I generally like your post, but I disagree here. If a company manufactures here and wants to use Made the the USA as a marketing tool, that’s fine. It’s also acceptable to require a certain minimum percentage of parts, materials, and effort to earn the Made in USA logo. I do not want to pay for every company to research and report it on every item they sell. That’s a waste of my money.
A few years ago, I decided to go with RedWing boots. They have a few price points. I specifically bought the boots made in USA, which were significantly more expensive than the ones made elsewhere. But the quality has been very good. Good enough to warrant having them resoled, as a matter of fact.
I recently bought a new pair of New Balance walking shoes. I specifically bought a model made in USA. Again, it’s much pricier, versus those made elsewhere.
For me, it’s good enough to know they’re made in USA. I don’t lose sleep wondering exactly in which state or county they were made.
As for those Harbor Fake tools, didn’t they used to call them “Pittsburgh” tools . . . ?!
At least they named the brand after an american city . . .
I wonder if they’d sell less of them if they were called “Shanghai tools” 
One of the tool manufacturers which I really like, Tiger Tools, has their stuff made in Canada. It’s not made in USA, but I have to say they make excellent front end tools. In fact, for some of their tools, they are one of very few manufacturers, probably because of the limited applications. They are made of stern stuff, not cheap pot metal that breaks the first time you use them
I can agree with you disagreeing with me. I suppose it depends on which products. Going back to fish (which I eat quite regularly, being a damned vegetarian and all), I like that some packages brag prominently about U.S caught, even displaying an American flag, but I don’t like having to search, on the same packaging, for hard to find, hard to read admonitions regarding being processed in China. I won’t buy it if it’s been there.
I read a story about U.S. commercial fisherman, some second or more generations in fishing families, not being able to compete with the crap from China. It seems that the U.S fisheries have much more regulation and hoops to jump through, at greater costs and restrictions, than do the importers sending in stuff from China. They flat-out can’t compete. I can find the story if you’d like to see it.
Tools, hardware, machines, etcetera, I agree with you, but, call me old fashioned, but I do want my food (and medications, if I ever need any of them) to come from the U.S. A.
CSA
What can I say? This was a report 5-10 years ago concerning a bridge being built in California where the low bid was found to have fasteners that were sub-standard. I don’t know what bridge, what California politician was involved in the project, etc. In the same article the heat treating was mentioned as a discourager in the manufacturing process and the report went on to talk about military components coming up short. I just read the reports and file it away in my head and later put 2 and 2 together. This has been developing over the last 30 years though and corporations and politicians have been complicit in the process making millions.
Good luck with that…even American based pharmaceutical companies often have drugs manufactured in factories overseas. I don’t know of many drugs that a 100% made in the USA
There are a few “recreational” drugs that are made in the USA
But these are the kind that come in unmarked packages
And some of those are even all natural and 100% grown in the US too!
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There are at least two ways to look at it. The low bid deliberately used substandard fasteners or the fasteners were counterfeit. I don’t know if mislabeled, or counterfeit, fasteners are still a problem, but several years ago it was a big problem in my business.
And many are made in places like Canada by the same American company. Then brought into the US and sold at 5-10 times what they sell the same drug for in Canada and other countries. None of that price increase has to do with taxes.
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I wonder, what could you be “Refer-encing” with that comment @pyrolord314 ?
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Maybe the wild wood weed. I don’t know how to add a link but check you tube Don Boman wildwood weed.
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While we’re talking about tools, anyone here buffed out lightly scratched stainless steel? I’m thinking a bench buffer and some appropriate compounds would do the trick. Comments/recommendations?
Scratched or scuffed?
Stainless pots, polished outside, scratched (mostly with green Scotch-brite pads) over the last 35 years of use. From what I read, they’re equivalent to about 600 grit sandpaper.
Probably won’t look any worse than now. Start with a slightly finer grit and if it works, use a finer grit again. Repeat decreasing the grit size until you get the finish you like.
@texases I tried it once but was not happy with the results. This guy is the best of the best in the twin cities area. I went to one of his lectures once and he does truly amazing work. Might be some info in his site that would be helpful. He does use special formulas for the various stages of polishing that he developed himself.
That’s a good link, that guy looks to do some great work. The time and effort spent on some classic car restorations is mind-boggling. I’m thinking of getting an HF bench buffer with good reviews, some polish, see how it works. They won’t come out worse, I’m pretty sure!
If I were a pot polishin type o guy @texases I’d go buy one of those round disc’s that you attach sandpaper or a buff pad to…and then install it in a drill chuck…
But I would instead put it in a drill press and have at it…either with sandpaper…a buff pad and compounds… or scotch brite pads
If the 4 or 5 inch drill sized pad isnt large enough… you could retro-fit a 7-8 inch buffer pad base to somehow get it into the drill press chuck.
Yep…that’s what I would do for a small item like a pot… I bet it would work great and make nice, even, concentric scuffs…
I cleaned up a bunch of trim and panels on a high end “stove” that came with my current house. Prior owners were hard on everything and essentially trashed a $12k Viking.
My advice is to polish areas starting with the finest grit possible. I wasted a ton of time and effort doing the entire first panel 5x with lighter grits each time. All the rest I only did sections with coarsest grit needed for those scratches and worked up from there. Took half the time and after final polish, you couldn’t tell difference at all.
I’ll have to admit that I got carried away and buffed up a lawn mower carb. With a buffing wheel and some compound you can buff aluminum to look almost like chrome. Too bad no one ever will see it. I like to make things shine. Same thing with brass. Once you get that lacquer off you can get a brilliant shine on door knobs and hardware, etc., but it doesn’t last.