Reels from China?

[Rancanfish]

Well, echoing Tommy, I have lots of 20-30 year old reels in both spinning,fly and conventional. I will never have to use junk reels.

We can thank Alan one more time for educating a lot of us. The Professor kept us from senseless purchases over the years. We didn't need everything we bought but the knowledge he shared steered us away from lots of inferior products, and gifted us the ability to discern the difference.     

[handi2]

Remember China steals our technology and does not recognize any countries patents do they can copy anything for a profit.

Keith

[jurelometer]

That's not quite how patents work. Countries only recognize patents granted by their own national legal system. Countries are kind of big  on maintaining sovereignty.  (The EU is a minor exception. Since there is sort of a regional legal structure, you can apply for a patent across the EU in lieu of going to each member state individually.)
 
Can't work any other way. Otherwise China would have to recognize and enforce US patent law, and vice-versa.   Don't see that working out too well..

-J

[whalebreath]

That's not quite how patents work. Countries only recognize patents granted by their own national legal system. ....Can't work any other way. Otherwise China would have to recognize and enforce US patent law, and vice-versa.  Don't see that working out too well..

Whoa!

Common sense & factual info instead of emotional rants & vitriol on the internets-who'd a' thunk it?

[Midway Tommy]

That's not quite how patents work. Countries only recognize patents granted by their own national legal system. ....Can't work any other way. Otherwise China would have to recognize and enforce US patent law, and vice-versa.  Don't see that working out too well..

Whoa!

Common sense & factual info instead of emotional rants & vitriol on the internets-who'd a' thunk it?

Still doesn't stop China from stealing the technologies & designs, reproducing them and then trying to pass their garbage off as authentic.  Gibson is merely one isolated example.

[jurelometer]

That's not quite how patents work. Countries only recognize patents granted by their own national legal system. ....Can't work any other way. Otherwise China would have to recognize and enforce US patent law, and vice-versa.  Don't see that working out too well..

Whoa!

Common sense & factual info instead of emotional rants & vitriol on the internets-who'd a' thunk it?

Appreciate the kind words.

-J

[Shellbelly]

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't the earliest documented "fishing reel apparatus thing" made somewhere in the Far East?  IF that is true.....hmmmmm. 

It wouldn't excuse modern-day improprieties but in concept, somebody "took" that first contraption and started something.  The same could possibly be said for gunpowder, guns, cannons, artillery, plates, bowls, candles, ad infinitum.

Frustrating when somebody takes your stuff and copies it but the practice does have "interesting" roots.

The infuriating modern aspect is when the copy is a cheap knock-off after careers were spent on a quality original.

[boon]

Generalising everything out of China as bad is a fool's game nowadays. Plenty of quality items being produced there - but critical to highlight that these items are being made by established brands with reputations to uphold, and most importantly, with quality control at the end of the process.
The no-name stuff is being produced with no investment in R&D, it is just a cosmetic copy of the "real deal" object - accordingly, things like metallurgy go out the window because the company producing the item fundamentally does not understand the end use. And when they've finished their run of 1000 "Shinmanu Stello" reels, there's nobody doing anything more than cursory QC before they're boxed up and sold to unsuspecting fishermen thinking they've cracked the code to getting quality gear at 1/10th the price.

[handi2]

At least the Penn Fathoms are a good reel coming from China

[Gfish]

Generalising everything out of China as bad is a fool's game nowadays. Plenty of quality items being produced there - but critical to highlight that these items are being made by established brands with reputations to uphold, and most importantly, with quality control at the end of the process.
The no-name stuff is being produced with no investment in R&D, it is just a cosmetic copy of the "real deal" object - accordingly, things like metallurgy go out the window because the company producing the item fundamentally does not understand the end use. And when they've finished their run of 1000 "Shinmanu Stello" reels, there's nobody doing anything more than cursory QC before they're boxed up and sold to unsuspecting fishermen thinking they've cracked the code to getting quality gear at 1/10th the price.

