North American made ? ? ?

[open-sights]

I am surprized there isn't the support we saw in the 80's with "Buy North American" I wondered if it matters to anyone else - I for 1 am a little sick of the "Made in China,Phillipines, or Thaiwan labels on everything from firearms to camo to replacement mags to gamecalls - do you look for Canadian made hunting/shooting products before resorting to looking at imported items? Is there any stigma that goes with buying something Canadian made? ie. higher quality, more expensive, etc.
If you know of good North American made products that fit our sports, I would love to see a list of them. Obviously, those that know me would know that I have a few products i am partial to but would love to see what others think of as quality made NA products that fit our sports.

[xtracab]

canadian made is important, american made doesn't carry any kind of pull with me, alot of american made product is shit in my experience, not all of it, but most. especially tools and cars

i prefer japanese made or canadian made

i would rather have my money stay in canada, i'm with you on getting a list together for quality made canadian products

[troutseeker]

Canadian made for me too, US made not that important...

[leadpillproductions]

I wish there was more canadian made hunting gear that sure would be great .

[Ambush]

I wish there was more canadian made hunting gear that sure would be great .
That would be great, but people wouldn't buy it because it costs more. Many people are strictly "price" shoppers.
When I was a little kid we had Tonka toys for outside. They lasted through the child hood of several boys and were left for the next group.
Now people buy toys dirt cheap and they become land fill very soon, but consumers don't care because they can buy several new ones for the price of one good one. And the little darlings tire of their toys soon and so want something different anyway. Adults seem no different.

We are a consumer society. Luxuries have become "necessities" and wants have become "needs". In order to satisfy our longings for more things, things have to be cheap. Enter China with cheap labour and clever manufacturing.

Just remember, sellers don't dictate the market, buyers do. So don't blame the proliferation of junk on manufacturers, blame it on the consumer who buys "Brand X" because it cost a buck less than the competition.

There is still a market for quality gear, because some people still appreciate it. Others complain that it's a rip off and the stuff they bought at Wal Mart is just as good and 1/4 the cost.

What I don't like is picking up a $500 jacket and seeing "Made in Bangladesh"!!

[Gateholio]

Where something is made is no guarantee of good or poor quality. If I can, I'd like to support Canadian businesses though.

It also depends on the product I am buying. I don't need a $10 000 Snap On tool set for working on my truck once in a while, I can use a Canadian Tire brand for that. I do want good quality bullets, optics, boots etc, so made in CHina usually isn't an option.

I own CHinese "fun guns" but I wouldn't be keen on taking a Chinese bolt action rifle on a a sheep hunt. Definitly not on a grizz hunt. :)

[eaglesnester]

Unions + high business taxes imposed by government and wages have driven most business out of business or overseas. For a shinning example of the results of the above take a look at Detroit Mich. It is a rusting, decaying ghost town. That is the simple reason why you cant buy Canadian or American. Nobodys left manufacturing anything. This is a concept that the Liberals and the left are incapable of understanding. Create an environment hostile to business and business leaves. This is one of the reason why my last last job at Island Paper went south. Union demands which were inflexable , (the Union leadership was made up of lefty loons that did not understand basic economics) high wages, strikes, globalizatrion, and the strength of the US dollar and cheaper paper from overseas contributed to the loss of over 350 jobs. I will probably get flames from some of my old comrads for saying this, but what the hell.

[Buck]

Unions + high business taxes imposed by government and wages have driven most business out of business or overseas. For a shinning example of the results of the above take a look at Detroit Mich. It is a rusting, decaying ghost town. That is the simple reason why you cant buy Canadian or American. Nobodys left manufacturing anything. This is a concept that the Liberals and the left are incapable of understanding. Create an environment hostile to business and business leaves. This is one of the reason why my last last job at Island Paper went south. Union demands which were inflexable , (the Union leadership was made up of lefty loons that did not understand basic economics) high wages, strikes, globalizatrion, and the strength of the US dollar and cheaper paper from overseas contributed to the loss of over 350 jobs. I will probably get flames from some of my old comrads for saying this, but what the hell.

Funny how those high paid union guys can't afford to own a home in Vancouver.So how do they ship pulp overseas and back for less than can be made here wages in Japan are not that low. I think bad management has a lot to do with this.
I try to buy as much as possible made in North America i think i just bought one of the last ID bags that will be made in Canada sadly they will be going overseas soon i hear.I cringe when i see a $600.00 jacket made overseas for North American conditions.Or a book written about the Fraser and its printed in Taiwan.

[Mr. Dean]

The majority of sheep don't care where or how products are made. All they care about is saving money. Be it a perceived savings, or not.

When China hit the global markets, N. American Mfg's TRIED to keep things on this side of the pond; The public didn't let them.
Is it a decision that'll bite us in the ass? time will tell.

[sawmill]

Calling me a sheep?I bust my azz for my money and if I can get a good deal on good quality..........I`m taking it.

[Mr. Dean]

Calling me a sheep?

Not just you.... Myself include. :wink:

[wildcatter]

Oh really?
How about most big companies shipping their manufacturing to China, India, Mexico, etc. for cheap labor?
Don't you see, they are the ones to blame and reap the profits, while the country slides closer to third world standards.
And don't even get me started on the bankers who created the financial crises in the first place in their quest of endless greed.
We all know who they are but it's verboten to mention their kind and their usurious ways.
Don't knock the little guy trying to strech his hard earned paycheck.


