Made in China

Looking forward to the time when "Made in China" has the same mark of excellence and quality as "Made in Japan" does today. Not quite there yet.

If you grew up in the post-WWII years you know that "Made in Japan" stood for cheesy crap. Well, that's because all that was exported from Old Nippon after the the war was cheesy crap. Trinkets and tin toys. Plaster and Paper Mache figures,  and dolls made of that thin, easily breakable plastic called celluloid.

You must know that all that junk is now highly collectible. 

We were not all that savvy about the world mid-Twentieth Century. Now we know Japan has a very rich and long cultural history, with an arts and crafts tradition which in non pareil. Centuries old.

Let's discuss ...

We recently bought a mesh drain insert for the kitchen sink. Started rusting in about a week. It was made in China. The previous one was made in Japan. Never any hint of rust. It needed replacement after years of service and beginning to fray at the margin.

Not long ago we purchased a Swing-A-Way vegetable peeler. We have their hand crank can opener. It's bullet proof. Went to the Moon, I've heard somewhere. That can opener was made in the USA. Currently they still market that item, but now made in China. The reviews are not good. 

The peeler broke almost as soon as I put it to a Potato. Got a replacement, very slowly delivered from the manufacturer in America. Broke. Real fast. Another replacement. Same deal. I finally gave them a call. The customer service I talked with seemed unfazed by my concern. Feckless, also. I pointed out that an important crimped metal part on the China versions was flimsy, soft and thin. They had no reaction, only offering a replacement. I declined their generous offer. 

Same with a venerable old Made in the USA Big Beam ["Trusted since 1938"] Lantern. You'll recognize it from the day. Robust, big lens with a stout metal case for a big battery, or two. The unit we ordered works well enough. Just that the case was poorly painted, with raised metal imperfections that could cause torn skin. Again, customer service ... unmoved. We got a replacement which didn't have those egregious issues. But, still poor quality paint. (If you have one in the basement or the garage you know how they were once built to last.)

My last customer service contact I'll mention was with a Colorado based clothing company. I sleep with a cap on my keppe. The one I purchased from a local runners gear store has a logo on the outside. Right next to the rear seam. Made in China. I called the folks and pointed out that I would prefer — and expect — the logo to be set in front, not at the back seam. Them: nonplussed. 

I have a nicely used Vise Grip, of the USA kind. They too are now outsourced from China. Won't even give them a try. I'll go to eBay for the original if I ever need another. Which, by the way, given their quality will probably be ... never.

I don't think I have to make much of a case that "Made in China" is a "pig in a poke" proposition. You never know what you're going to get. Foodstuffs, especially. I hear they bleach those 5-packs of Garlic coming from China. We only buy known brands.

The thing is though, just how come the American marketers of goods made in China have been so aloof concerning quality issues. My take is that the once proud makers of robust and over-engineered built-to-last American Made products have rolled over into "profit first" business models. In which, costs of manufacturing perforce are kept as low as possible.

But, that's a whole other topic related to how corporate capitalism is taking us down a stinky creek without a paddle. 

But, wait!

There's hope. 

I am an amateur photo buff. I'm seeing a lot of lenses being made in China. Many, very well reviewed by other photographers. Also, there are many manufacturers of photographic accessories also made in China. They are inexpensive, and quite functional. Not Japan or German quality, but good price value. 

Time will tell. As mother would say, "We shall see".