If ‘Made in Canada’ is important to you, then one of the first things you need to do is ensure that the knife you are considering to purchase (or any item for that matter) is actually made in Canada.
I’ve run across Canadian companies promoting ‘handmade’ knives on their site that are big on bragging that they’re Canadian, along with big on bragging that their products are ‘handmade’, but very coy about exactly where the items are actually made. Whether intentional or not, it is easy for the visitor to be left with the impression that it’s handmade in Canada. But if the cost is cheap, then you can rest assured they’re not really handmade in Canada.
Make sure it’s actually made in Canada
Recently I was browsing knives for sale by a Canadian company that proudly claimed they’re knives were handmade. And cheap – they offered handmade folding knives for $35, while claiming to be a proud Canadian company.
I was immediately suspicious. Maybe the knives are handmade, but at prices like that it’s unlikely they’re made in Canada. So I did some digging, and confirmed my suspicion. The knives were handmade overseas, were labour rates are criminally low. Now, this company never explicitly stated that the knives were made in Canada, but they were certainly coy about the original manufacturing location. By plastering terms like ‘Proudly Canadian’ and ‘handmade’ all over their website pages, they certainly allowed visitors to connect the dots in their own way and get the wrong impression.
More often than not, such companies are little more than web fronts for importing cheap stuff from overseas, where workers labour in sweatshops at pennies per hour.
Items handmade in Canada will typically cost more than comparable items from China or Thailand. This, of course, raises an important question. Why should the consumer care? Why should we pay more for ‘handmade in Canada’?
We think there’s many excellent reasons why buying ‘Made in Canada‘ is important.
Quality is actually cheaper in the long run
First, and what is likely to be most important for the customer, is quality and cost. Knives made in Canada, or almost anything for that matter, will be superior in quality. Quality control in Canada and the US is generally far better than what is typical for companies overseas. Better quality means it will last longer, will stand up to use and be less likely to chip, crack or break.
And on that note, handmade knives in Canada will also be cheaper…
Yes, you heard that right. Cheaper – over time. That’s because the better quality knife won’t need to be replaced or fixed. Quality is often cheaper in the long run because you’re not having to replace the item, whereas buying cheap may save you a few bucks up front, but you end up paying more over time because it needs to be replaced or repaired.
Handmade in Canada make great gifts.
An item handmade in Canada will be top quality. A good handcrafted knife from a Canadian artisan should last a lifetime. Provided that it is properly cared for and used as intended, you won’t need to replace it. You’ll pay a bit more up front, but in the long run you’ll save. And you’ll get more enjoyment out of the superior quality.
Some more great reasons for buying ‘Made in Canada’.
- Bragging rights. You get to tell all your friends that the great looking knife you’re using is ‘Made in Canada’. We think that’s pretty cool, and so do a lot of people.
- Bringing jobs back to Canada. Buying Canadian promotes jobs in Canada.
- Greater satisfaction. It’s much more satisfying and enjoyable to be using a great looking quality knife then some cheap thing with plastic handles.
- Better gifts. High quality handcrafted knives make much better gifts. Think about it. When looking for a unique gift for the cook in your life, do you want to give them some cheap mass-produced knife from China, or an individually handcrafted high quality item made by hand in Canada. Now, doesn’t that make you feel better already just thinking about it? What would you rather have given to you?
- You’re going to feel better about it. Years from now the little bit of extra money you might have saved by buying cheap will be long forgotten, but the daily frustration of using an inferior product will still be there – at least until you decide to throw it out and get something better.
All our knives are proudly 100% made in Canada! No Exceptions!
Here at Blue Moose Forge we think that ‘Made in Canada’ is important. That’s why every step of our manufacturing process is done right here in Brantford Ontario. We don’t source any of the work overseas. We don’t cut corners to save a buck. Our knives are proudly 100% made in Canada, and we are not afraid to price our knives accordingly.
Not just our work, but the raw steel we carefully select that goes into each one of our knives comes from Canada or the US. We don’t use low-cost, cheap steel from China as that will lead to low quality knives that won’t hold an edge and will be prone to chipping and breaking easily.
Once you’ve purchased one of our fantastic kitchen knives, you’re going to want to use it. If you need some recipe ideas for something to cook, check out Once Upon a Chef.
Have a great day, eh!