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Just in case you've never seen a Chinese Starrett box label before.

Way back in my twenties I was talking with a Chinese drama professor who said that back in the old days, a musical instrument maker would go out into the woods during a thunderstorm to listen for particular trees that resonate with the sounds, and then return to cut that tree for the instruments. I asked if anyone still did that, and he said, "Oh, no. Nobody can take that much time these days."

In a similar time period the trade school I was attending for machine work showed a movie made by the machine tool manufacturer's association contrasting a blacksmith in Africa making hoes on a small forge with modern manufacturing that reduces the time required and thus the cost of products and allows us the standard of living we have compared to the blacksmith. And I had a hippie friend who came around and visited the shop I had and was peddling an egg separator he made from bent wire at something like $5 for the time he had invested in making them. I didn't buy one. A plastic one at the hardware store at that time was probably 98 cents.

We enjoy all the "stuff" we have because it can be manufactured at these costs. I have Tesa and Etalon mics and love them. And I'm fortunate to have bought them back in the day.. We can mourn the absence of quality tools and instruments but the unfortunate fact is that there aren't enough people willing to pay the cost to produce them, just as I wasn't willing to pay $5 for a wire egg separator and wouldn't pay $35 for one today or whatever the inflation adjusted price is. We're willing to trade "better stuff" for just "lots more stuff."
 
I think we need to qualify that with “when it matters to me.” I buy nice metrology gear because I expect that it in most cases it will serve me for the next 40 to 50 years, with some fallout on the electronics.
I buy the cheapest paper towels that aren’t tissue paper because I plan to dump them in the compost bin after one use.
I buy cheap sunglasses because I’m bad about losing them before they wear out, but a nicer wallet because I don’t lose those before they wear out every 10 to 15 years.
What this thread (I think) intended to be about was someone paying what they felt was a mid to upper end price, feeling like that specific name brand has decreased their quality without decreasing their price, and trying to warn the rest of us.
 
I’m sure there is still nice American made Starrett stuff still sold but based on what I see of their stuff here in New Zealand I see no reason what so ever to buy it over my Mitutoyo’s and Interapid’s. In fact if I’m honest my experience with my employers Starrett digital calipers that he has it is absolute garbage that soils the Starrett brand.

Their old stuff however is absolutely beautiful.

I do however own and love their Tap wrenches and their edge finders.
I think you will find most of the Starrett tools stocked in New Zealand are the made in China line, and from what I've seen inferior to the made in USA Starrett tools. Here is a set of vintage NIB Starrett tools I bought recently

Starrett 906M b.jpg
 
Pretty sure Doug Starrett reads this forum and responded or linked to his candid response last time this came up. IIRC, he said the Chinese plant was intended to provide a second, cheaper line to offer, principally non-US machinists Starrett tools. He said, again IIRC, US made products aren’t necessarily sought after, and may be less desirable outside the US. The Chinese market alone is probably huge.

As far as the often maligned Starrett digital calipers, Starrett brought in Chinese calipers or Chinese readers years ago and they sucked. The newer models are Swiss electronics and are every bit the equal of Mitutoyo or slightly nicer. Think the model numbers I have are 798 or 799.
 








 
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