Labels with "Made in USA" brings up a question. Actually made here or just assembled here. I know a local shop that tells folks that Star Rods are not made here anymore and they use China blanks and then he steers them to the Crowder Rod made in USA as if the components are USA. That is not true.
A friend of mine just bought a couple Crowders. The butt sections are too long to use a gimbal belt so he asked me to cut the down a bit. When I removed a few inches of foam I saw a blank model number that looked familiar and the little round made in China sticker. I checked the Batson site and sure enough it is a Rainshadow Eglass SWB80MH. The odd thing is that Crowders label also says 20-50 line rating. Rainshadow says 15-30 line rating for that blank.
Just talking points guys.
The have been told "made in USA" means that about 70% of the cost is from the USA. So if Calstar uses foreign produced resin or guides in their rods they are still able to say "made in USA" but this allows a loop hole for others to exploit, not saying this is the case here. ???
Dwight, if you ask me that is fraud. If your friend is happy with the rod you can't convince him to return it. If I had purchased that rod especially because it is made in the U.S. and I want a 20-50 rod and I received the information from a reliable source that I did not get what I paid for I'd run it back to the store. I believe you are in Florida check the "warranty of merchantability" statues. Dominick
Uh oh,
You got Dominick all fired up now! :o
So Batson Blanks are from China? I did not know that. I thought they were made here.
Yes they are from China Daron and I like the high end ones which are RX6 and RX7. That Navy Chief rod that I built is on a Rainshadow 30-80 class and a really nice blank. My beef is Crowder's Made in the USA label. That is just wrong in my book.
You guys mite think about looking into Cousin's tackle's rods and blanks. They are made in Huntington Beach, California. I took a tour of their factory. That said however, they do use Fugi guides...
http://cousinstackle.com/
And no, I'm not a share holder, just a tackle junkie like the rest of us...
Made in the USA ::) ::) My personal opinion here. Almost imposable to find a pure product made here anymore. But I wouldn't get my shorts in a bunch over it.
And by the way unless you are American Indian you are not all American either, this country was built by a lot of so called foreigners.
I have a question for a new topic. How did we all become so judgmental??
Yes I was born here and I am of Italian & German decent, second generation on both sides. I am a veteran and love this country...and I realize that we do not stand alone.
Dominick isn't the only one with an opinion. :)
Quote from: Reel 224 on December 16, 2014, 02:33:54 PM
Made in the USA ::) ::) My personal opinion here. Almost imposable to find a pure product made here anymore. But I wouldn't get my shorts in a bunch over it.
And by the way unless you are American Indian you are not all American either, this country was built by a lot of so called foreigners.
I have a question for a new topic. How did we all become so judgmental??
Yes I was born here and I am of Italian & German decent, second generation on both sides. I am a veteran and love this country...and I realize that we do not stand alone.
Dominick isn't the only one with an opinion. :)
I think this is not about the USA product being better or feeling the fact it was labeled from China that it is now an inferior product. This is about buying something you expect to be exactly as advertised and receiving something different. In example the line size rating being wayyy off. That's a serious issue and make sense why a few factory rods tend to break easy when pushed hard.
As Newell Nutt stated the China made rainshadow is actually a quality made blank. Plus, some guys like to buy American made because it helps support the economy and growth here at home. Also, the US tends to have a decent quality control. This is my 2 cents.
hrm, not really taking sides on this one...
Made in USA probably refers in the case of that rod to the actual wrapping and assembly, not necessarily the blank? I think "Assembled in USA" may be more accurate. Unfortunately, that doesn't sound as good. Sounds like the rod builder is stretching it a bit.
Very few blanks are made here. Calstar, Seeker, Cousins and United Composites come to mind.
To my knowledge there are virtually no rod components (ie seats and guides) that are still made here. One look at the quality and price of Fuji guides and seats should answer that one for you. They are amazing for the money.
I think the only ones that are nearly perfect in this regard are the reel companies like Penn, Acccurate, Avet etc but they do use nuts and bolts that are from overseas. We are just not a country that can produce widgets and doodads as cheaply as someplace that pays child labor wages and dumps the waste in the nearest river. Needless to say, no one in their right mind would eat a fish from that river, let alone fish there with the turds and waste metals present.
Just a point and not an argument, National Lead (Dutch Boy) one of the best paints back in the day. Polluted tons of acres and waterways in NJ. Great paint though! ::) ???
I agree the authors point was misrepresentation of a product that is so. But Made in USA that's a tough one for those purest 100%ers. I try to be true to my countrymen and there products, but we are also supporting our people here when the products are not 100% of our making.
My Son in Law works for Honda Jet in N Carolina, they employes 100s of American workers assembling those aircraft. Not to mention the thousands of foreign cars that are manufactured here.
