American Made

[simple1]

Just wanted to know what everyone thinks about quality/price and Made In The USA when choosing hunting or fishing equipment. The two examples I am thinking of are Ardent Reels, and St. Croix rods or even having someone make a rod. (Harvey Lee as made 2 for me already with a 3rd on the way. Great rods Harvey)

I will use Shimano as an example of a company that makes great reels. How close in price and performance would an American Made reel have to be before you purchase that over a foreign made product such as Shimano? Do you even factor in where a product is made?

I also pose the same question for St. Croix rods (the ones still made in the USA).

I only ask because I have been looking at where products are made when considering purchases. So if a product is close in quality and price, I try to buy the American made product first. I don’t mind paying a little more for that. Mainly I have been trying hard to stay away from “Made in China”. But I will say, my choices are getting more and more limited.

Thanks

Simple1

[AnglerJake]

Buying Made in USA is great theoretically, but I'm not sure how practical it is when there is so little of anything that is actually Made in the USA. Jake

[OnAFly]

I do not factor in where gear was made. I factor in how well it was made. There are places in China that make good stuff. Unfortunately, there are a lot of places in China that make junk.

Example: Fenwick rods. These are some of the best rods on the market (in my opinion). Guess where they are made. China.

I will usually buy based on a products reputation, not necessarily where it was made. If I hear a product is junk, I won't buy. If I hear it's great, I might buy it.

[pureinsanity]

I wouldn't be surprised if a St Croix had all imported blanks. Never know unless you are the one working there importing blanks. You'll find a lot of products that say made in the USA but it comes from some place else.

[TooTallTom]

I agree that there are other factors involved in a purchase decision than just quality and price. I look for stuff that's made in the States, but any more it's more out of curiousity than anything else. Which is kind of a bummer.

What I do pay attention to is WHERE a product is purchased. I try to keep buying from the smaller/ specialty shops (mom and pop) since I value their expertise and shared passion for whatever it is I'm going to buy. I also feel that it's possible to establish a relationship with the people in those stores in a way that's not possible in a big box store. It often costs more, it sometimes costs less, but it's usually a much better all-around experience. My limit is 10-20% more up to about $100-200. The higher the purchase price of a product, the lower percentage increase I'm willing to pay to buy it from mom and pop. (I'll pay an extra dollar on something that's marked as $5 at Big Box every time, I'll think about paying $60 for something marked $50 at Big Box, but I'd have a hard time paying $600 for something marked $500 at Big Box, and I'd probably pay $2,100 for someting marked $2,000 at Big Box. For the more expensive stuff, I'd also see if the price is flexible at all.)

Good topic. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's responses.

[MichaelSwan]

Simple1, excellent question. I too look closely at items when shopping for gear and you are correct in saying that it is very difficult to stay Made in USA. I am in marketing and when I want to get behind a product line or brand, looking at who makes what where definitely will push me in a direction on purchase.

Frabill comes to mind. Great marketing, everything made in China or the Philippines.

Tackle, as far as I can tell the vast majority of tackle is made in China. I met with a tackle company owner this winter and discussed it - very difficult for a guy to compete with the US wage when they do it in China for pennies on the dollar. The retailers want you do bend over to sell in their stores, and the stores take no risk when you have to pick whatever is left after the "season" is over.

T.H.E. Jig is made the US but costs more than the cheap jigs that come from China. They also last much longer. I will pay the difference.

I guess another example would be to tariff the products that come in for companies that export jobs. This crosses right into illegal aliens. If your strawberries cost $1 more because legal workers pick them, will you buy? I will, if I want strawberries.

Is it right? I think so, IMO. BTW, if you want help marketing your product, made in the US. Call me. I'm a native.

[pulleye16]

It's almost impossible to buy AMERICAN made cause things get out sourced all the time and one has no way of know exactly where their product came from.

I like to purchase locally or by someone personaly instead. My ice fishing pole is made by a man Michigan. Fish house by a company in Grand Rapids (made in china), auger in big lake (made in sweden, china), atv winch from rodgers, mn (made in china?)...

If my money can support local no matter where it is made, I'm happy. I do love the big "c" though as customeer sevice and quality out rank everything else!

[MichaelSwan]

I think we can all agree on this:

Quote:

If my money can support local no matter where it is made, I'm happy. I do love the big "c" though as customeer sevice and quality out rank everything else!

[Nick Kuhn]

American made is tough to get unless you go to products with high margins (read the big $$$ products). It's difficult to match China's labor prices. However, buying American designed is not nearly as difficult. Now, you won't be employing American factory workers, but you will help employ American engineers and technicians.

[JohnMickish]

I wouldn't be surprised if a St Croix had all imported blanks. Never know unless you are the one working there importing blanks. You'll find a lot of products that say made in the USA but it comes from some place else.

You need to take a trip to Park Falls Wisconsin and tour the factory. The rods that are built in Wisconsin have their blanks made there and the cheaper rods made in Mexico have their blanks made at that plant.

[DitchPickle13]

I'll chime in as far as firearms go, since you did mention "hunting" equipment.

I do factor in where items are made, within reason, when purchasing. If I want a particular type of product and there's several options in a particular quality/price range, I'll let the Made in USA be a determining factor.

