Kitchen Knives Made in the USA
By Bobby B. | Knives
You may or may not be surprised to hear that there are actually very few name brand kitchen knives made in the USA. With the most popular places to make kitchen knives being Germany, Japan, and now China, it’s getting harder and harder to find good American-made kitchen knives. But, the good news is, they do exist!
In years past, you might rememeber many American-made knives in your grandmother’s kitchen. Prior to the modernization of international trade, there were more. But, with the simplicity of today’s global trade, unfortunately, we just don’t see it as much. The good news is that there are a handful of manufacturers that have made it their mission to keep the knives they produce “Made in America”, and they pride themselves on this fact.
Click on any of the logos above to see their offering at Amazon. Most of these great American brands sell both individual knives as well as knife sets.
The Best American-Made Kitchen Knives & Knife Sets
Not all knives are created equal and that doesn’t change when we’re talking specifically about American made kitchen knives. If anything, consumers are even pickier when it comes to the quality of products that are made in the USA. For that reason, we’ve created the following side-by-side comparison:
As you can see, Lamson is the only brand that currently offers a forged knife option which is made from German stainless steel. The other brands, including Lamson’s Vintage line, uses American stainless steel and laser-cuts or stamps their blades. The remaining characteristics outlined are similar across these brands and really comes down to personal perference. It is important to note however, that both CUTCO and Lamson both offer lifetime warranties and free professional sharpening. They are the two most expensive brands, however, an investment in their knives is guaranteed for life. If you’re interested in purchasing American-made knives, check out our favorite options in the following categories:
Best American Made Kitchen Knife Set
Best High-End Knife Set Made in the USA
Best Budget Knife Set Made in America
Case 9pc Knife Set Review:
This 9 piece knife set from Case Cutlery includes all the basic knives as well as a sharpening rod. The blades are made from surgical steel and the handles are solid walnut wood for durability. The knives and block have a very traditional look with the grainy hardwood. This set is also available with black handles. Not only does this Case knife set fit the bill as far as being made in America, but it also looks the part!
CUTCO Homemaker Review:
If you’re not familiar with CUTCO, they make some nice knives and claim to be “Americas #1 brand in quality cutlery for over 60 years.” They have a “Forever Guarantee” that provides for free sharpening and free replacement knives for life…you can’t beat this warranty!!! This Homemaker” set includes all the knivs you could need in your kitchen and comes in a beautiful block. This is a one and done, menaing you likely won’t ever have to buy another kitchen knife again.
Rada Cutlery Knife Set Review:
Rada makes some cool-looking all metal knives. The blades are stainless steel and the handles brushed aluminum. Rada has been made in Iowa (in the U.S.) since 1948 and has a fantastic lifetime warranty on their knives. Perfect as a gift, Rada’s knife sets present well and are really inexpensive for the type and number of knives in the set. Our only complaint is that they typically don’t come with a knife block. If you’d like to learn more about Rada knives, check our our full Review on Rada Knives for more information.
Cutco Steak Knives Review:
This set includes (4) table steak knives with an overall length of 8-3/8″. The blades are 440A High-Carbon stainless steel and the handles are made of a highly engineered thermo-resin material that will not crack, chip, or fade. These steak knives are dishwasher safe & there’s nothing more American that than!
Case Cutlery 8″ Chef’s Knife Review:
Dexter-Russell Fillet Knife Review:
Dexter-Russell specializes in and is popular for their fillet knives and boning knives. They are inexpensive, yet heavy-duty and made to stand up to the task they perform. This Sano=Safe S138-PCP 8″ Wide White Fillet Knife has a polypropylene handle and uses their proprietry high-carbon, high-alloy, stain-free DEXSTEEL.
American Made Kitchen Knives Summary
There’s nothing particularly special or detrimental to buying kitchen knives that are made in the USA. There are certain consumers that insist on buying American made products whenever possible, and we can respect that! In kitchen knives, there have been some long-standing histories that come from German and Japanese knife making, but Americans make great knives too.
Obviously, there aren’t a ton of options for American made kitchen knives, but as you can see with the list above, there are some really good ones! Keep us in the loop if you know of others that we might have missed. We’re always on the look out for something cool, unique, or new on the kitchen knife scene.
Kitchen Knives Made in USA: The FAQs
Is Chicago Cutlery Made in the USA?
Despite the confusion that exists based on the name of the company, Chicago Cutlery knives are actually mostly manufactured and produced in China, not the United States.