For the last two years I've placed a 5/8" X 5/8" "made in USA" sticker on the bottom limb near the fade on the bows I build. Now WITHOUT CONTRAVERSY, what are your opinions on it?
I've had a few comeback for trade-ins, to reduce weight, adjust length, or simply to return that have had the sticker scrapped off. Of course it screwed up the finish as well.
I just want to know who likes it and who doesn't.
Please no name calling, or emotionally charged comments.
I go out of my way to buy 'made in USA'. I would appreciate such a sticker.
Being that it is a sticker, it could be the reason they were removed is that they had become "less attractive" after exposure to the elements, wear, etc. What about just writing it on the bow when marking the specs? I like made in the USA.
Personally, I like a bow with minimum decorations, stickers, or labels.
I think Made in the USA is a good thing but if it were me I'd highlight it on the website, in the literature, and on the bowcase (if you include one).
Guy
I'd be proud to have our flag on my bow. And on everything else, for that matter...
I like it! You make the bow and put your name on it and you can put "made in USA" on it and be proud of it.
Actually I thought it was cool that you put them on your bows. I like to see those stickers, even if they wear off after a month or so.
I'd take a "Made in USA" sticker w/flag anytime. Hap
I wear made in America Diamond Gusset jeans, made in America Filson Wool clothes, made in America boots and mocs. Whether it is a sticker or written and with the advancing tyrrany diluting our economy, it is good to remind everyone that not every business has gotten bailout money and moved their factories to China.
i would be proud to have made in USA on my Bow then ya can tell ya getting good stuff. :thumbsup:
I dont just like the idea, i love it! would be cool it was writen on the bow, but nothing beats good ol USA
I agree. With so much of our nation's manufacturing now in China and being fully supported by the Walmart shoppers, it is important to show the world that some things are still Made in the USA.
Out of curiosity, other than Samick, how many traditional bows are not Made in the USA?
A sticker is going to lose its "stick" and appeal over time especially. Why not just simply INK it in under your last couple finishes.
I love me a good "Made in the USA" sticker on most anything. That being said I don't want one on my bow. I like as little writing as possible on it. Just the brand, bowyers signature if he wishes and the specs for me. Besids, I already know where it's made or I probably wouldn't be buying it in the first place. I would have no issues with you putting it on, I'd just use a little WD40 and take it off, not a deal breaker either way for me
YUP, Made in the USA is the way to go. Not every American company does that. Good for you Maddog.
Wouldn't bug me one bit. Animals can't read the belly side of the bow anyway! :thumbsup:
I would never complain about it thats for sure.
Can the sticker be applied and then the finish put over it so it is sealed under the finish. Or would that mess up the sticker. Maybe a vinyl sticker?
I wouldn't select the sticker as one of my custom options. I'd buy from Scotland, Australia, Africa, etc. if the bow suited me.
I'm pretty sure every bow I own (or owned) is made here except one set of ILF limbs.
But are all the parts made/grown in the US?
I think if its going to be a sticker it should be one that's easily removed. If you don't want it removed and want it to be permanent on what you make then put it under the finish as part of the inscription.
If I was hunting with a custom rifle...shotgun...bow...or other fine sporting weapon, I probably wouldn't want a sticker like that on it. Imagine a fine, straight-stocked, engraved, and hand-checkered over-and-under with a label like that applied anywhere to it...metal or wood. I believe most people would remove it, but not out of disrespect.
Mike,
Recommend embossing/engraving the replica
"Stars&Stripes" only. (//%5Burl=http://imgur.com/lxvnIcE%5D%20%5Bimg%5Dhttp://i.imgur.com/lxvnIcE.jpg)[/url] [/IMG]
Sometimes Killinstuff, sometimes, not always, but often. (Fiberglass is made here, the laminations woods are, dymond wood is, lots of my riser woods, bubinga, cocobolo, bocote, etc. of course isn't, but ash, hickory, maple, walnut, osage orange, and such is, if'n ya wanna split hairs)
I don't like stickers etc on a wood bow since to me it looks out of place. Now if it was engraved I'd like it.
I know your bows are made in this country but I don't like the sticker. It's not necessary. I don't like anything extra on the bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by Kevin Dill:
If I was hunting with a custom rifle...shotgun...bow...or other fine sporting weapon, I probably wouldn't want a sticker like that on it. Imagine a fine, straight-stocked, engraved, and hand-checkered over-and-under with a label like that applied anywhere to it...metal or wood. I believe most people would remove it, but not out of disrespect.