We have closed steel mills,glass factories,textile industries. Some one needs to employ our population when big business doesn't. :o
Sounds to me like the author has a false advertising issue rather then a USA made product issue.
My thoughts on this subject are more business ethics. Made in USA labels typically get a premium price over non USA made. A good example is the 113H versus 113H2.
But it still baffles me as to why they would take the manufacturers rating of 15-30 and up it to 20-50. Maybe because they can sell more offshore fishing rods with a 20-50 rating than a 15-30. I personally would not look at a 15-30 for offshore use in this area.
It is just a plane old cheating the public scenario to me.
The owner of the rod that I discovered all this on is going to call and quiz Crowder about it.
Quote from: Newell Nut on December 17, 2014, 02:13:48 AM
My thoughts on this subject are more business ethics. Made in USA labels typically get a premium price over non USA made. A good example is the 113H versus 113H2.
But it still baffles me as to why they would take the manufacturers rating of 15-30 and up it to 20-50. Maybe because they can sell more offshore fishing rods with a 20-50 rating than a 15-30. I personally would not look at a 15-30 for offshore use in this area.
It is just a plane old cheating the public scenario to me.
The owner of the rod that I discovered all this on is going to call and quiz Crowder about it.
Right on Dwight. This was my point exactly. You buy a rod rated at 20-50 you want a rod rated at 20-50. Dominick
He should bring that to there attention for sure,if it were me I would be looking into the possibility of a product labeling fraud..especially since the real manufacture rates there rod at a lighter line ratio. Who the heck can we trust these days >:(
Certainly not the line manufactures. Especially when we are talking about breaking strength.
Quote from: Tightlines666 on December 17, 2014, 05:19:21 AM
Certainly not the line manufactures. Especially when we are talking about breaking strength.
x2
Quote from: fIsHsTiiCkS on December 17, 2014, 05:32:13 AM
Quote from: Tightlines666 on December 17, 2014, 05:19:21 AM
Certainly not the line manufactures. Especially when we are talking about breaking strength.
x2
Really? I fish several different manufacturers' braids and copolymers, mostly in the 12 to 30 lb range, 50 for tog, and find rated breaking strength mostly to be under-rated. Fluoro leader material is another story; there are some really over-rated products there.
--Mike
Exactly!!
Is it possible that they cut the blank to make it a stiffer/stronger rod class?
Some time back I spoke to one of the tecks at StCroix about how they classify there rod blanks as to there action Light-Ex heavy. In essence it was how the blank flex's from handle to tip. at the handle would be light and as it progresses to the tip the heaver the action..so in my mind cutting off the butt end of a blank changes the action or flex point would in turn change the line weight. Not a professional opinion but more one of common sense approach.
Sticking with the original point of the author. We all should be able to trust the end seller to be honest with there claims of origin and performance. That is an ethical business practice.
Quote from: Bryan Young on December 17, 2014, 04:03:49 PM
Is it possible that they cut the blank to make it a stiffer/stronger rod class?
No Bryan, it is a full 8 ft as manufactured.
It's quite possible that the way they wrap it, guide placement (more guides), the rod can handle more than what the blank states. But jumping up a line class may be stretching it a bit.
Quote from: Tightlines666 on December 17, 2014, 05:19:21 AM
Certainly not the line manufactures. Especially when we are talking about breaking strength.
Unless you fish IGFA rated lines.
I hope your friend gets this worked out before fishing season starts again. :o ::)
My buddy called Crowder and they were first in denial and then he gave them the blank model number that I found and then they occasionally use Rainshadow blanks and then they got off I was just a custom builder trying to get some business and then he told them that I recommended Crowder rods for his budget and then the guy got off on Bob Crowders pride in his products and more BS and basically got nowhere. I called and got voice mail and they did not call me back.
I will not send anyone else to them.
Sorry to hear it. :(
Quote from: SoCalAngler on December 18, 2014, 05:15:46 AM
Quote from: Tightlines666 on December 17, 2014, 05:19:21 AM
Certainly not the line manufactures. Especially when we are talking about breaking strength.
Unless you fish IGFA rated lines.
Yep. That's all I fished for years when we were targeting, and catching line class world records.
Quote from: Newell Nut on December 19, 2014, 02:49:46 AM
My buddy called Crowder and they were first in denial and then he gave them the blank model number that I found and then they occasionally use Rainshadow blanks and then they got off I was just a custom builder trying to get some business and then he told them that I recommended Crowder rods for his budget and then the guy got off on Bob Crowders pride in his products and more BS and basically got nowhere. I called and got voice mail and they did not call me back.
I will not send anyone else to them.
Doesn't surprise me. It's a shame that things like this are becoming common place these days.