Chuck, Several things to consider here. One is that part of the cost is the labor, another is R&D, materials, warranty, and total cost of operations. Obviously if one is made offshore it is likely being made for pennies on the dollar. If the employee in China is being paid $0.70 an hour to make an iPhone 5, then consider that shaping cork handles or wrapping guides probably pays $0.05 an hour. Some companies have lower end models made overseas and save the better stuff to be made in the US, Canada, or in Hardy's case the UK. Usually quality control isn't an issue in these cases, but you are getting something that the materials cost less as well. Maybe carbon fiber that was cutting edge 20 years ago that is now cheap to produce, vs thinner and stronger carbon fiber that was just developed within the last couple of years. Does it make a difference? Cast them and judge for yourself. Even blindfold yourself and do a blind casting comparison to remove any bias.
Since this great recession I have saved my dollars to buy American. Nothing racist, but rather I believe that we are destroying ourselves and weakening our dollar every time we purchase something overseas. If I were Chinese, I would patriotically buy Chinese made goods, or if I were German, I would buy German made goods. You can't really do this 100%, but when I can, I make it a point to buy American. We were the greatest manufacturer in the world from about the 1880s to the 1980s. Our money is leaving this country for imports faster than we can bring money in from our own exports. If we don't reverse that trend soon... American manufacturers like Sage and Abel have made a point to not offshore, not cut corners for the sake of chasing the bottom of the market. I recently replaced my aged and leaking Cabelas waders for a pair Sims G4s for this very reason. And I can tell you without a doubt that pinching my pennies for it was worth it to me. They are without doubt the best made pair of waders I have ever used, seen, touched, etc. All else considered, Sage stands by their products. Most companies do, but in Sage's case I can speak from experience of a close friend of mine whose rod broke (from a likely hook ding) and not only did they replace it without question, but when the replacement was lost in the mail they expedited another replacement to him. They shipped it overnight in fact. You pay for that kind of service. A lot of offshore budget line products come with a very limited warranty. That warranty factors into the total cost of the product and the manufacturer has to leave enough profit in there to stand by their product. Not that every single rod is going to need replacing, but they do need to factor that into the cost. Now if you really want something (anything really) high quality, even luxury goods, and it is out of your price range then you might want to try the second hand market. You may not get the latest and greatest, but you are still buying a piece of that dream. And I know you are frugal, so this is a more practical approach for the budget conscious. Regards, Scott On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 4:28 PM, Chuck Alexander < [email protected]> wrote: > Folks: I just downloaded and started watching a video called “Sage Fly > Rods: Made in America” and it takes you on a tour of their factory, which > is on an Island just off Seattle Washington, and tells about how great the > fly rods are etc. Are their flyrods REALLY “THAT GOOD”?? Are they REALLY > worth the prices they charge?? I have never casted one, but I have always > told ppl that I think I’d put my $100 St Croix “Premier” against any rod on > the market. And the Bamboo rod Tony built for me puts that St. Croix to > shame. But that is sorta comparing apples to oranges to me, the bamboo vs. > the Graphite rod, cause they are just totally different in their action > etc. But anyway, the cheapest Sage I have seen, I believe is about $300 > And that is for their “entry level” rods. Are they REALLY worth the money > or is it like a lot of things and you are paying for that “name brand”?? > Thanks, Chuck > > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" > group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en > > VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VFB Mail" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VFB Mail" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
