American Made Chef Knives

For immediate release

January, 2011

mike@newwestknifeworks.com

American Made Chef Knives

We are proud to introduce our 100% American made chef knives. The decision to move manufacturing from Japan was based on a number of factors: a commitment to improving the quality of our knives, reducing our carbon footprint, and restoring the proud tradition of American manufacturing. The people who put a man on the moon should have a chef knife that rivals the best German and Japanese knives. At New West, we are committed to making that knife. Here's how we're making it happen:

-High Quality Steel: American innovation in steel technology. The best American steel from Crucible gives us an edge.

-Keep Cost Affordable for Customers: Keeping production completely in the USA saves money since the same steel now costs more overseas.

-Tradition Plus Innovation: New materials and techniques have given rise to knives of a design and quality never seen before.

-A Green Chef Knife: Steel made one hour from the hydropower blade factory.

-America… a producer again: New West KnifeWorks is proud to be supporting manufacturing in the USA and helping to create jobs for Americans.

Here are the Details:

High Quality Steel

Advances in steel production have always accompanied and supported technological advances in a society. Over the last 30 years, American innovation has led the world in the fields of aeronautics, computer technology, and medicine. Furthermore, the US military has shifted its focus to precision weapons and tactics. Each of these fields has placed demands on the steel industry to create specialized steels which fulfill needs as varied as the International Space Station, to deep sea exploration, surgical robotics, to the finest military aircraft in the world. As the depth of our knowledge about creating "super-steels" has grown, so has the potential for new applications in making knives. So, whereas Japan and Germany have been historically known for their fine knife making, the reality is, advances in metallurgy have made traditional methods obsolete. At New West Knifeworks, we're committed to bringing our customers the best chef knife and kitchen knives possible. The "know how" that put a man on the moon will lead to chef knives that surpass the traditional powerhouses.

Keep Cost Affordable for Customers

For the last five years New West Knives have been made in Japan. The times have changed. The economic reality is that producing kitchen knives in Japan has become prohibitively expensive. This means for the same grade of steel, you have to pay significantly more in Japan than in America. You also pay extra for the allure of Japanese knives. So, we can afford a much better quality steel in America, and pass along this upgrade to our customers. Furthermore, we can afford to make a new line of "elite" chef knives for those willing to pay a little extra, one that will far exceed anything made in Japan in the same price range. The Japanese knife industry relies on traditional mystique to inflate their cost, at New West we rely on the pragmatic solutions that put a man on the moon to create common sense value.

Tradition Plus Innovation

The last twenty years has seen an explosion in "custom, one-of-a-kind" chef knives in America. New materials and techniques have given rise to knives of a design and quality never seen before. Because of proximity and shared language, New West can participate in this ongoing evolution and improve our line of kitchen knives accordingly. Our experience with Japanese kitchen knives combined with the latest American innovations in steel and design will lead us to a greater synthesis.

A Green Chef Knife

Our partners at Lamson & Goodnow have been cutting and grinding knives for over 170 years. Located in Shelbourne Falls, Mass., they occupy the same water powered factory in which they started. While the original factory got its power from the river flowing by, the new factory gets its power from its own hydroelectric plant. So, no fossil fuels are used in cutting and grinding the knife.

Furthermore, we are now also partnering with one of the oldest Steel Companies in the country, Carpenter Steel. Because they are located only an hour from Lamson & Goodnow, we've cut down on wasted aviation fuel flying knives and parts back and forth from Japan.

Along with our sustainably harvested, Pro Teak cutting boards, we are striving to be the Greenest maker of knives possible.

America… a producer again

At New West we are committed to doing our part in rebuilding America. The US lost its manufacturing edge by trying to compete making cheap products. We want to regain the edge by focusing on quality and workmanship. We believe with the innovations in American steel, the new cutting edge designs of US based custom knife makers, and old- fashioned Yankee values, like hard work and common sense, we can make a chef knife that will surpass the traditional powerhouses of Germany and Japan.