The Benchmade Knife Company is located in Oregon City, Oregon, and its knives (except for the "Red Class" products, which are currently manufactured at an offshore facility) are proudly made in America.

Whether it's simply opening mail or slicing through a nice, thick steak, my Benchmade knife always gets the job done. I've had it for years, and use it daily.

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One time when I was looking for some scrap wood for the fireplace, I used my Benchmade to cut a 2x4 in half. While there are obviously better and faster ways to cut lumber, it's nice to know that you can.

Also, believe it or not, I've actually shaved with this knife a couple of times, and didn't even need shaving cream. Now that's tough!

When I'm out shopping for a particular item, I've been known to drive around to four or five different stores in pursuit of that elusive "Made in the USA" label.

Now I'm not saying that everything I buy is made in America, because that just isn't the case. These days, sometimes we consumers don't even have that choice anymore. But I buy American when I can.

Anyway, I've decided to start highlighting some of the noteworthy American made products that are a part of my everyday life. For starters, I thought I'd bring attention to American Apparel, a company based out of Los Angeles that manufactures premium undergarments and the like.

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This isn't a sales pitch. So let's just say that as far as undershirts go, they look (and feel) pretty dang good. Enough said.

As a side note, after receiving my most recent paycheck, I purchased $240 worth of electronic U.S. savings bonds (Series I), which means that I am now financing $2,548.00 (8.365%) of 'My Share' of the national debt.