So, wtf man?

sgtfuzzbubble011 · 23rd October 2007, 01:38

I know this might seem like a pathetic excuse for a bitch to most of you, but it's the principle of it that pisses me off.

So I'm at the store to buy some lead refills for my mechanical pencils, and I find a small pencil sharpener that I think would work nicely for my color pencils. So I pick it up off the shelf and see this on the bottom corner:

dscf1518.jpg

I think to myself "Cool, it's made here in America." So I buy it and bring it home. When I flip it over to pull the packaging apart, this catches my eye:

dscf1519.jpg

That kinda irritates me, but generally speaking, all of the very few German-made products that I've ever owned or used have been of good quality. So I decide not to worry about it and just continue to open the package. Once I have it open, I see this:

dscf1521.jpg

Ok, it's made in Germany, right? No:

dscf1522.jpg

WHERE THE FUCK IS THIS THING MADE?!

k_rock923 · 23rd October 2007, 01:47

False advertising, man. Not cool.

Tom · 23rd October 2007, 02:44

Blades: Made in Germany
Metal body: Made in China
Screws: ????
Assembled:????
Packaged: USA

It's amazing that something so simple has at least 3 countries involved in it's creation. Also that the shipping from Germany to China to USA is still cheaper than creating it in the USA where it is closer to the end-user (in this case), that's globalization better get use to it.

Tom

swingdjted · 23rd October 2007, 02:52

German steel used to cut > all. I have extremely high quality German steel cutlery in my kitchen and I wouldn't trade it for anything. You probably got a good deal, although I would say that's very horrible false advertising, worth bringing up. If there's some kind of contact information for the company on the packaging, it might be worth mentioning.

sgtfuzzbubble011 · 23rd October 2007, 03:46

Even their website has "Proudly made in the U.S.A." right at the top of the main page with a pair of American flags waving on both sides. Strangely enough, I don't see this pencil sharpener anywhere.

I'll send them an email tomorrow night. I'm too tired to bother right now.

zootm · 23rd October 2007, 09:00

Well if it's assembled in the USA it's still "made" there, in spite of where the components come from. Somewhat misleadingly.

gaekwad2 · 23rd October 2007, 11:03

Quote:

Originally posted by sgtfuzzbubble99
Even their website has "Proudly made in the U.S.A." right at the top of the main page with a pair of American flags waving on both sides.

To quote a famous American author:

Quote:

Ambrose Bierce wrote
PATRIOT, n. One to whom the interests of a part seem superior to those of the whole. The dupe of statesmen* and the tool of conquerors.

PATRIOTISM, n. Combustible rubbish read to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name.
In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the last resort of a scoundrel. With all due respect to an enlightened but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit that it is the first.

*and salesmen, it seems

sgtfuzzbubble011 · 23rd October 2007, 12:06

Quote:

Combustible rubbish...

Seems about right, these days.

Quote:

Well if it's assembled in the USA it's still "made" there, in spite of where the components come from.

There's a big difference between "assembled in" and "manufactured in." Just because something is assembled in the USA doesn't mean that it's "made in the USA."

Mr Jones · 23rd October 2007, 12:23

'Made' fits onto the back of things better than 'Assembled'

sgtfuzzbubble011 · 23rd October 2007, 12:55

You're right, and it's BS. "Handcrafted with pride in the USA" is a boldfaced lie, and I'm going to let them know how I feel.

Mr Jones · 23rd October 2007, 14:39

But if it's put together by American hands on American soil using foreign components, does that not count as 'Handcrafted in the USA', the finished producted is crafted by Americans hands in America after all.

sgtfuzzbubble011 · 23rd October 2007, 15:09

Yeah, but not this particular item. The back of the package says "Printed and packaged in the USA." That simply means that the finished product was put in the packaging here. It's still made elsewhere.

zootm · 23rd October 2007, 23:48

It's almost definitely made elsewhere for excellent reasons, but you're right - "made in the USA" is still misleading. I seriously doubt it's technically inaccurate enough to get them to change, though.

sgtfuzzbubble011 · 24th October 2007, 01:48

"Handcrafted with pride in the USA" is as technically inaccurate as it gets. It wasn't made in this country, plain and simple. And we won't get into the reasons why crap is made in China since we've already argued about that elsewhere, and our opinions are like oil and water.

swingdjted · 24th October 2007, 03:19

Dust it for fingerprints - you'll probably find child sized ones.

P$ycHo™ · 24th October 2007, 14:05

nah i think they are build by machines.

tuckerm · 25th October 2007, 01:49

Betcha a 50 that it has lead in it

Twilightseer · 25th October 2007, 08:36

Just for the sake of it, I would take the item back to the store and ask them for an explanation. Who knows, they may offer you a voucher or something

sgtfuzzbubble011 · 25th October 2007, 12:23

I decided that it's not even worth my time nor effort. I'll just use this sharpener until it's dull, then I'll throw it away and never buy another one of their products. I dunno, I might still send them a nasty email.

swingdjted · 25th October 2007, 21:57

They should at least get a little hate mail.

ShyShy · 26th October 2007, 10:15

Huh, I would have never thought to follow that trail. Interesting pick up.

