I picked this beauty up today.

[Twoinch]

The label and the handle were made in usa, while the head was in fact made in El Mexico. Bevels painted blue, no true bevel.

that would violate the FTC rules on Made in USA claims.

the head is a major part, one that accounts for a very large majority of the items worth. the head would most certainly have to be made int he USA to have that sticker applied to it and sold in the US market.

 

[Pondoro2310]

that would violate the FTC rules on Made in USA claims.

the head is a major part, one that accounts for a very large majority of the items worth. the head would most certainly have to be made int he USA to have that sticker applied to it and sold in the US market.

I agree. I doubt that the head could be made elsewhere and a "Made in USA" sticker applied.

 

[Twoinch]

I agree. I doubt that the head could be made elsewhere and a "Made in USA" sticker applied.

no need to doubt. its fact! a company can not even IMPLY something is made in the USA, unless it is virtually completely made in the USA. that means you can not stick a USA flag on the item or packaging, as it may mislead consumers into believing the item is of USA manufacture. there are many terms used in COO designations... if the head of this particular ax was made in mexico, it would be an "Assembled in the USA of global components" or "made in mexico, assembled in USA" or similar. the auto industry has its own rules, as does textiles/fur industry.

and if a company had been lying, and using major foreign components in there USA made product, they wouldnt be telling people about it... as it would likely end in a visit from the FTC and a gaggle of fines...

operator was on a role yesterday, his posts were erratic, and odd. has me wondering...

 

[300Six]

The old adage applies: laws are made to be broken. How many inspectors on gov't payrolls are out there actually scrutinizing products to ensure that 'made in USA' physically means entirely made in USA? For one thing common steel production has largely abandoned n. America in favour of China and India so made in USA axes are highly unlikely to ever be 100% to start with. Up until about a decade ago every implement I looked at closely was stamped with maker and/or country of origin. Everything seems to be much more relaxed these days.
Case in point the inexpensive but brand-spanking new single bit/dbl bit/splitter axes and Pulaskis that Princess Auto in Canada has out on the racks have no identifying labels or marks of any kind on them! In that case you can't claim false advertising is at work but that still doesn't make any of this right. What if the GD things are made of brittle iron and literally explode when you strike a rock; who do you chase after then?

 

[Twoinch]

see heres the thing 300.. a company does not HAVE to disclose if the item is made in the USA, but if they do choose to claim that its made in the USA, it better be made in the USA. many companies have lied about COO in the past, and many have been caught and fined. about a decade ago, Sears was sued for using "made in the USA" on some Danaher tools that were not entirely, or at all, made in the USA. it happens all the time. companies that make their products in the USA nearly always use that fact as a huge marketing advantage, because it works. Snap on pulled the USA stamp off of its most popular ratchet a couple years ago, and after a huge outcry, started stamping them with USA. they claimed they were trying to be more "globally" oriented, but its been proven that the gears in those ratchet are being produced in spain for Bahco ratchet(cosmetically different, but internally identical), as Bahco is a Snap on brand. it is assumed they were using those exact same gears in the Snap on ratchets also, as it makes sense to NOT make the same exact part in two factories across the planet from each other. didnt last long. nearly every craftsman hand tool is now made in CHINA, only a few are still USA sourced. they get around the COO stamp by putting the COO on the plastic throw away packaging in tiny little letters... i guess so their uninformed customers dont, and wont see a huge, glaring CHINA on the back of their wrench where the "Forged in the USA" once was.

another thing, yes, a lot of steel production has been offshored, but it is NOT hard to source USA made steel. there is plenty being made. i live within 10 miles of a number of mills producing steel day in and day out, and their are a number of others across the country still churning out all different types.

 

[Twoinch]

another point, the FTC and US Customs have no bearing on what you see in stores in canada. you would have to read up on COO laws there. items sold in the USA MUST show COO if the item is imported. this is why cheap tools have always been stamped CHINA, TAIWAN, and now INDIA. also why every item you see in Walmart has "Made in CHINA" down by the barcode. they are required to disclose COO if the item is IMPORTED. Customs has its own requirements for good to be sold in the USA, along with FTC rules on Made in USA claims.

the problem is that the COO is many times on the throw away packaging, and not on the item, which can cause issues in many instances, such as the Craftsman tools now. i do know that Craftsman tools have been chinese for many years in Canadian Sears though... Sears must have decided that Canadians werent as "made in USA" crazy as many blue collar american are(or were...)

 

[Operator1975]

Came from the old owner himself, so not sure what to tell ya. It was right when they were in the latter stages of getting ready to sell and no one really cared. So it is what it is. Bottom line the axe from a quality stand point just isn't up to par at all.