There was a time when made in America wasn’t something you should be looking for. It was simply a fact. Today, not so much. We have to look to see if something is made in America and sometimes it is much harder to find than one might think. It is difficult to find a company or manufacturer that puts its country and its quality before sales and profits. It seems much easier to send work abroad for cheaper labor or to buy abroad for a cheaper product. As a final result, the quality of the product and our country suffers.

Now, with that said, I would like to talk about a manufacturer that has not given in to this drop. Based in Bradford, PA, WR Case & Sons Cutlery Company has been making knives in America for 120 years. They began in 1889 and are currently owned by Zippo Manufacturing, also based in Bradford, PA. Not only are they one of the few that continually and successfully make knives strictly here in America, but their knives are one of the most recognized and collected in the industry.

WR Case & Sons has a wide variety of styles and patterns when it comes to knife making. They have pretty much every type of knife one could want, from hunting knives to everyday pocket knives. In addition, a wide range of materials that they use to make their knives. These include things like bone and deer, right down to mother-of-pearl. The uniqueness and beauty of its knives make them one of the most sought after among collectors. They have many knives to suit this occasion, with its many commemorative and special editions. WR Case & Sons have even pioneered some original knife patterns, like the very popular Sod Buster.

There is more than one benefit to WR Case & Sons Cutlery Company being here in the United States. Of course, the obvious thing that makes them such popular and respected knives, the high quality, but there are also the jobs. A Case knife will go through 125 pairs of hands throughout its creation. With so many people contributing, along with the high demand for these knives, there is a great deal of work involved. High quality made right here in America, now that’s something to be proud of.

Case now has a show going on called “Making A Case For America.” This program is intended to revive some of the small town cities across the United States. They feel that downtown cities were once very critical to the American way. It wasn’t just a big department store or a mall where everyone went to buy something cheap. It was a friendly place where you would go to a specific store to buy something specific. A hardware store to buy a tool, a bakery to buy bread or a shoe store to buy shoes. They were shops where people knew each other by name. Case has always held to these principles by allowing only certain locations to sell their knives. You won’t find a Case knife for sale anywhere. You will have to go to a hardware store, cutlery or some similar place.

WR Case & Sons Cutlery Company is an excellent example of true American style. It’s not just about money, but more about people, principles, and quality. I think it is the true American style of Case that has led to such success.