The majority of sheep don't care where or how products are made. All they care about is saving money. Be it a perceived savings, or not.

When China hit the global markets, N. American Mfg's TRIED to keep things on this side of the pond; The public didn't let them.
Is it a decision that'll bite us in the ass? time will tell.

[shadow1982]

With cost of living so high, is it fair for us to expect people to work $20hr job (I am going to assume people on average make this much) and afford to buy canadian... People are having hard time feeding their families let alone buy something that is inflated to hell...

I am paying CPP but i dont know if there will be funds avaliable for me when i retire. I rather save what i can, so i dont have to live on $400 a month when i am old, and then eventually commit sucide becasue i am depressed cause i cant afford to get out of my house.

quite frankly let me ask you this, Would you rather pay 3 times more then a cheap supplement of any product just because it says its made in CANADA? which probabbly means its assembled here.

[mike_b]

Like Mr. Dean and sawmill, if there's something I need and I can find a deal on it, I couldn't care less where it's made. Like Gatehouse said, I don't need a pricey Snap-On tool set when I can buy one from Canadian Tire for a fraction on the cost, and still get done what I need to get down.

Things are inflated up the whazoo, and still going.....I'm astounded that many still survive. I just asked my boss for a raise, and got it. Later that night I was watching the news (I don't watch the news much anymore becuase it just makes me angry) and they were talking about how the price of EVERYTHING is going up. That raise isn't going to go much further when the way everything is skyrocketing......

Mike

[Mr. Dean]

Oh really?
.

Forget about me "knocking the little guy" - I'm not.

Industry reacts to the needs/desires of the public. The way I see it, it is us that decides where our $$$ goes when making a purchase. Granted, the choices are now somewhat limited but when the transition was *on*, consumers sealed the deal, buying offshore built stuff because it was cheaper.

Example: I once had a conversion w/ a CEO of a LARGE denim mfg'r.... They held out on moving to China thinking that some sort of common sense would prevail, and nearly went bankrupt while 'holding out' (literally).

The people that made my hunting boots -----> Same story and I feel lucky that I got one of the last pairs made in N. America (this only 3ish years ago), as from what I see, they're fraught with QC issues now.

I've tried, Made In China and for the most part, didn't like what I saw/got. If anything can't go 10+ years, it's a waste of coin and IMO, overall, China isn't making this grade.

[wildcatter]

I wouldn't trust Chinese made stuff, however Japanese quality is top of the line.
Some products coming out of Taiwan is good too.

[BiG Boar]

Even though I detest made in China quality, I would bet 50% of the stuff in my house has a made in China label on it.

If there were 2 products side by side and the same price I would buy the canadian one. However I doubt that would ever be the case. Manufacturing just costs too much here due to labor in a lot of cases.

I do believe that stuff coming out of China will be drastically improving in quality over the next 10 years. Just like made in Japan or Taiwan used to be terrible quality, but now a days its probably better than north american made. My truck would be a great example.

Bussiness just simply can't compete for the most part with the labour prices. I think what happens though is the quality of the ingredients used in building the product goes down when things go to china, because they can make the same looking product, but sometimes the material quality isnt the same.

[leadpillproductions]

With the earth quake and all the stuff in japan, should be interesting on what happens with stuff being made down there.

[kamloopshunter]

I own CHinese "fun guns" but I wouldn't be keen on taking a Chinese bolt action rifle on a a sheep hunt. Definitly not on a grizz hunt. :)

or India's choice in premium bolt actions

http://www.gunaccessory.com/IOF/315_rifle.htm

awesome quality!

[Mr. Dean]

I do believe that stuff coming out of China will be drastically improving in quality over the next 10 years.

I think you might be right. They HAVE to do better.
Sink or Swim...

[wildcatter]

Yeah, could be but by that time it won't be cheap anymore.


I do believe that stuff coming out of China will be drastically improving in quality over the next 10 years.

[pete_k]

It's futile. Can't even buy a damn Chevy anymore.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519974,00.html

[Downtown]

Besides Trapper Nelson Packboards and Wodden Snowshoes (both items became obsolete many years ago) there was never much hunting gear made in Canada. Since the USA is Canadas biggest trading Partner (they buy much more from us then Canadians buy from US) I have no problem giving them much of my Business. Also I just love the variety the very big Sporting Goods Stores down there have.

As for tooling for my Hobbyshop I am perfectly happy with my now 8 years old Chinese made Milling machine Lathe combo which was 1/3 of the price then the made in USA machine.

Made in India tooling seems to be much inferior to made in China, just my personal opinion.

[brian]

Unions + high business taxes imposed by government and wages have driven most business out of business or overseas. For a shinning example of the results of the above take a look at Detroit Mich. It is a rusting, decaying ghost town. That is the simple reason why you cant buy Canadian or American. Nobodys left manufacturing anything.

Nice idea but complete bull. When a labourer overseas earns in a month what we earn in a day here (if they are lucky), there is no way local manufacturers can compete. Even if all the manufacturing jobs were non-union working for minimum wage, we cut minimum wage in half, and the businesses were tax exempt... we still couldn't compete with them. The labour savings are just too huge. On top of that they don't have problems with labour codes or labour laws. The only big expense is shipping, but those systems are already well established. If fuel prices keep rising then maybe we'll be able to compete again... but you can't put the blame on liberals and unions that we have a much higher standard of living.