# USA made utility knife



## Rust (Mar 15, 2011)

Pompadour said:


> okay, i have updated my work tools pretty well. only a few left that i can even upgrade. my utility knife is chinese. it works great, but looking at the china COO on the clip pisses me off.
> 
> anyone know of a made in USA utility knife? just plain made in USA, though. not something made in USA of foreign and domestic parts... also, it has to use standard utility knife blades.


Milwaukee makes them I dont know if they are american made though, I have rocked out a black one with no brand name but it says made in america on it :thumbup:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Pompadour said:


> okay, i have updated my work tools pretty well. only a few left that i can even upgrade. my utility knife is chinese. it works great, but looking at the china COO on the clip pisses me off.
> 
> anyone know of a made in USA utility knife? just plain made in USA, though. not something made in USA of foreign and domestic parts... also, it has to use standard utility knife blades.


Here is one...:thumbup:

http://www.nortonsusa.com/Utility-Knife-7-HY-01.htm


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## Rust (Mar 15, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> Here is one...:thumbup:
> 
> http://www.nortonsusa.com/Utility-Knife-7-HY-01.htm


:thumbup::thumbup:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Here is another one..:thumbup:



http://www.toolking.com/hand-tools/...ey-d-bkwh-quick-change-folding-utility-knife/


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## fondini (Dec 22, 2009)

http://www.coastaltool.com/a/lenox/images/10771.jpg
The lennox I use.


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## Pompadour (Mar 19, 2011)

thank you guys, for the responses. i appreciate it.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Some of the classic Stanley utility knives say "Made in the USA of Global components." Seeing as there is only one moving part of the knife, a small piece of spring steel, I would have to guess that's what they import? Or the die-cast aluminum? Who knows?


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## Pompadour (Mar 19, 2011)

i just do not want anything chinese.

i plan on buying a santronics model 3000 to replace my fluke tick tracer. my fluke is a better tool, but i just do not want to carry chinese tools at work.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Pompadour said:


> i just do not want anything chinese.
> 
> i plan on buying a santronics model 3000 to replace my fluke tick tracer. my fluke is a better tool, but i just do not want to carry chinese tools at work.


We don't turn this ship around soon, we will be carry water for the Chinese.


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## Pompadour (Mar 19, 2011)

backstay said:


> We don't turn this ship around soon, we will be carry water for the Chinese.


the way i see it, i am established. i have the vast majority of the things i will need (house, furniture, clothes, tools...). so, i figure that i should take great care at this point to buy american. the products are there. maybe they are not at the local store anymore, but they are there. 

i am realistic, my wife is going to bring home some chinese things. but i am going to do my best to reduce the amount of chinese and developing nation products and replace them with USA, canadian and western european goods. 

i have gotten to a point where i want to walk the walk.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Peter D said:


> Some of the classic Stanley utility knives say "Made in the USA of Global components." Seeing as there is only one moving part of the knife, a small piece of spring steel, I would have to guess that's what they import? Or the die-cast aluminum? Who knows?


I used to use the classic retractable stanley but then found an older one in my Grandfathers garage that has a dark grey painted body with what seems to be a copper alloy button, its also stamped USA on the side and has a slotted screw, the fit and finish is amazing and the action is very smooth compared the new ones, if you ever see one at a yard sale or car boot sale grab it, the quality isnt even comparable.


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## Pompadour (Mar 19, 2011)

chewy said:


> I used to use the classic retractable stanley but then found an older one in my Grandfathers garage that has a dark grey painted body with what seems to be a copper alloy button, its also stamped USA on the side and has a slotted screw, the fit and finish is amazing and the action is very smooth compared the new ones, if you ever see one at a yard sale or car boot sale grab it, the quality isnt even comparable.


i have still not pulled the trigger on a made in USA utility knife. chewy, at this point i will probably take your advice of finding them at estate sales/garage sales. 

Harry, the 3 utility knives made by bessey are all made by sheffield in china in the same factory that most generic utility knives (kobalt... ) are made.

i will just use the knives i have, until i find something. no hurry. if it is this bad now, how hard is it going to be to find products made in USA?


