Your views on where your gear is made.

[NoName]

**MODERATED THREAD**

Mors started this thread to create a list of outdoor gear and clothing companies that manufacture their products in the UK and Europe. A perfectly reasonable and potentially useful resource for those who want to know.

However, at post 39 someone asked why the source of gear mattered, from which point the thread was diverted into the discussion that follows. Having changed direction the original purpose of the thread has been lost, anyone wanting a simple list of companies and products is unlikely to wish to wade through the ethics, morals and economics debate. Much less the rancour.

So, the list of products and companies has been split out and moved to Resources. If you want to carry on with the debate, do so here. Please tread carefully. There are valuable observations in this thread but it does have the potential to tip over into politics, race and name calling. Some would say it already has and that will be looked at separately.

Keep it civil, and if you can't, don't bother posting. Go have a cup of tea or something.

Thank you.

C_Claycomb

 

[NoName]

Marttiini knives. Finland

some Optimus products are Made in Sweden
Wenger knives Switzerland

Are Hultafors made in Sweden?

Haglövs backpacks etc - swedish company but some stuff made in Europe

thanks for helping out!
Haglofs is mainly made in China.....
I will get Hultafors out indeed....!

 

[Janne]

just a thought - it would be maybe interesting to know US and Canadian made stuff too?
I am happy not only to support the European workforce, but the North American too!

 

[KayakFisherFinland]

Own loads of Fjällräven clothes and pretty sure it says -made in china- in every tag.

 

[EdS]

just watch out. While some big companies are based id UK / Europe most of their gear including top end stuff is from China ie Berghaus

Snugpack - some of it is made in Silsden & of course PHD

 

[johnnytheboy]

Harkila stuff is made in china noted above

but fortis is made in the U.K.

 

[Corso]

Are Hultafors made in Sweden?

No they are made in China

 

[Janne]

Own loads of Fjällräven clothes and pretty sure it says -made in china- in every tag.

The rest too?

I am not Sinophobic, but find it pointless to buy stuff Made in PRC and then having to pay huge taxes to support our unemployed work forces dole.

 

[NoName]

Harkila, Berghaus, Fjallraven and Hultafors are China made, so of the list.


Thanks for the great response here!

 

[Scotty Von Porkchop]

Maybe we should have a naughty and saintly list of manufacturers that are UK, European, American and Japanese that are actually made in their original countries?

Montane boils my *#@! with loads of union jack flags and every stitch Chinese made. Disgustingly misleading in my view.

 

[andywragg]

My Hultafors Axe is made in Sweden (Where does China come into it) using american Hickory timber for the shaft. The knives use Japanese steel but are made in Sweden also.

 

[Paul_B]

Curious, why does nation of manufacture matter? Any quality issues aside of course.

 

[Corso]

Curious, why does nation of manufacture matter? Any quality issues aside of course.

green concerns about airmiles perhaps?

 

[Corso]

My Hultafors Axe is made in Sweden (Where does China come into it) using american Hickory timber for the shaft. The knives use Japanese steel but are made in Sweden also.

I've only ever seen mention that the knives are Made in China, which for the price did not surprise me but if you have info on their origins being Sweden please provide a link

 

[Arya]

Where is the line drawn? If there is a product that f.ex uses a zipper or fabric made in a different continent, is it still European? I doubt we produce a lot of cotton here in Scandinavia, so if there is cotton produced at the other end of the globe, shipped to a European factory, and the zippers are from China, the down filling from yet another part of the world (just an example), is it still European made or just European assembled?

 

[thehobbit]

Many interesting tips here - thank you for putting them together..
For my personal uses I try to get local as much as possible, but when it is not possible or (budget-wise) reasonable, I am fine with buying a "responsibly" made products manufactured elsewhere, by companies that at least proclaim to care for the planet and it's workers.. UK brands like Paramo or Millican come into this equation for example...

But to add something here - I have been recently researching light / ultralight sleeping bags, there are several "local" manufacturers:
Sir Joseph here in Czech Republic www.sirjoseph.cz (also excellent down jackets, mitts....)
Cumulus in Poland (IIRC) is good for down bags as well

then there is "Prima" brand making excellent synthetic bags here.. www.prima-spacaky.cz

Tilak is a local manufacturer of outdoor clothing, they also have a line of products from Ventile www.tilak.cz

 

[andywragg]

I've only ever seen mention that the knives are Made in China, which for the price did not surprise me but if you have info on their origins being Sweden please provide a link

The axes come from the oldest axe foundry - 1697 i believe in Hults Bruk, Sweden. I don't have the retail packaging for my GK/OK1 any longer, and it isn't stamped on the knives so I can't refute the China link.

 

[KayakFisherFinland]

I'm currently using a Bacho staped cheap puukko that had a sticker on the sheat saying Morakniv and made in China.

 

[Janne]

I'm currently using a Bacho staped cheap puukko that had a sticker on the sheat saying Morakniv and made in China.

Bahco stuff are today made outside Sweden. Cheap, but still good quality. Steel not as good as the Sandviken steels used in Swedish made Mora knifes.
Please note that the knives are not puukkos, but knivar!

Sv. kniv = eng. knife = fin. puukko

 

[NoName]

Curious, why does nation of manufacture matter? Any quality issues aside of course.

Care of local population
Care of local crafts
Care of enviroment
work safety
workers well being and rights
etc

if that does not say anything, maybe on a more personal level it does?
If you were unemployed wouldnt you be interested to work for a local Buschraft / outdoor company? Don't you shake your head at the mass of people who go to a office make reports and have gatherings and nobody does anything actually? Cannot do anything as of a craft?

Sorry for directness. But that how think and feel about it.

take care!