Comments on: Made In The USA gear

By: James of Canada

James of Canada — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 09:21:35 +0000

“Designed in the US

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 22:45:28 +0000

..and my reply:

Indeed. Looks at Apple. Their label says “Designed in the US”.

Having said that, there is something about knowing that something was designed and built in the country. Supporting local when you can.

In the past year or so, buying Made In the USA has, again, become a factor in my purchases. For example, we paid a little more money today for china (ha! :D) made in the US. But, it is lead free, was on sale and should last a long time.

Anyway, just some food for thought.

Thanks for the kind words.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 22:42:17 +0000

Interesting observations. I’ve noticed an increasing trend in product labeling, particularly in the outdoor apparel industry, to tag products as having been “designed in USA.” Typically the labeling includes the iconic American flag logo that the consumer has come to associate with “Made in USA.” But of course the two are not equivalent. Look more closely and you’ll usually find that the items were manufactured in Asia or Latin America. Nothing new there, and of course nothing new to the idea of stateside design either – there are plenty of talented designers withheld and well-paid by American companies who appreciate the ease of developing and/or modifying designs in-house, rather than delegating that responsibility to an outside entity. But it’s just not in the same league as crafting and finishing a product exclusively in the country of origin. Of course it’s all about managing the bottom line, and hoping the consumer pays more attention to the price tag than the label tags