X2
I try to buy as much stuff that is made in the USA as is possible. However, I would not want a stick on my bow, to me less on the bow is more.
I'm not a big sticker fan but I do try to buy MADE IN USA as much as possible.
Abe from Caribow writes made in Canada on his bows, or least he did when I bought mine from him. It's simple and blends in with the bow specs he puts on the bow. Perhaps you could do the same with Made in the USA.
I think it should be made into law that they would have a small American flag on everything made in America, it would save me time looking at labels.
How about including "Made In The USA" on your Mad dog inlayed medallion? That would be clean, permanent, and classy.
Great bows too Mike. Thanks!
I like the sticker and try to buy most everything in the USA however their are some great Canadian bowyers that are on my wish list,
I would not want a sticker on my bow, but I would not mind it in ink in a similar fashion as the rest of the text on the bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by Chester Thompson:
I would not want a sticker on my bow, but I would not mind it in ink in a similar fashion as the rest of the text on the bow.
x2
There's a couple of bow makers that write USA in the text of the bow. ie; Black widow bows
Your company name reminds me of one my favorite quotes of all times "What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
I would say, keep the fight in the dog. If you like the sticker, good for you, keep it. If it inconveniences some, then good. I am ready for this country to wake up and look for that sticker, complain if it's not there.
Mike Pyeatt
I would not buy a bow made anywhere but here. None of them have stickers or 'made in USA' on them. The fact that I know they were made here is all I care about. I agree with Kevin about stickers on fine tools.
X2 leftyfred
Sort of what I thought, pretty much evenly divided between yes, no, and don't matter.
Thanks for all the input. There's no need to respond any more to this. I just wanted some quick input. I got it.
-Mike
I didn't read all the posts so this may have been said, but, this is my opinion. Put the flag under the fiberglass (assuming it's clear glass) so that it can't be scraped off. Make it an option when the order is placed. Maybe something like, your bow comes with a "made in the U.S.A." sticker on it. If you don't want it please let us know. For those that want less "decoration" on their bow. Personally I'd like it on mine. But this comes from a veteran...
-Jeremy :coffee:
USA is painted on the lower limbs of my Widows.
QuoteOriginally posted by The Night Stalker:
I think it should be made into law that they would have a small American flag on everything made in America, it would save me time looking at labels.
Better yet, how about a law that requires a flag of whatever country the item is made, not just stuff made here. I think less people would buy stuff that has a Chinese or Mexican flag on the tag.
Like the concept...not a sticker.
I like the idea of writing it on with the specs.
Why not just ask the buyer if he/she wants the sticker or wants it hand written?
It's your policy and you can be proud of it. I'm not a big fan of stickers, but I can remove yours if I want(not by scraping though!) I will always try to patronize products made here, but perhaps not to rule out Canadian, Australian, or Scottish products:) . There are other parts of the world where we can respect what they do and how they compete here in America.
People who care will learn from your website, literature, or word of mouth about your Made-in- America products. Anyone who doesn't care about that isn't going to be influenced by anything you would do.......other than sell it dirt cheap!
I like it
I like the idea, but not the sticker. Write it tastefully under the finish. TradGuy, idk, but I like Bear and they are made 2 hours away from me in Gainsville.
hope it's on the two I ordered.
God Bless.
Go for it.
I hope to see "Made in the U.S.A." on the Maddog Pup I ordered for my son. I can't wait to hear from Mike that it is done and ready to ship. Then I have wait for Christmas to give it to him!
I own tow Maddog bows, one with, one without. Served 20 years in a the military and proud to fly the flag, ANYWHERE. Buy the way, how can a small sticker mess up a bow?
Hand lettered near the bottom tip would work well for me. Wherever it is, simple, discreet, understated. IMHO a sticker is out of place on a piece of fine craftsmanship, unless meant to be removed right after sale.
i try my best to buy only made in usa the sticker would not bother me jmo
KEEP IT ON THERE!
Johnny/JAG
I buy only products that are made in Canada or USA.
Sergio,
you have Italian name origin ... don't you buy any "Made in Italy" products...??
I'm "patriotic" Italian guy and understand why you buy only Made in USA ...
I like much USA products (I have a lots of USA Bows)... but.... are you sure that under "Made in USA" in many products there are effectively the USA manufacturing or, same many european laws (not in Italy), only the assemblage is "Made in...." but the production is "made in China" ???
Carlo
PS ... I know that many "Made in Italy" products sell in USA aren't right Italian but "faked Italian" products .
QuoteOriginally posted by Matty:
A sticker is going to lose its "stick" and appeal over time especially. Why not just simply INK it in under your last couple finishes.
