for means everything.

Also, don't you dare knock the Taiwanese Spyderco's. Them's fightin' words.

Don't have a bias on where the product is made. Have a bias on who the money goes to. Sanrenmu makes a good product, but I will gladly pay more for my money to go to a company that does American production.
Click to expand...

Simple, people just don't like their knife made by a Chinese/Taiwanese. A lot of people have the NO overseas knives so only US made or Japan (I thought Japan was considered overseas as well :confused:).
 
dkb45 said:
Actually, most of the knives made by (for) the big companies like Kershaw, Spyderco, and Benchmade that are from China actually can and surprisingly frequently match the quality of the US or Japanese made products. Country of origin means very little. The factory it is made in and who it is made for means everything.

Also, don't you dare knock the Taiwanese Spyderco's. Them's fightin' words.

Don't have a bias on where the product is made. Have a bias on who the money goes to. Sanrenmu makes a good product, but I will gladly pay more for my money to go to a company that does American production.
Click to expand...

I agree China can make decent products, I just prefer when possible to purchase something made in the US to further support our economy and the Americans they employ, instead of supporting a product made in a Communist country which is only less expensive because of cheap labor.

If I can't buy made in USA my second option would be to atleast purchase from a Democratic country that is a true US ally like Japan or Europe.

I mean its already so frustratingly difficult not to buy crap from China in our every day lives, but with knives there are several easily identifiable options (more than anyone could ever need) so no excuse really. If $30 is such a huge financial deal breaker you probably shouldn't be spending the money anyway and instead save for when you can afford it.
 
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