That's what I's wondering about. I thought they had to have some high quality stuff, I just haven't seen it or heard about it yet. Any examples?

[nelz]

Ok, slightly off topic, but I found a good deal on Sufix Tritanium Plus line, but then I saw it is currently made in "Gina"  so I am hesitating to buy it. I've read good things about it, but that was from way back. Any comments about this line from more recently?

[JasonGotaProblem]

That's what I's wondering about. I thought they had to have some high quality stuff, I just haven't seen it or heard about it yet. Any examples?

Chinese factories make what we pay them to make. If you ask what's the cheapest you can make something, well the cheapest is pretty cheaply made. But their workforce also contains skilled craftsmen who take pride in their work, and being Chinese doesn't negate that.

Van staal is made in China. And while I have a lot I don't like about those reels I have to acknowledge that workmanship is superb. IPhones are made in China. I'm team android but they're not cheap junk. Lots of batteries, ceramic bearings, and a lot of machining in general comes from there.

And let's not forget some cheap crap is still made here too. If we judge a country by the worst they have to offer, none of us look good.

[Cor]

.................

Having said this, there are many good companies and brands from Asia and China (Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, Pflueger, DQ, etc.) But most of them are not copycats —- they are solid, established firms that have moved production to Asia in order to keep up with the competition and stay in business.  Around 25% of the Asian reels fall into this class —- the other 75% are a waste of money and disposable.

Best, Fred

I have said this before and apologise for those I am boring, but in the early days when Okuma was largely unknow (here in any event) I purchased CONTURA  CR-453CS from a company in the states for $110-00.  I still have it, I used it a lot it worked satisfactorily but I never liked it.   It is still perfectly useful!

The build and quality was not up to scratch and when something broke I would complain to the local agent and in a week or two the replacement part would simply arrive free of charge in my letterbox.    This happened 3 times.

This is the best service I ever received from any reel manufacturer.

I could probably still get $35 for it if I sold it now.

[day0ne]

Being older than dirt, I remember when "Made in Japan" was equal to "Junk", much like everyone is talking about "Made in China" today. How things have changed.

[foakes]

.................

Having said this, there are many good companies and brands from Asia and China (Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, Pflueger, DQ, etc.) But most of them are not copycats —- they are solid, established firms that have moved production to Asia in order to keep up with the competition and stay in business.  Around 25% of the Asian reels fall into this class —- the other 75% are a waste of money and disposable.

Best, Fred

I have said this before and apologise for those I am boring, but in the early days when Okuma was largely unknow (here in any event) I purchased CONTURA  CR-453CS from a company in the states for $110-00.  I still have it, I used it a lot it worked satisfactorily but I never liked it.  It is still perfectly useful!

The build and quality was not up to scratch and when something broke I would complain to the local agent and in a week or two the replacement part would simply arrive free of charge in my letterbox.    This happened 3 times.

This is the best service I ever received from any reel manufacturer.

I could probably still get $35 for it if I sold it now.

Okuma has been, and still is —- an excellent tackle manufacturer, Cor —-

I hope they continue their strong customer service and parts support.

They should, since they seem to have a better grasp on their manufacturing model and philosophy than a couple of other Japanese-based manufacturers —- who used to have excellent service and parts support — Shimano & Daiwa.

This goes for the rest of Asia also —- many of the manufacturers have some pretty good products.  The average angling consumer probably will never know the difference —- since they have always fished disposable reels.

The guys on our site will have the knowledge to discern the difference.

Lot of my tools and equipment come from Asia —- but I would like to think that I can judge quality —- and also am able to weigh the advantages of value —- price, quality, materials, etc..

I think of what my Dad told me when I was a kid —-

Buy the best true quality tools you can afford.  They will end up being the cheapest.  If you don't have enough money for the good quality —- wait a while until you do have enough.

And, when we keep having to make excuses to justify a less than acceptable tool performance and quality —- it is likely the wrong choice.

Reels are just tools.

They should hold up for many decades, catch lots of fish capably, keep going, and have part replacement support.

Best, Fred