tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post6244911368020664674..comments2024-03-25T16:44:35.555-04:00Comments on Sixbears in the Woods: Twilight of ManufacturingSixbearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15572224383041421400noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-83117157669834582192019-09-20T16:14:51.237-04:002019-09-20T16:14:51.237-04:00Kindred souls brother.
I rant about new stuff bein...Kindred souls brother.<br />I rant about new stuff being crap all the time as you well know. I actively seek and acquire old machinery and tools for a good reason.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15695733883033137146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-64806397577610060882019-09-20T02:43:46.749-04:002019-09-20T02:43:46.749-04:00The ugly downside of modern 'we don't care...The ugly downside of modern 'we don't care about customers' capitalism.<br /><br />Old school 'we care about customers' capitalism is the reason there are whole 'Ford' or 'GM' families, well, until the unions killed Ford or GM..<br /><br />Now? Meh, it has 4 wheels, AC, it runs. Who made it? I dunno, let me look...<br /><br />See previous comments about Accountants running things and MBAs from Hell.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-29332013872325133252019-09-19T22:59:20.680-04:002019-09-19T22:59:20.680-04:00The ugly downside of Capitalism. The ugly downside of Capitalism. Sixbearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15572224383041421400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-57095970621452926302019-09-19T22:58:58.088-04:002019-09-19T22:58:58.088-04:00It's tough on those of us who hate to throw st...It's tough on those of us who hate to throw stuff out and like to fix things. A lot of new stuff just can't be fixed. Discovered that when a coffee roaster I bought failed early and the company would not return my e-mails. The darn thing could not even be disassembled to see what was wrong. Sixbearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15572224383041421400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-33485180084742582092019-09-19T22:56:44.368-04:002019-09-19T22:56:44.368-04:00Quality only hurts once. Quality only hurts once. Sixbearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15572224383041421400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-62592666275511179812019-09-19T22:56:19.938-04:002019-09-19T22:56:19.938-04:00They bought their bikes in Holland, where everyone...They bought their bikes in Holland, where everyone bikes. The parking lots are full of them. That makes for a huge market of decent used bikes. In the US we are flooded with big box store crap and have to look harder for good old stuff. Sixbearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15572224383041421400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-49199870089828461502019-09-19T22:54:43.677-04:002019-09-19T22:54:43.677-04:00Thanks for the in-depth comment. Darn good points....Thanks for the in-depth comment. Darn good points. The bean counters will be the death of us all. Sixbearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15572224383041421400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-56986829267311424982019-09-19T11:29:14.066-04:002019-09-19T11:29:14.066-04:00it's all about the Benjamins, all about the Be...it's all about the Benjamins, all about the Benjamins.Morongobillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04423986732712894214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-85479308184909589892019-09-19T06:55:55.818-04:002019-09-19T06:55:55.818-04:00old stuff, aka old stock. There is a market for t...old stuff, aka old stock. There is a market for that. Looking at old electronics in HAM RADIO and people love that stuff because I works and can be repaired. Built in obsolescence is a real thing. Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13540366107857952203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-69885491845363997352019-09-19T06:23:57.466-04:002019-09-19T06:23:57.466-04:00Corporate profits win out over quality every time,...Corporate profits win out over quality every time,unfortunately.bigfoothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13156114587163220800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-78410224966208467572019-09-19T02:23:36.496-04:002019-09-19T02:23:36.496-04:00As to bicycles, well, you can still buy properly b...As to bicycles, well, you can still buy properly built bikes made lovingly by the old processes and with proper materials. Like the Wright Brothers used to make.<br /><br />Expect to pay in today's dollars what people paid for a Wright Bike back then.<br /><br />As to finding $100.00 bikes, yeah, find an old Schwinn from the 50's or 60's, or a Raleigh, or even an AMF or Sears. Big, clunky, heavy bikes. Spend about $250 rebuilding them with modern wheels, gear sets, seats, etc (a lot which can be bought second hand.)<br /><br />Just don't expect to find a $100.00 bike brand new that's worth it's weight as scrap.<br /><br />Problem is, everyone want's Walmart Prices at Premium handmade bike quality.<br /><br />You can have cheap, you can have good. Rarely can you have cheap and good. Normally it's an either/or situation.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937170202895477126.post-87715655120608363202019-09-19T02:17:41.295-04:002019-09-19T02:17:41.295-04:00No. We haven't forgotten how to build stuff. W...No. We haven't forgotten how to build stuff. When we're allowed, we out build and out produce everyone, with a quality level so far above everyone else that 2nd place looks like it's 20 miles away.<br /><br />Problem is... Our manufacturing is controlled not by engineers or scientists or machinists or actual workers, our manufacturing is controlled by beancounters who have no understanding of what is going on and by MBAs who are more concerned with the HR policies and what their golf score and what their cutbacks will generate as a quarterly bonus.<br /><br />That. That right there. That is the problem. Why use a CNC milled chunk of high quality steel when you can MIM it? Why use carbon fiber and high quality resins and careful manufacturing processes (which tend to be man-hour heavy) when one can use recycled plastic trash which will work 90% of the time and cost 1/10th as much and can be made by prisoners in communist China or by cartel-controlled factories in Juarez?<br /><br />Just look at some of the boutique fire arms manufacturers who are doing gangbusters with high-quality materials and capable of producing at the same price point as the big guys like Colt or Remington, without the bullscat and poor quality of the big guys.<br /><br />You also see it in the motorcycle shops, the custom fishing gear manufacturers, the knife makers, etc.<br /><br />Anywhere that accountants and MBAs have sway will be destroyed. Accountants are okay as long as they only report, not control. MBAs? Shoot on sight. Shoot often. Hang the bodies as warnings to other MBAs that their existence will not be tolerated.<br /><br />Oh. Forgot Human Resources and how HR has destroyed the personnel of many companies. Used to be, Steel Workers were, well, John Wayne in "The Quiet Man." Now? Gotta accomodate everyone, even if everyone can't handle working around blazing steel and high heat while manhandling heavy objects. Sure, there's a place for a petite woman in welding and pipeline construction, but heavy weights, gotta have a man, a big man, a strong man.<br /><br />So. <br /><br />No Accountants controlling things.<br /><br />MBAs shot on sight.<br /><br />HR specialists put in barrels and buried along with other toxic waste.<br /><br />Then you'll have our American Made products come back, in spades.<br />Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.com