X2
I'd write it in ink under the specs personally. If my bow had a sticker, I'd leave it on till it fell off. I go out of my way to purchase American products.
I'd prefer not to have any stickers on my bow. I just think they look cheap. As far as my buying habits, I buy what I think is the best product for the best price. Where it is made is irrelevant to me. My employer seeks to sell the products we produce all over the world. Some of our biggest customers are non-American. Unless you refuse to sell to other countries, you can't expect people not to buy from other countries.
I am with Sergio here.
All my bows are made in the USA
My hunting clothing is made in Canada
I think we all want to buy from people we can relate to, people like us.
F-Manny
I would offer it as an option. Personally, I think the less on a pretty bow, the better. I don't like names, quotes or Bible verses on a bow or firearm, unless I personally requested it.
In fact, Copicasso (Todd Hill) just did an incredible refinish job for me on a 1959 Kodiak. The riser came out so nice, I requested that he leave the specs off it. I know the weight and length and I'm never selling the 35lb gem.
Granted, I had Todd put on "new" Kodiak and "Grayling" stickers, but those are a part of the historical brand of the old Bear bows.
Anyone buying a custom bow from you knows it's made in the USA, that's part of the allure of ordering a custom bow from a bowyer, as opposed to a production bow.
So for me, putting a "Made in the USA" sticker on a custom bow I know is made in the USA is as redundant as putting on a sticking alerting us that the bow was made by hand vs. machine.
Again, that's just my opinion. Less is more. Even if my opinion is a minority opinion, it's enough to consider simply offering the sticker as a free option. My .02.
I am not keen on "stickers" however, I do like hand written. Stickers to me seem "tacky". A beautiful hand made bow is not something ya just slap a sticker on. Now hand written is different, or carved, or engraved, or even stamped(if that is doable?) just my 2 cents. I too would probably pull off a sticker- not out of disrespect, I would love to have it say "made in the usa". But come on- all these high class custom bowyers out there- you dont go to an archery shoot and have someone come up to you and say hey is that bow made in the USA?
L.R.
Yes, just write in on the bow instead of a sticker.
I whole heartedly support the "Made In USA" label and theory. That being said, my personal opinion of decals in general is I dislike them......but, to explain this.
I am a "wood" guy. I love the look of natural wood. I want my bows clean, uncluttered, and presenting the underlying wood beauty, (even if it is encapsulated in fiberglass).
What would be better for me, and this is just for me, is a hand written footnote in that area with a fine tip marker under the glass or finish stating the Made In USA.
Ciao Carlo; I do the best I can. but I agree , there are a lot of "Knockoff" products. How was your season this year?? :clapper:
I would like a hand written made in the USA better also.
No controversy with me, I like seeing Made in the USA on my gear. I do support you writing it on the bow rather than a sticker. Either way, :thumbsup: !
Thanks for the input everyone. I know what to do now.
Sergio,
I don't know ...I'm not hunter...
About the weather here is hot time... today it's raining but yesterday was 24 Celsius at noon and 16 at midnight with a wet degree of 85%
Best wishes my friend.
Carlo
Don't like them. Just my personal preference.
Jon
I am Australian and I always like to see products proudly displaying their country of origin.
helps sort the wheat from the chaff too
I like it
I haven't read any comments here, but let me tell you, I will drive the extra mile, spend the little extra money for a quality product made by a brother/sister American, because no body makes it that good, swiss have clock's, german chocalate, french wine and cheese, english have ??, we do everything else!!!
I know you said enough already, but the sticker really made me smile when I received my P.P. The only thing better would have been written in ink underneath all. I'll request my preference on my next Mad Dog, but "Made in the USA WILL be on my bow somehow, somewhere. It's all good, you just keep on keeping on.
This got me thinking.....I assume every bowyer with a USA address are building the bows them self. I hope none of them are importing bows and letting us assume they are making them. This can't be happening, right?
I know that some quality bows are made overseas, and I'm not knocking them, but I hope there is no misleading going on.
As to the original question....ink it on next to the bow specs.
Fanto, you have the best mookite around. wait you have the only mookite around. lol I really like to knap that stuff.
Yeah Roger I hope none are importing as well. But you never know.
I just read an article about Winchester selling the model 1873 for the first time in a hundred + years. But they are made in Japan. Winchester imports their rifles from Japan now. Sad.
Just my opinion but I would not want a sticker on a bow I had made custom for me. You are an American company and make the bows yourself, I think it's a safe assumption that it's made in the USA.
