Made in AMERICA

[jared herbert]

Ah yes boots. I had a couple of pairs of Sorel premium pack boots over the years, the made in Canada ones, I consider that equivalent to made in usa. I wore, and wore and wore them, they lasted a long time.. A few years ago, the company name was sold, company gutted, etc etc etc. Then sorel boots that were made in china appeared. I bought a pair and wore them acouple of times and sold them on ebay as they just didnt fit or feel good. Now Sorel-china is again making boots that are called premium, they look the same but arent. I have bought several pairs of the sorel premium made in canada ones off ebay in the last year insuring that I will have enough of the good ones to last me until I dont need them anymore. A prime example of a company making a good product that people want and some short term business decisions wrecking things for everyone from the workers that make the boots to the consumers that want to buy them. I would have gladly paid a few dollars more per pair to continue getting the same qulity product that I liked. Jared

[Jon McElwain]

Okay everyone, so what are some of your favorite American made tools, woodworking materials/supplies, and gear? Where do you go for lists of American made products?

[Anthony Whitesell]

Yesterday I went to 17 stores looking for a pair of American/Canadian work boots. I don't want a $49 dollar pair of boots, they are junk.

None!

I walked out of every store, but I made a point to tell the store personel why. This is what we have to do to be heard.

Red wings are still made in the USA, but the ones I like are up to $240 and the last pair only lasted 9 months.[I work a lot!] I was looking for alternatives. I ended up ordering a pair online from a company that makes boots for the military for $117. I'll give them a try but before spring when I am back up on a roof I suppose I will buy another pair of Red Wings, nothing better on a roof.

We do need to wake up before it is too late. A service economy is a falicy that will not work for a country this size. Switzerland maybe, but not here.

I am thinking about having some bumper stickers printed up dealing with this that are not too aggressive but make the point. Any suggestions?

Larry

Where are Timberland Boots made?

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Check out this website, http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/tools.html Tom

[Chris Studley]

Timberland Factory is is Stratham NH if I'm not mistaken...

[Ronald Blue]

Here is an American made boot you can still get. http://www.whitesboots.com/index.php...iew&page_id=16 Timberland may or may not be made here. They have factories overseas as well.

[jim sauterer]

I also buy red wings.but now some are made in china.you have to check in the boot.

[Gil Knowles]

Larry
Terra Footwear boots are made in Canada. They make a wide range of boots.
http://terrafootwear.com/index.php

Jared
I know what you mean about Sorel. The ones they used to make were a high quality boot, the ones now are garbage in comparison. I still have a pair from when they were made in Canada, fantastic boots. I have been ice fishing up north when it was -40 below and my feet never got cold.

Gil

[Dave Wagner]

Here a place they just opened recently in Buffalo, NY , all products are Made in the USA.

http://www.saveourcountryfirst.com/

[fRED mCnEILL]

Not argunig with the concerpt of "buy American" even though I am a Canadian but I wonder is the reason you can build a house for only 1% more using American made products is because so much of the house doesn' lend itself to buying offshore. Like lumber, cement, etc.

[Keith Avery]

I have a white collar job, but my shoes are all made in America. I only wear Allen Edmonds, they are the best dress shoes for the money. I have several pairs more than 9 years old and they look better than when new. They cost me about $300 a pair but they are the cheapest dress shoes in long run. If you take good care of them they will like last 30 years, with just a few sole and heel replacements. I also have a pair of Red Wings that weren't cheap but are very comfortable. When I was in the Navy I only wore 2 sets of flight boots in 9 years, I still think they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.

[Larry Edgerton]

Gill
Very cool boots and I may have to get some, but not what I need for work. thanks for the link.

Ronald
I found some Timberlines when I was looking and they were in fact made in China. Off my list.

Herman Survivors were bought up by Walmart {BOO, Hiss}and production moved to China.

Wolverines closed their Michigan plant and are now made in China or the Dominican Republic.

Redwings sold the Irish Setter line to some Chinese outfit, but still do make some boots in Red Wing Minn. The first pair I bought was 70 bucks, guess I am getting old. I have a pair of Whites, but they don't make anything with a sole that I could use on the job.

The Wings I wear have the white wedge sole with no heal, and are soft so good traction on schaffold and roofs, yet have very little tread so I am not tracking clumps into peoples homes. The soft sole gives great traction, but wears fast, much like tires, you can't have both.

Its funny, a lot of the boots that are for sale on the web as American made I found in stores with a Chinese label. Timberline, Carolina, Wolverine and Chippewa jump to mind. All on the American boot list, and all in the stores with Chinese manufacturing labels

Who do you trust.

I checked out Danners some time ago, but they did not have the sole I like but I will look again.

Today I needed some work lights on the job. I went in to get some but could find none not made in China. I bought some floresent fixtures made in Mexico, bulbs from the USA, cords from Indonesia. Four stores....

I'm thinking if we don't get our stuff together we will be walking around barefoot, in the dark......

Larry

[Keith Avery]

Just wanted to add a little perspective that alot of people don't realize. The US is still the largest manufacturer in the world in terms of dollars values produced. Think Boeing, Catepillar, John Deere, and GE Turbines. The manufacturing we do now is complex and expensive. In 1980 the US manufactured 22 percent of the worlds goods, in 2009 the US produced 20 percent. If you look at manufacturing jobs lost in the US there have actually not been many lost, but the populations has continued to grow. Today, the US worker still has the highest productivity in the world. Things are not as bad as the media would have us believe, but I still try to buy American!

[Joe Jensen]

I have a white collar job, but my shoes are all made in America. I only wear Allen Edmonds, they are the best dress shoes for the money. I have several pairs more than 9 years old and they look better than when new. They cost me about $300 a pair but they are the cheapest dress shoes in long run. If you take good care of them they will like last 30 years, with just a few sole and heel replacements. I also have a pair of Red Wings that weren't cheap but are very comfortable. When I was in the Navy I only wore 2 sets of flight boots in 9 years, I still think they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.

Absolutely. Plus, Allen Edmunds makes every size and 3 to 4 widths. In addition they have 12 different last (the form the shoe is built on) that are each shaped slightly differently. If you are careful on the fitting, you get a last thats shaped like your foot and the perfect length and width. Then even dress shoes are very comfortable. I cringe with sympathetic pain every time I see people with ill fitting shoes. Allen Edmunds, New Balance (USA) and Danner are pretty much all I wear. I'm patriotic, but for me it's mostly about quality. Pretty much every tool I've bought in the past 5 years has been German/Austrian.

[Andrew Teich]

I just looked at the tag in my black Danner Uniform boots. Made in China. I purchased them last winter for trudging through the snow and glycol, which I refuse to subject my Allen Edmonds to. Makes me wonder where my hiking version purchased around 2000 were made since they are what convinced me to look for Danners when I needed a new winter shoe.