23rd October 2007, 01:38	#1
sgtfuzzbubble011 Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 60,767	So, wtf man? I know this might seem like a pathetic excuse for a bitch to most of you, but it's the principle of it that pisses me off. So I'm at the store to buy some lead refills for my mechanical pencils, and I find a small pencil sharpener that I think would work nicely for my color pencils. So I pick it up off the shelf and see this on the bottom corner: dscf1518.jpg I think to myself "Cool, it's made here in America." So I buy it and bring it home. When I flip it over to pull the packaging apart, this catches my eye: dscf1519.jpg That kinda irritates me, but generally speaking, all of the very few German-made products that I've ever owned or used have been of good quality. So I decide not to worry about it and just continue to open the package. Once I have it open, I see this: dscf1521.jpg Ok, it's made in Germany, right? No: dscf1522.jpg WHERE THE FUCK IS THIS THING MADE?!

23rd October 2007, 01:47	#2
k_rock923 \m/ (Forum King) Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: /bin/bash Posts: 7,786	False advertising, man. Not cool. Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway.

23rd October 2007, 02:52	#4
swingdjted DRINK BEER NOW (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern West Virginia Posts: 9,621	German steel used to cut > all. I have extremely high quality German steel cutlery in my kitchen and I wouldn't trade it for anything. You probably got a good deal, although I would say that's very horrible false advertising, worth bringing up. If there's some kind of contact information for the company on the packaging, it might be worth mentioning. Don't forget to live before you die.

24th October 2007, 03:19	#15
swingdjted DRINK BEER NOW (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern West Virginia Posts: 9,621	Dust it for fingerprints - you'll probably find child sized ones. Don't forget to live before you die.

24th October 2007, 14:05	#16
P$ycHo™ Flakmonkey! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DM-Campgrounds Posts: 1,879	nah i think they are build by machines. My UT3 Maps: DM-Q1DM6 The Dark Zone WAR-Downtown_Necris 2.0 DM-Goose2k9

23rd October 2007, 02:44	#3
Tom Moderator Join Date: Apr 2000 Posts: 4,485	Blades: Made in Germany Metal body: Made in China Screws: ???? Assembled:???? Packaged: USA It's amazing that something so simple has at least 3 countries involved in it's creation. Also that the shipping from Germany to China to USA is still cheaper than creating it in the USA where it is closer to the end-user (in this case), that's globalization better get use to it. Tom

23rd October 2007, 03:46	#5
sgtfuzzbubble011 Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 60,767	Even their website has "Proudly made in the U.S.A." right at the top of the main page with a pair of American flags waving on both sides. Strangely enough, I don't see this pencil sharpener anywhere. I'll send them an email tomorrow night. I'm too tired to bother right now.

23rd October 2007, 09:00	#6
zootm Forum King Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: the nether reaches of bonnie scotland Posts: 13,378	Well if it's assembled in the USA it's still "made" there, in spite of where the components come from. Somewhat misleadingly.

23rd October 2007, 12:23	#9
Mr Jones Nothing to say... Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: UK Posts: 23,020	'Made' fits onto the back of things better than 'Assembled'

23rd October 2007, 12:55	#10
sgtfuzzbubble011 Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 60,767	You're right, and it's BS. "Handcrafted with pride in the USA" is a boldfaced lie, and I'm going to let them know how I feel.

23rd October 2007, 14:39	#11
Mr Jones Nothing to say... Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: UK Posts: 23,020	But if it's put together by American hands on American soil using foreign components, does that not count as 'Handcrafted in the USA', the finished producted is crafted by Americans hands in America after all.

23rd October 2007, 15:09	#12
sgtfuzzbubble011 Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 60,767	Yeah, but not this particular item. The back of the package says "Printed and packaged in the USA." That simply means that the finished product was put in the packaging here. It's still made elsewhere.

23rd October 2007, 23:48	#13
zootm Forum King Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: the nether reaches of bonnie scotland Posts: 13,378	It's almost definitely made elsewhere for excellent reasons, but you're right - "made in the USA" is still misleading. I seriously doubt it's technically inaccurate enough to get them to change, though.

24th October 2007, 01:48	#14
sgtfuzzbubble011 Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 60,767	"Handcrafted with pride in the USA" is as technically inaccurate as it gets. It wasn't made in this country, plain and simple. And we won't get into the reasons why crap is made in China since we've already argued about that elsewhere, and our opinions are like oil and water.

25th October 2007, 01:49	#17
tuckerm Forum Emo Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,347	Betcha a 50 that it has lead in it

25th October 2007, 08:36	#18
Twilightseer Le Poison dans la Bouteille [Moderator] Join Date: May 2000 Location: Lavabo, fond du couloir, 3ï¿½ porte ï¿½ droite Posts: 6,296	Just for the sake of it, I would take the item back to the store and ask them for an explanation. Who knows, they may offer you a voucher or something

25th October 2007, 12:23	#19
sgtfuzzbubble011 Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 60,767	I decided that it's not even worth my time nor effort. I'll just use this sharpener until it's dull, then I'll throw it away and never buy another one of their products. I dunno, I might still send them a nasty email.

25th October 2007, 21:57	#20
swingdjted DRINK BEER NOW (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern West Virginia Posts: 9,621	They should at least get a little hate mail. Don't forget to live before you die.

26th October 2007, 10:15	#21
ShyShy Amazon Bush Woman Forum Queen Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Sticks, Queensland Posts: 8,018	Huh, I would have never thought to follow that trail. Interesting pick up.

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