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## astrodoggie3000 (Aug 2, 2009)

Pompadour said:


> okay, i have updated my work tools pretty well. only a few left that i can even upgrade. my utility knife is chinese. it works great, but looking at the china COO on the clip pisses me off.
> 
> anyone know of a made in USA utility knife? just plain made in USA, though. not something made in USA of foreign and domestic parts... also, it has to use standard utility knife blades.



buy a european made knife... USA made products are going down faster than a prom dress. I wish this wasn't the case, but it is.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

If you think you can buy everything that's american made I think you are kidding yourself. Almost everything comes from overseas-- American cars have parts from China.


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## guy2073 (May 4, 2011)

http://lutztool.com/default.asp I use the lutz 357. It feels very comfortable in my huge hands. I can change a blade in under 20 seconds. I think they are made in ohio.


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Pompadour said:


> the way i see it, i am established. i have the vast majority of the things i will need (house, furniture, clothes, tools...). so, i figure that i should take great care at this point to buy american. the products are there. maybe they are not at the local store anymore, but they are there.
> 
> i am realistic, my wife is going to bring home some chinese things. but i am going to do my best to reduce the amount of chinese and developing nation products and replace them with USA, canadian and western european goods.
> 
> i have gotten to a point where i want to walk the walk.


 

If everone in this country did that, Michigan would not have it's testicles in a vice.


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

I say f uck it... I'm ordering Rosetta Stone Chinese now. Might as well be prepared when our Asian Overlords come to collect.


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## Rockyd (Apr 22, 2007)

Most of my tools are "made in U.S.A.". Have some junk in the box - normally when you are out in the middle of nowhere, and break something....have to buy some Chinese pos or go home....not going home:whistling2:


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

As someone already pointed out, "Made in the USA" is pretty much a joke now. It's more accurate to say "Assembled in the USA of domestic and foreign components." Long gone are the days of a truly American made product.


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## dwhansen (Jun 12, 2012)

Yes, I know this is an old post but I came across it as I am like Pompadour and converting any made in China tools over to something else and felt like signing up and responding.

There are still a lot of great tools made in the USA but if not, then I look to Europe as an alternative. The company Bahco makes some really nice products and vary on European countries, but I have never seen anything made in China. It is possible though.

For instance my hacksaw from Bahco is made in Sweden and I see France on a lot of their tools as well. I think there are other countries but I can't remember them all off hand.

I have also picked up some Japanese made Olfa utility and snap-off knives that have been working our well. Hey, as long as its not China.


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## dwhansen (Jun 12, 2012)

Pompadour, I like the Fluke and Klein sensors better too, but I stayed with the Santronics out of principle, and it's still a good detector. Only if it were a little more sensitive and picked up voltage sooner.


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## bubb_tubbs (Apr 15, 2012)

doubleoh7 said:


> If everone in this country did that, Michigan would not have it's testicles in a vice.


Maybe they should have been more competitive and they wouldn't have lost all their business to Japan and Korea.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Peter D said:


> As someone already pointed out, "Made in the USA" is pretty much a joke now. It's more accurate to say "Assembled in the USA of domestic and foreign components." Long gone are the days of a truly American made product.


I know this is an old post but it is worth pointing out



> As of 2012, the country (USA) remains the world's largest manufacturer, representing a fifth of the global manufacturing output.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_in_the_United_States#Manufacturing

Now that is wikipedia so I did some more checking and it seems we have moved to number 2 behind China in a virtual tie. And China and the US are way out in front of the others.

Check out the numbers in this document from England.

www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN05809.pdf


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## Chris Kennedy (Nov 19, 2007)

I don't carry a utility knife anymore. I carry 2 Benchmades and they do everything I need. American made but very pricey.


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## Voltage Hazard (Aug 10, 2009)

Peter D said:


> As someone already pointed out, "Made in the USA" is pretty much a joke now. It's more accurate to say "Assembled in the USA of domestic and foreign components." Long gone are the days of a truly American made product.