We have a couple good Minnesota examples, even:

DPMS(AR-15's)

Magnum Research(Desert Eagle, et cetera)

Federal Ammunition

Weatherby(I'm fairly sure their high end Mark V line of rifles are mfg in MN still)

Dedicated Technologies(AR-15 uppers)

DPMS is in MN and makes quality AR-15's and parts...so, that's where mine come from. Dedicated Technoligies makes high quality custom made uppers AR's and is located in Bemidji, so that's where I purchased from...the perfect marriage, perhaps. : )

Federal Ammunition is made in Anoka and is a subsidiary of ATK out of Eden Prairie, so I frequently support them by buying their ammo.

Gun Stop is a neat little reloading supplies store in Hopkins, too.

As for the "big guns" in the firearms industry, and some others:

Ruger - Made in the USA.

Smith & Wesson - Made in the USA

Remington - mostly Made in USA

Browing/Winchester - Mostly Japan

Taurus - Brazil

Kimber - USA

Beretta/Benelli - Mostly Italy

Marlin(now owned by Rem) - still in the USA, I think, but not sure

[simple1]

DitchPickle13 Said: I do factor in where items are made, within reason, when purchasing. If I want a particular type of product and there's several options in a particular quality/price range, I'll let the Made in USA be a determining factor.

DitchPickle13, thad exactly what I am getting at. And thanks for the extra info.

Simple1

[itchmesir]

You need to take a trip to Park Falls Wisconsin and tour the factory. The rods that are built in Wisconsin have their blanks made there and the cheaper rods made in Mexico have their blanks made at that plant.

You got it.. St. Croix sends their cheaper blanks to Mexico to be built.. That is the only non-Made-in-USA trait St. Croix rods has.. and it makes minimal difference imho.. great rods.. whether they are made in Wisconsin or Mexico

[MichaelSwan]

St. Croix also states clear as day where they are made. I personally can't afford one.

[slipbobbin]

Love My St. Croix....

[slipperybob]

When I bought my Browning reels thinking I was getting something possibly made in Japan, it wasn't. Browning reels are made in Korea and possibly the rest of their fishing tackle stuff. The reels were in par with quality and value with Pflueger reels.

Eagle Claw hooks are made in USA. I don't buy much of them anymore after using Owner hooks.

[bobbymalone]

As for the "big guns" in the firearms industry, and some others:

Ruger - Made in the USA.

Smith & Wesson - Made in the USA

Remington - mostly Made in USA

Browing/Winchester - Mostly Japan

Taurus - Brazil

Kimber - USA

Beretta/Benelli - Mostly Italy

Marlin(now owned by Rem) - still in the USA, I think, but not sure

Mossberg - USA

[itchmesir]

anyone else find it ironic how US Reels are not made in the US?

[blakjack23]

***[pureinsanity]I wouldn't be surprised if a St Croix had all imported blanks. Never know unless you are the one working there importing blanks. You'll find a lot of products that say made in the USA but it comes from some place else. ]***

You need to take a trip to Park Falls Wisconsin and tour the factory. The rods that are built in Wisconsin have their blanks made there and the cheaper rods made in Mexico have their blanks made at that plant.

+2

I've toured that factory also. A great place to stop and check out if you are ever in that neck of the woods. I've tried many different rods, but I'm once again going back to St. Croix. They have exceptional quality, warranty, and customer service and made just a few hours away. Once you try a Legend Elite its hard to go back to anything else

[JakeJ_Mn]

Navy Seal Team Six - Made in the USA.

Buying American supports jobs in the USA. More jobs = stable economy, secure social security, and revenue for the benefits we enjoy.

Not to say equipment made in foriegn countries is inferior, but the standards for workers, wages, hours of work, and the environment lack far behind the US.

Just a thought.

[Boxcar Wllie]

Great in theory. Very limited in practice. I hear the "All I buy is American" all the time but when push comes to shove and you can get a similar product for 1/2 the cost of one that is American Made, 9 times out of 10 Joe Plumber is going to buy the foreign made.

Veterans that paid the ultimate price, have their names on a memorial in D.C. that is from overseas.

[itchmesir]

Advancement in technology is why the US is losing more jobs... not outsourcing.. shimano, pflueger, etc.. probably hires tens of thousands of people to assemble their reels.. while in the US they hire maybe a couple thousand because everything is done by machine.. just wait til the Watson technology rolls out to every factory in the US.. i bet you see the biggest decline in labor the US has ever seen...

As "secure social security"... i won't even touch that one

Let's also not forget we basically owe our butt to China... China doesn't make money.. we go down with them

[OnAFly]

Yep, luckily China's economy is driven by US demand. We're back to Mutually Assured Destruction!

[TooTallTom]

Yep, luckily China's economy is driven by US demand. We're back to Mutually Assured Destruction!

I've never thought of it quite like this. Put this way, it's actually really funny to me. The same way that Dr. Strangelove is really funny to me.

[itchmesir]

Also we live in a "free market" society(i use this term loosely because it's definitely lost its actual meaning in the US).. US's economy relies more on imports than it does some "made in the usa" company... not to mention.. if you look beyond the reel or rod being "made in the usa" all the components to make it were probably imported.. making it more "Assembled in the USA"