Think quickly: if you saw a “USA Quality Guarantee” seal on a product you found in a store, where would you assume that it had been manufactured? If you guessed “China,” you’re an awfully cynical person. You are, however, correct.

Reader Stuart, who writes a blog about tools, noticed this little badge of dishonor on a knife for sale at Home Depot. If it’s not meant to make customers think that the knife was made in the USA, then what is it supposed to mean?

To clarify, the offending logo is printed on the handle of the knife, not on the product’s packaging. Another design of the same knife just has (naturally) an American flag printed over the whole handle.

Stuart wrote about the product to Consumerist, and also posted about it on his blog.

If you saw this (image and closer-up images attached) knife in a store, where would you think it’s made? After spotting it at Home Depot, my first thought was that it was made in the USA. After all, it does say “USA Quality Guaranteed.” But a peek at the back and, sure enough, it’s made in China. I know that a lot of shoppers don’t care about where their tools and other goods are made, but there’s a reason why manufacturers often bury non-USA origin information in small print on the back of product packages. What do you think, is this an intentional attempt to trick shoppers into thinking it’s a USA-made knife? Or am I just too sensitive and quick to suspect?

The maker/distributor of this knife is Florida-based Iron Bridge Tools, who also makes many of the Husky holiday special tools for Home Depot, such as the one at the center of last year’s shilling incident.

Top top things off, the safety warning on the back of the package makes no mention of the knife blade being sharp. But it does tell you not to point flashlights at your eyes.

While I realize it may be common to find “patriotic” products that are made overseas, this seemed a little sketchy to me. Almost like a “made in USA” product that’s not.

Well, thank goodness for that flashlight warning, on a product that contains no flashlights. Some of Stuart’s readers think that he should give the Consumer Products Safety Commission and perhaps the Federal Trade Commission a heads up about the “USA Quality” label and lack of a warning about how knives are sharp. While they surely have more important things to worry about, a quick online report wouldn’t hurt. Not as much as an imaginary flashlight in the eye, anyway.

“USA Quality Guaranteed” – Just a Made-in China Decoration [Toolguyd]

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