Rods made in China?

[burrows]

I was very surprised to learn that some higher end rods are made in China specifically shimano. I just pulled the trigger on one online  and im disappointed I didn't do my homework before hand. What are your thoughts on rods that are so called high end and made in China? 

[kadas]

I think a lot of my decision making on buying a high end rod has a lot more to do with my past experience with the rod company and how their rods have performed for me and their warranty than where it is made thou I have to say being made in the USA does figure in quite a bit when I am first considering purchasing a new rod from a different rod company.  I am a Falcon rod fan and I have to say I am very sad to see them move their new SR line of rods to China. Falcon has always been USA made and to see them going away from that is disappointing to me. You do really have to research a rod if made overseas or made here in the USA is important to you.  Some guys find that important and some do not.  Me--yes and no, it is not a deal killer if it is made overseas but if everything else is equal on a couple rods and one is made overseas and one is USA made I am buying the rod made here

[Guest]

I don't mind a rod made in USA ,Japan,Malaysia,or Mexico but china really china? 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

My only higher end rods are USA St Croix Avid,LTB,Elite. But my favorite rod was made in China Quantum Smoke and I was so pleased with this rod I bought 2 more of the same something I havent done with any other brand. As long as performance is there (balance sensitivity power durability weight) and Im pleased with the product that is fine with me.

[FrankN209]

I'm not really concerned about my Shimano being made in China. It looks, feels, and performs great. It's all that matters to me.

[lmbfisherman]

Sure it's made in China but company X would ensure the manufacturing process followed their quality standards.  If they didn't they would fall flat with the consumers.  Although not a deal breaker for me, I would prefer it was made in the USA.

[Guest]

Cool saves me a lot of worry. The more expensive rods that I own are made in USA or fresenillo Mexico. Thanks brothas.

[bigturtle]

I personally prefer made in Japan things above anything else, because Iv lived in Japan longer than anywhere else.

 

USA, China, Malaysia, Korea, Canada, its all the same in my eyes, all got bad stuff, all got good stuff.

[PatrickKnight]

Which model did you get?

[J._Bricker]

4 hours ago, Pilot. said:

I was very surprised to learn that some higher end rods are made in China specifically shimano. I just pulled the trigger on one online  and im disappointed I didn't do my homework before hand. What are your thoughts on rods that are so called high end and made in China? 

 

Great topic Pilot, and my first thought was "all of 'em" ?  I just bought a JDM Daiwa rod and had to chuckle to myself when I saw were it's was made.... yep, you guessed it, China.  And I gotta say I'm very happy with it. JB 

[Hulkster]

back in the sort of early days of the internet (1997) many people talked about how rods made in China used "Asian graphite" which was supposedly more brittle than North American graphite. that rhetoric sort of left a bad taste in my mouth so I only bough rods made in North America.

 

however, I doubt that's actually true. if rods are brittle its due to the design and or craftsmanship of the rod. now many high end and expensive rods are made overseas and perform fine. That being said I'm partial to Loomis and St.Croix's USA made stuff, mainly because I like full cork handles and many of the higher end stuff coming from overseas has EVA foam grips and no foregrips.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, PatrickKnight said:

Which model did you get?

Zodias 

[PatrickKnight]

4 hours ago, Pilot. said:

Zodias 

 

Wow I was thinking it was going to be one of the lower tier rods. I am really surprised with that.

[Raul]

MADE IN WHATEVER COUNTRY IN THE FACE OF THE PLANET ( choose the name ) by X brand means that, it's the company the one who determines the quality of the product by choosing the components that will go into the manufacturing process, cheap components make cheap products NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE MADE. 

[bigturtle]

Did you know that Megabass Orochi XX rods are also made in China? Did you know that Orochi X4 rod blanks are made in China? Did you know that so many high end stuff are made, or partially made in China now?

 

I always find it funny when people tries so hard to avoid made in china stuff.

[hoosierbass07]

My Fenwick HMG rods are made in China.  

[LuckyHandsINC.]

I have an orochi XX, 4X , poison adrena, Steez, expride, cumulus, cumura all made in China. All absolutely fantastic rods. Get over it and enjoy your zodias which I'm sure is also a great rod.

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, LuckyHandsINC. said:

I have an orochi XX, 4X , poison adrena, Steez, expride, cumulus, cumura all made in China. All absolutely fantastic rods. Get over it and enjoy your zodias which I'm sure is also a great rod.

Get over what bro I was just asking a question what's your problem man seriously that's what the forums are for becouse you seem to be coming off pretty condescending. Ppl ask questions and I could care less about what rods and reels you have, any other gear you want to snobbishly mention to make your self feel above me or anyone else?

 

[bigturtle]

Do you guys know why China, and other asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, has a bad reputation for bad stuff?

One is that in the past, quality control was not as high standard as domestic companies were, and whether it be due to worker skill deficiency, lack of damns given by the parent company or the factory itself, or just bad practices, some stuff just werent good.

The other thing is the sheer volume of stuff. We all know that defects turn up in pretty much every form of mass production, and we accept that as a fact. The thing is, because we are exposed to soooo much stuff made in China, the frequency of defects turn up much more often. This, combined with the first point, gave China a rightly due reputation for low quality stuff in the past.
 

This has changed a lot over the past few years, and quality and standards are just as high as parent factory/companies in most cases. If Megabass, one of the few companies that specializes in super high end stuff, uses Chinese factory to produce one of their best selling rod series, we can be sure that other companies are also doing the same.

Hating on made in china stuff now a days is rather silly if you ask me

[NYWayfarer]

Are we still having this discussion? Even if your favorite brand is being made in China so is everyone else's. If the quality was bad they would eventually go under. 

 

i for one don't put much emphasis in where a product is made but how it performs for me at a frugal price point.

[Davidhorowitzski]

Here in the U.S. we make a lot of great things.  We also make a lot of crappy thing.  And this is the same in almost every country. A lot of the better made reels and rods I've used are made in other countries.   

[Chowderhead]

9 hours ago, bigturtle said:

USA, China, Malaysia, Korea, Canada, its all the same in my eyes, all got bad stuff, all got good stuff.

 

Yep, this...

[CTBassin860]

I could care less where its made.still have to adhere to the quality standards and specifications regardless of where its made.

[MisplacedTexan99]

I just bought a new Falcon Bucoo Sr and i was disappointed to find it was made in china, however I have had several falcon rods over the years and all have been great, I expect nothing different with this one.

[CTBassin860]

4 minutes ago, MisplacedTexan99 said:

I just bought a new Falcon Bucoo Sr and i was disappointed to find it was made in china, however I have had several falcon rods over the years and all have been great, I expect nothing different with this one.

How do you like that SR??