I do like a bowyers signature on a custom bow, so if you could add, in your own writing "Made in the USA by......" that would be a classier look than a sticker, again purely my opinion.
I would like to have 'made in the USA' on my bow. But maybe it could be an option and those that don't want it (for whatever reason they have) wouldn't have to have it?
Ditch the stickers...
Probably before a lot of you were born, there was a town in Japan renamed "Usa" just so they could legally put "made in Usa" on their products.... why not consider "American made" (assuming North America)
I have Widows with their "made in USA' and Chek-Mates with their "Made in Canada" signatures . All that means to me is where the bow was manufactured , nothing else .
Both Bows are made from imported exotic woods .LOL
Cheers from the Country that has everything except the Stanley Cup .
The Japanese town of Usa, it's an urban legend:
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/usa.asp
Killin...Doesn't matter where the woods come from. ...if you live I the USA and MAKE a bow here then its MADE in the USA..
I would not want a sticker....but woul be totally fine with an inscription along with other specs.
Thanks for all the input. Ditching stickers. I'm almost out anyway.
As much as I like the Made in the USA I prefer the bow carry the name of the man who made it. That means more to me than where it was made. And I prefer the name of the man not the bow company.
Killin...Doesn't matter where the woods come from. ...if you live I the USA and MAKE a bow here then its MADE in the USA PERIOD.
I would not want a sticker....but woul be totally fine with an inscription along with other specs.
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
Killin...Doesn't matter where the woods come from. ...if you live I the USA and MAKE a bow here then its MADE in the USA PERIOD.
Not that it matters, but that's not totally true. The Federal Trade Commission has specific rules when it comes to such things.
The basic premise is fairly simple: A product that is "Made in America" has to be assembled, and most of the cost of making the product incurred, in the United States. But that's where things start to get a little tricky.
For example (and the FTC uses lots of examples), a California radio manufacturer can claim its product was made in America even though it has a plastic case made from imported oil. So can a computer maker in Texas that is building a PC from American-made parts which include a disk drive with a case made from steel imported from overseas. But if you make a wrench in Ohio with steel imported from Korea, you can't say that wrench was made in America because the steel represents a significant cost of production.
If one of those countries is the United States, and you want to let potential customers know that, you can only make what the FTC calls a "qualified claim." There are lots of ways to do this.
For example, you can spell out clearly just how much of your product was made in the U.S. or what percentage of the content is American made. The phrase "Made in USA from imported parts" is OK with the FTC, for example.
But other phrases can be tricky. "Assembled in the USA" is allowed only if you "substantially transformed" the product or if most of the work involved in making it was done in America. If all you're doing is what the FTC calls a "screwdriver assembly" of parts from around the world, you can't claim your product was "Assembled in the USA."
Not to get into the weeds here, we are talking about if someone wants a sticker on their bow after all, but Tooner is correct in what I think is likely a paste.
I see Tooner is from Michigan. A dilemma many in Michigan have is, how to support American auto workers and buy the "most American made" car. The problem is, the companies that score the most top 10 "most American made" cars are Toyota and Honda.
See the problem?
But back to the issue at hand. I don't think most trad bow hunters will want to buy a new custom bow, only to maybe have the first act upon receiving the bow not be shooting it, but finding a can of goo gone in hopes of getting rid of a sticker like you'd find at a big box store, stuck right on the limb and not ruining the finish.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mojostick:
I see Tooner is from Michigan. A dilemma many in Michigan have is, how to support American auto workers and buy the "most American made" car. The problem is, the companies that score the most top 10 "most American made" cars are Toyota and Honda.
See the problem?
That is not a dilemma for me at all Mojostick. I buy what I feel is the best product in terms of quality and price, regardless of where it is manufactured. If the American made product meets that criteria, that is the one I will purchase. What I won't do is pay more or get less just to perpetuate getting less and paying more.
My next door neighbor works for GM. Every time someone in the neighborhood buys a foreign car, he gets all ticked off. Funny thing is, his snowmobiles are Yamahas and the sterndrive on his boat is a Volvo.
Same here. We have a Toyota minivan for the family and I drive a GMC truck.
keep doing it........in this day and age....it's important..
I think I'm good on the FTC rule everything I build fits that criteria.
just got my boys bows in for Christmas. Love how the "made in the USA" is written on the bows. Fantastic work and thanks.
I was happy to see made in the USA written on my sons bow when it arrived this week. I can't wait for Christmas so I can watch him unwrap it!
If I can, I pretty much always buy the "made in USA" option anymore.
ChuckC