I purchased my Jorgensen Cabinet Master clamps about 5 years ago. Have had way too many failures with them and quit purchasing them. Have had the metal inside just emit a loud cracking noise and the inside metal pieces fall out or shoot across the room. Terrible product. Using the Besseys mostly.
Unfortunately they are buried out in my shop in the middle of a remodel. I am still too close to hernia surgery to have doctor permission to lift over 10 pounds so I cannot dig them out. Memory wanted to say Iowa clamp or something midwestern like that, but it doesn't feel right. Lee Valley now carries Dubuque clamps and I am 99% sure that is what they were, but only looking would get me to 100%. Frustrating to want to work in the shop to get new toys running, but doctor says wait till May. :-(
I have been a member of this forum for a short time compared to most but sometimes it can feel like a mob of grumps. There have been a few threads on the creek critiquing the manufacturing practices of the Adjustable Clamp Company. While some of their products have been outsourced to please some of their major distributors (HomeDepot, for better or worse), most of their other products are still produced entirely in the U.S. There was a recent thread on a competing forum discussing this very thing. HERE. "Clampman" is a representative for the company and tries to explain (patiently, I might add) their current manufacturing model. With all that said, it may be a good idea to contact the company directly and get the story straight from them instead of perpetuating the half truths that can result from some of the fervent discussions had on this forum. It would be a shame if we pushed them entirely over to offshore manufacturing because we refused to buy any of their products now that they make a couple of their lesser products in China/Taiwan.
Well, I stopped buying jorgie pipe clamps some time ago because every body else seems to be doing it better. I love the rocker shure foot design, seems bessey has gotten in on the pipe clamp act too in a good way. But after trying every brand under the sun, I still like the jorgenson bar clamps the best in the medium duty category. THey are easy to place, the ratchet mechanism is flawless, good pressure for the size of clamp. I don't much care where they are made as long as the quality is decent. I figure if they are made here, they employ very many machines and very few people. High tech manufacturing. But the QA is likely better unless they do it on this side. I've never liked their cabinet clamps, I prefer bessey's and put my money there. For heavy duty F clamps I use bessey's too, man do they squeeze. Are those still made in Germany? Given a choice between employing Germans or Chinese, I don't much care, as the end user its a quality issue for me. I do like the jorgenson wooden screw clamps too, the best I've tried. I have a few very old and large ones from a flea market that still work as well as my new ones, very solid product which are still quite useful and often over looked by wood workers these days.
I've had similar problems. Adjustable Clamp does stand behind them and has always sent me replacement parts for free. They told me they redesigned the part that always breaks a few years ago. It became black instead of silver. I haven't had a black one fail ... yet anyway.
Jay St. Peter
Thanks Caleb. The reason this thread was started was to track what clamps are still made in USA.
Interesting "Clampman" says:
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1. We still manufacture clamps here in the U.S.A. right here in Chicago, IL
2. The reasons stated here for Lee Valley Tool and some of the Home Depot stores not selling our products anymore is NOT accurate.
3. Do we import SOME product? Yes, we have to, to be able to survive in todays competitive market. Some buyers especially in "big box" stores could care less about made in U.S.A.
4. We still build Jorgensen Bar Clamps, Pony Spring Clamps, Jorgensen Handscrews right here in the U.S.A.
5. We do import a handscrew clamp for Home Depot, at Home Depot's request.
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I wonder why the large C- clamps, bar clamps and Pony pipe clamps I saw at Ace hardware have no country of origin marked on them or the packaging? I couldn't see the back side of the pipe clamps with out opening the packages so they may be stamped USA on the back side.
The Grizzly catalog last year had made in USA labels next to all the classic Jorgensen/adjustable clamps. The current catalog still has the clamps but no made in USA labels.
Last edited by Andrew Joiner; 03-28-2013 at 1:06 AM.
I recently purchased a couple of Jorgensen parallel clamps at Menards and they were USA branded. I guess I will have to check again and see next time I go there.
I just bought some Cabinet Masters at Amazon. They are stamped "Made in USA". The quality seems very good.
Charlie Jones
I have pretty much the same experience as Peter....I never liked the Jorgy parallel clamps as the plastic broke within days of getting them, so I stick with Besseys. The Jorgy I-beam clamps are great and my go to clamp for large tops, interior doors, and any place I need a little more oomph from the clamp. I have some of the Jorgy style pipe clamps, but the Rockler ones are an improved design and a better way to go IMHO.
JeffD
I bought six of these Jorgensen clamps at Home Depot a couple of days ago. Definitely stamped made in USA. Of course they could be old stock.
Last edited by David Winer; 03-28-2013 at 4:34 PM.
I just bought 10 of these from Home Depot (Good price with free shipping) http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/2035981...1v&R=203598174 All stamped "Made in U.S.A."