If the rod blank is not specifically labeled "Made in the U.S.A." you can bet it was NOT made in the U.S.A. Nobody is ashamed of making a really big profit from a really big mark-up on a really cheap foreign made blank. There certainly are some excellent foreign-made rod blanks available at a fair price but there are a lot more lousy imported blanks branded, marked-up greatly in price, and sold with American-sounding names but no "Made in the U.S.A."

Welcome to early 21st century USA.

What if Asia, the Euro block, Australia and Africa, said don't buy American? Perhaps the Germans think our products are junk!

Just remember - this is not a factor of the non-USA companies. It being able to make quality product. They are certainly capable of producing at whatever level of quality their customer is willing to pay for……

Oh, and it comes to fishing poles - I believe the main exporter of rod blanks has been fishing fir a lot longer than we have in the US :)

What's the big deal? Buying a fishing rod blank is no different than buying any other commodity regardless of hype or where it is made, You rely on the reputation of the manufacturer, consumer feedback and personal experience.

You buy all Kinds of products for various reasons, for home, work or recreation, include fishing rod blanks in this process.

It's fair to say "You get what you pay for", A vendor once told me " The Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains long after the Sweetness of Low Price is Forgotten".

Do your research, rely on your experience and solicit advise from those in the craft.

Have Fun

To spell it out: You can buy the same fly lines and rod blanks on line for a fraction of the cost American importers-labelers-resellers charge. Many of these imported, unlabeled products are precisely the same as American packagers, labelers and advertisers are selling after a mark-up of two, three, four, hundred percent or more. This isn't patriotism or propaganda, it's economics.

I am thinking that SA and Rio produce their lines in the U.S., but I am not certain. Airflo is in the U.K. Other than NFC, I am not sure any available fly blanks are produced in the U.S. other than a few OEM offerings such as Sage, Winston T&T. If you like cane rods, I think you are SOL if you want American made. In addition, I believe many on this forum live outside of the U.S., and some of the sponsors are foreign companies, such as CTS of New Zealand.

You have made this point several times on the forum. As to freedom and choice, that includes the fact that people are free to buy whatever products they desire and pay for them whatever they want. By the way, what kind of car do you drive, and where was it made or its parts sourced? Same for TV, furniture, clothes, food, etc.? As to markup, go buy a fountain soft drink. It's called the free market for a reason, and it is up to the consumer to decide.

Phil, they are NOTt the same lines! As mentioned above there are USA & European manufacturers that make the best lines. Do you really believe that a reseller could get away with the ridiculous markups you mention? They would soon be out of business as competitors would undercut them!

Your statements are patently untrue.

Phil, please provide us with a list of "really cheap foreign made blanks" and "lousy imported blanks" so we can avoid buyers remorse. Thanks

There are a few other fly rod blank manufacturers in the US, Berkheimer (in Camas, Washington) and Talon (In Woodland, Washington) come to mind. There is also Stryker Rods in Eugene, Oregon.

I believe that made in USA rods can have the blanks made overseas and finished here and still be labeled made in USA.

The cost of the graphite cloth and epoxy in a fish pole is modest, as is the cost to create a mandrel to shape tens of thousands of rods. The biggest expense in a $600 - $800 - $1200 fish rod is advertising, not research or materials. Importing inexpensive blanks/components in bulk (by the pound?) enable American retailers to profit nicely in spite of the low numbers of high-priced rods they sell.

Sounds like yet another business opportunity for one who buys his components and mandrels at a "modest" cost, shapes tens of thousands of rods, and sells them for $300-$500. Watch out Sage/Orvis/Winston!

Ewaniki has no knowledge of product development, manufacturing, distribution and other associated costs. He has a blind spot opinion on marketing and is willing to expose his ignorance's almost daily on this site!

the dollar is an IOU used mostly to pay other IOUs.how much longer will the silliness last..