OT- Cross Pens moves prduction to China

The thing that I find odd is that they almost brag about it. If I were in the market for a status pen, I'd want it made in the US or possibly Western Europe, not China. Same with the Maytag. I'd want it made in the US and not Mexico. Not that I have anything against Chinese or Mexicans. I just want some things made in the US and I'm willing to pay the ten or 20 percent more that it would cost. These companies are cutting their own throats.

I saw a lock back folding knife in Lowe's the other day. Stainless steel and Aluminum construction, uses a utility knife blade for the cutting edge. I fell in love with it. At $9.99, I knew it had to be Chinese. It was. I would have gladly paid $30.00 for this knife if it were American made, especially if it was on display next to the chinese one.

Shit.

_-_-

axolotl wrote:

I bet we'll see the prices drop dramatically too. (Bwahahahahhhahhahahhhah!)

Their refill price doubled in the last few years so I tried out a Taiwan made third party refill. Wrote nicely but they hadn't figured out how to seal the other end. Leaked all over the place if you put the pen in your pocket upside down. Staples sold them. At least they are going to teach the mainland Chinese how to make a good refill and we'll probably see GOOD replacement ones out of their in a few years. That will screw both the workers AND the investors, but not *this* quarter.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

^^^^^ there

P.S.

I've got one of the more expensive ones that has had the pocket clip overstressed so it is loose where it is crimped into the barrel.

Any idea how to fix this? It looks like there might be a sleeve rammed into the inside of the barrel but I can't see exactly. If so, then that sleeve would have to be somehow removed to get to the tabs or whatever was holding the clip from the inside.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

This is because you don't understand these things.

The factory will be canning $60K production workers and replacing them with $6K per year production workers. The difference between $16.67K and the $54K figures is therefore the bonus the bean counters pay themselves for being so smart.

More like $1500 per year for the production workers. Plus overhead- management, bricks and mortar, taxes, etc. of course.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Hey Kevin,

Seems pretty silly of them to me. The only reason to BUY a Cross pen is to give a gift showing American craftsmanship and "class". Who will their market be then? Maybe the Chinese will love them. They don't write any better than a BIC as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe they should get Chinese corporate management too. Gotta be cheaper than paying US execs. Wonder what percent of the 300 heads to roll is upper management?

Take care.

Brian Laws> From today's Investor's Business Daily:

Send it back to Cross under the lifetime guarantee?

That's why one buys a Cross. My ballpoint is over 20 years old and my Cross fountain pen is older than that. All they need is a new one every five or ten years.

Ed Huntress

Probably soon to be "bought."

My guess is the lifetime warrantly will soon fade out.

Jim

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Lately, I've managed to lose one per year on the average. 8-( Thanks for the suggestion (and the link), Kevin, I'll give it a shot. Even if they charge a bit for a non-warranty repair it'll probably be worth it.

As far as Brian's comment that they don't write better than a Bic, I don't agree, the refills do write better, they don't blob and smear as badly and the smooth wide trace from the Medium Blue (not the black that comes with them) just seems to help with creative thinking on squared paper. But you can get other pens that take Cross refills, I have one that's made from some exotic hardwood. But it's not $75 US better writing, more like $3 better. ;-) The rest is for look and feel and a piece of nicely designed jewellery.

Perhaps their brand is strong enough it doesn't matter where they are made, but to me it reduces their value to have them made offshore.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

if not, don't expect them to repair or replace with original quality. --Loren