How Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Affect Pocket Knife Brands (and Collectors)

I spoke with Buck, WESN, The James Brand and others about what to expect from Trump’s surprise steel and aluminum tariffs.

By Sean Tirman

Published February 16, 2025

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On February 10, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing 25 percent tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum. While this move could have far-reaching repercussions, the EDC industry, especially knives, is particularly at risk.

I contacted several USA-based knifemaking brands — including WESN, Buck Knives, The James Brand and others — to better understand the tariffs’ short- and long-term impacts and what EDC enthusiasts should expect.

EDC knife prices could rise

To understand how the knife industry will be affected, you must understand how import tariffs work. In this case, when steel or aluminum is imported from other countries into the USA, a non-negotiable 25 percent fee is charged.

The importer (in this case, a knifemaker) pays that fee and typically increases the price of their consumer goods (knives) to compensate for the tariff fee. The length and severity of the tariffs often affect these price increases.

The James Brand’s $399 Chapter 2 Damascus knife uses steel sourced from Sweden, which these new tariffs could impact.

The James Brand

Billy Chester, founder of WESN, says increased knife prices are possible but not necessarily guaranteed.

“[The tariffs] would increase our costs, but probably not enough to make a noticeable difference in our pricing—at least not in the short term,” he says. “If this ends up being a long-term policy, then we’d likely need to adjust prices to reflect the higher costs or look into U.S. manufacturing options.”

Mike Hoefer, CEO of The James Brand, shared a similar sentiment.

“We will maintain our current prices until we feel a longer-term policy is in place,” he says. “Our business is diversified enough to weather the short-term consequences, but we do need a long-term, stable trading environment from which to operate.”

The longer these tariffs are in place, the greater the likelihood that customers will see an increase in EDC knife and multi-tool prices.

As these tariffs are brand-new, unexpected and have many moving parts, there is much uncertainty about how they will ultimately play out.

For the most part, brands I’ve contacted (including those that declined to comment) are approaching the subject of these tariffs cautiously. The consensus is that they’ll have to “wait and see” before altering their supply chains and catalog pricing.

That said, the longer these tariffs are in place, the greater the likelihood that customers will see an increase in EDC knife and multi-tool prices.

Even USA-made knives aren’t immune

Brands that rely heavily on imported knife materials from China, Europe and elsewhere will likely be affected more immediately. However, manufacturers using USA-made knife steel are not necessarily exempt.

As Chris Bourassa, Director of Marketing at Buck Knives, tells me, “When there’s increased demand for domestic materials, the prices go up.”

buck knives range series green handle — Even USA-made steel, like that used by Buck Knives, could go up in price, as it did in 2018 during President Trump’s first term.

With brands potentially sidestepping the tariffs by increasing domestic supplies, demand for USA-made materials increases. Since supply will not necessarily increase at the same rate as the new demand, pricing on USA-made steel and aluminum will likely increase.

When Trump was last president in 2018, he imposed a similar tariff on imported steel. While foreign steel prices rose as a result, so did domestic steel prices. Unfortunately, the brunt of the cost was passed off to consumers. If these new tariffs stick, it should have a similar effect.

The impacts could vary

Chester added that the tariffs’ impact on the knifemaking industry is contingent on their overall scope.

“It depends on if the tariffs affect only the raw material or all products that use these materials. That’s the biggest unknown right now.”

When Trump was last president in 2018, he imposed a similar tariff on imported steel. While foreign steel prices rose as a result, so did domestic steel prices.

If the tariffs cover only raw materials, the impact will be less severe than if they include fully manufactured products, such as EDC knives (like Spyderco’s Italian-manufactured Slym).

If the former is the case, prices may increase on a case-by-case basis. However, for the latter, prices are much more likely to increase across the entire industry.

Only time will tell

As we’ve seen with the volatility of other recent tariffs — namely those levied against Canada and Mexico — there are no guarantees. The steel and aluminum tariffs could be paused or repealed, depending on political maneuvering, backlash, other concessions and more.

WESN Ridgeback Microblade held by gloved hand over rocky landscape — Knives with all-metal constructions, like this version of WESN’s Microblade, may be impacted more than others.

It’s equally possible that the tariffs will stand. If they do, knife manufacturers will eventually be forced to respond by raising prices, eating the cost themselves or (the likeliest option, in my opinion) some combination of the two.

What will ultimately happen remains to be seen. If you’re worried about these looming price increases for your favorite EDC knives and multi-tools, now might be a good time to buy.