It's widely known to the general public that I'm not a big fan of the United States of America. It's not the people I dislike; I know plenty of American people that are very cool. But the "system", the government... that I don't like. The whole "patriotism" is just a bunch of bullshit to me, and as John Dalberg-Acton wrote: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". The United States of America claims to be the most powerful nation on the planet; So you do the math.
However, I do love traditional American made products like Zippo lighters and Buck knives. As is widely known to the general population, America has this ridiculous justice system that allows you to sue someone for whatever reason you see fit. People sue McDonalds restaurants because the coffee is too hot and they burn their mouth, demanding millions of dollars in compensation; and more crazy stuff like that. This justice system, ridiculous as it may seem has some benefits though.
Companies that manufacture products in America will make sure that their products are safe and easy to use; after all, they don't want to get sued because some idiot couldn't figure out how the product works and got injured in the process. So you can be sure that any American made product that makes it to the shelves in the store will have passed a very stringent quality control check. A lot of the products are made "idiot proof", so they are usually fabricated using pretty solid and sturdy materials.
Another thing I like about American made products is that a lot of the manufacturers offer a life-time warranty (also known as "forever warranty"). Buck knives and Zippo lighters are a fine example of it. If they break down, you just send it to the factory and it will be fixed or replaced free of charge; no questions asked. ESEE Knives, formerly known as "RAT Cutlery", takes the life-time warranty to another level. As their waranty page states: " No Questions Asked Warranty. If you break it, we will replace it. Warranty is transferable. In other words, we warranty the knife no matter how many times it's been traded, sold or given away." See, now that is what I call good customer service!
Manufacturers that give their products life-time warranty have confidence in the quality of their products; which in turn gives me confidence that my money is spent well when I buy one. It also gives me confidence to actually use the product.