The problem is that the laws are actually making it a pain to want to continue to make stuff in the USA. A manufacturer can make a toolbox with all American made steel, do all the forming and assembly here, and essentially make the entire thing in the USA. But, it there is just one piece, as little as a screw, that is not from the USA, they have to say "with domestic and foreign parts". Because of that 1 part, they can't say Made in USA. So, since they can't label Made in USA for that 1 part, why not make it a whole bunch more parts that are not USA made? The user won't know the level of components.

I wish the percentage of parts used was listed. I want all the labor done here, to keep the jobs here. Yes, I would also want most of the parts made here, to keep those jobs in the US. But, some parts can't are just no longer USA made, so I accept that manufacturers buy some parts outside of the USA


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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

off thread...

I just re-found an old Buck knife a while ago, I even forgot it was broke.

sent it back to http://www.buckknives.com/. I want to insert "Made in America" here...

Then called after some time had passed. In asking about the knife, the response I got was, "Ah - you realize where coming out of hunting season"(last season)

I'll never appreciated a razor knife, there great for boxes, but I want something with mass if a knife blade is involved, I don't know what it is...

The New Toy is great!


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

BBQ said:


> I know this is an old post but it is worth pointing out
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's amazing that as much as the manufacturing base here has eroded that we are still out in front like that. Granted, there are numerous industries aside from low end consumer products where the nation dominations like aviation, aerospace, medical devices, etc and that probably accounts for a large share of manufactured goods.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Peter D said:


> It's amazing that as much as the manufacturing base here has eroded that we are still out in front like that.



I agree, and don't get me wrong the decline worries me but to count us as down and out already may be rushing things.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

The company recently completed a job with a made in USA specification. I talked to the purchaser about it and he claimed it was not that hard to meet except for common hardware like nuts, bolts, toggles, sheet metal screws. :blink:

Hard for him to find US manafacturers there was even foreign stuff being reboxed as USA. The AHJ for the job would require proof of origin


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

BBQ said:


> I agree, and don't get me wrong the decline worries me but to count us as down and out already may be rushing things.


As manufacturing and transportation costs rise in China (which they are), some manufacturing will return, and some will move on to the next cheaper country like Vietnam or India.


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## dwhansen (Jun 12, 2012)

Chris Kennedy said:


> I don't carry a utility knife anymore. I carry 2 Benchmades and they do everything I need. American made but very pricey.


Thanks for the link. A compact folding knife was on my list as a utility replacement, but Gerber was all I could think of, and only their mutli tools are made in the USA.

The pricey part I have never had an issue with, if the cost is justified and fair. I know people that want to make $30-40 an hour, but pay for stuff that is based on less than $1 an hour overseas. Where's the logic in that!


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## bubb_tubbs (Apr 15, 2012)

I know that I won't personally support manufacturers where a person with barely a high school degree makes $40/hour unless it requires a high degree of skill or training.

The automotive industry is a perfect example - the only reason I own a Ford is because I was able to get a ridiculous deal on it coming off a single year lease, but I would never buy a new one. 

I'd rather support a developing nation's economy than line the pockets of a fat union boss while getting fewer standard features and a lower quality control parameter.


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

Chris Kennedy said:


> I don't carry a utility knife anymore. I carry 2 Benchmades and they do everything I need. American made but very pricey.


Which of benchmades models do you prefer?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

cdnelectrician said:


> Which of benchmades models do you prefer?


The auto opens are nice.


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

nolabama said:


> The auto opens are nice.


I know, but they are illegal here...


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## mikestew (Apr 18, 2011)

got 2 old stanley knives made in canada today and a full set of proto box wrenches from my pop's old collection that is going to get tossed when my mom moves


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## bubb_tubbs (Apr 15, 2012)

nolabama said:


> The auto opens are nice.


The Criminal Code of Canada definition of a "prohibited weapon":

(a) a knife that has a blade that opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to the handle of the knife, or 
(b) any weapon, other than a firearm, that is prescribed to be a prohibited weapon

$5000 fine and/or up to 5 years in prison for breaking it.


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