You can't afford starting with leathercraft?

[Cumberland Highpower]

Well, if it makes anyone feel better I happen to have one tool made in China that is excellent.  A double box end wrench that I bought 20 years ago.   It's well forged out of great steel.     Of all the junk Chinese tools I've handled or used/broken, how did this piece turn out to be good?   I think it was an accident, a fluke.  Maybe they were short of scrap Studebakers and melted down a prototype T99, I don't know.....

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by Cumberland Highpower

[Spyros]

2 hours ago, Cumberland Highpower said:

Well, if it makes anyone feel better I happen to have one tool made in China that is excellent.  A double box end wrench that I bought 20 years ago.   It's well forged out of great steel.     Of all the junk Chinese tools I've handled or used/broken, how did this piece turn out to be good?   I think it was an accident, a fluke.  Maybe they were short of scrap Studebakers and melted down a prototype T99, I don't know.....

 

how much did the junk Chinese tools cost?

[fredk]

I've thought hard about writing the following.

I'm not posting as a troll. Its for your information. 

This will really annoy the US members

In Northern Ireland US made goods are considered to be crap. Mention that its 'US made' and the advice is to throw it away and buy better quality

Everything from vehicles to tools. Even US food is banned here because of its low quality

US made things have an extremely bad reputation for being of poor quality and shoddy.

Tool dealers I know and have dealt with have long since stopped importing and after-sales supporting certain US made tools because of their poor quality. Certain vehicle importers have stopped importing US built vehicles for the same reasons

[mike02130]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

This will really annoy the US members

I'm much in agreement with you, at least tools that were made in the last 25 years or so.  Most US tools are made in Mexico and China.  Milwaukee tools are owned by a Chinese company.  I'm a finish carpenter (joiner) and woodworker so I have a lot of experience with wood tools.  My tools are mostly older USA tools that are built well.  I buy cheap broken USA power tools to use as replacement parts. My bigger machines are all USA made between 1950 to 1980.  Many of my hand tools were made by Stanley from 1920 to the 1950's.  There are small manufacturers in the USA that do make excellent tools.  But no mass produced ones that I can think of.  Many American professional tool users will agree with you.  It is a topic often discussed on the job site.

I'm  genuinely interested in knowing more about crappy USA tools and what tool brands and tool producing countries are preferred?

2 hours ago, fredk said:

Tool dealers I know and have dealt with have long since stopped importing and after-sales supporting certain US made tools because of their poor quality.

 

[Squid61]

When I was doing garage woodworking including cabinetry I bought most of my hand tools at antique stores, most of the modern US manufacture tools were well below them in quality.  I'm referring to tools such as saw tooth sets, saw vices, planes, saws, gauges and such.  When I now buy a "US" made tool, powered or not, I expect it either to be manufactured off shore or in Mexico and some minor finishing here, or at least imported components assembled here.  I have bought C.S.Osborne tools recently and noticed even they are lower quality than they were years back, the edge on a skiving knife in particular required significant hand grinding before I could begin to sharpen and hone it.

My problem with Chinese manufactured anything isn't quality, if one is selective there are fine quality items available from China, I just have a hard time buying from a country that openly despises the US and with which we could one day be at war.  If that's too political a statement, not sorry.

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, Squid61 said:

When I was doing garage woodworking including cabinetry I bought most of my hand tools at antique stores, most of the modern US manufacture tools were well below them in quality.  I'm referring to tools such as saw tooth sets, saw vices, planes, saws, gauges and such.  When I now buy a "US" made tool, powered or not, I expect it either to be manufactured off shore or in Mexico and some minor finishing here, or at least imported components assembled here.  I have bought C.S.Osborne tools recently and noticed even they are lower quality than they were years back, the edge on a skiving knife in particular required significant hand grinding before I could begin to sharpen and hone it.

My problem with Chinese manufactured anything isn't quality, if one is selective there are fine quality items available from China, I just have a hard time buying from a country that openly despises the US and with which we could one day be at war.  If that's too political a statement, not sorry.

We are at war, its an economic war and they are winning because they know its a war and we don't yet. But i have to agree on US tools also and buying vintage /antique.

[johnnydb]

7 hours ago, fredk said:

I've thought hard about writing the following.

I'm not posting as a troll. Its for your information. 

This will really annoy the US members

In Northern Ireland US made goods are considered to be crap. Mention that its 'US made' and the advice is to throw it away and buy better quality

Everything from vehicles to tools. Even US food is banned here because of its low quality

US made things have an extremely bad reputation for being of poor quality and shoddy.

Tool dealers I know and have dealt with have long since stopped importing and after-sales supporting certain US made tools because of their poor quality. Certain vehicle importers have stopped importing US built vehicles for the same reasons

The tool parts come from Mexico, Canada, Pakistan, India and China...then assembled here and exported. Yes, they are crap. There are ways to get good tools but the big name brands aren't it. 

Now US food is top quality...if you buy the appropriate quality. USA processes a TON of various foods. Usually meat and meat products and dairy and dairy products. 

 

Now fresh produce and grains are another story. Until this year. Most of your grains are going to come from America if the rest of the EU cannot produce enough. (Usually just enough for their local area.and a bit more) 

Farmed Food used to come from Brazil...but they have had a severe drought. And food from India is kaput due to the shipping container shortage. 

[Cumberland Highpower]

10 hours ago, Spyros said:

how much did the junk Chinese tools cost?

That's hard to say, I remember the tools, not the prices.  I haven't bought Chinese tools since I've been a "Grownup"    I think I may have been 17 when I bought the double box-end wrench for my 86 Ford Tempo. (Now that was junk, Canadian/American made mostly I believe).  I bought that wrench because at the time it was the only tool that could reach far enough remove the rear strut mounting nuts.  Most of the tools I had at that time were from Oddlots.  

I did buy a set from India at Oddlots I remember.  I think they were "Gedore"    At the time I thought was a good buy, but they were literally as brittle as glass....Only thing I've seen worse than Chinese made.

 

 

[Spyros]

1 minute ago, Cumberland Highpower said:

That's hard to say, I remember the tools, not the prices. 

The only reason I was asking is if you paid peanuts, then of course they were not gonna be good or last very long.    I mean we sometimes blame the products without looking at what we actually paid.

[Cumberland Highpower]

9 hours ago, fredk said:

I've thought hard about writing the following.

I'm not posting as a troll. Its for your information. 

This will really annoy the US members

In Northern Ireland US made goods are considered to be crap. Mention that its 'US made' and the advice is to throw it away and buy better quality

Everything from vehicles to tools. Even US food is banned here because of its low quality

US made things have an extremely bad reputation for being of poor quality and shoddy.

Tool dealers I know and have dealt with have long since stopped importing and after-sales supporting certain US made tools because of their poor quality. Certain vehicle importers have stopped importing US built vehicles for the same reasons

I'm not quite sure if that's really a fact?  Perhaps in the 1970s....?

My wife is from Europe and from the many times I've been across Europe,  I find American goods somewhat coveted.  Chryslers and Jeeps are fairly desirable and a little on the exotic side.  (My father in law owns a Jeep and specifically sought it out).    American mechanics tools command good prices iif/when found and are pretty desirable.   Ironically the same with firearms.  Remingtons and Winchesters are sought after and considered a prize item.  (Here I would say they don't know better, as most European firearms are superior in design, materials, fit and finish).

Perhaps Northern Ireland is  a different tune.  One place I haven't been yet but would like to visit.

Edited October 10, 2021 by Cumberland Highpower