No "Import" Christmas

[sparquelito]

I try to buy products made anywhere but China.
Not always successful, but I make my attempts.

My favorite pocket knife was made in Alaska.
My Gibsons were made in Nashville, right up the road from here.
My Strat was made in Corona, California, which is a lot like buying American.

My Tele was made in Ensenada, Mexico, a scant 182 miles by car from Corona, California.

We buy local honey, both to support the local economy, but also for the health benefits.

🙂

[Murph]

31 minutes ago, sparquelito said:

My Strat was made in Corona, California, which is a lot like buying American.

🙂

Almost...

[Sgt. Pepper]

So, I'll be the that guy, and what parts of your USA made guitars are not made in the USA.

Tuners

Pots

Fret Wire

Caps

Ect.

I wonder where East Indian Rosewood comes from? Hint - its in the name.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

So, I'll be the that guy, and what parts of your USA made guitars are not made in the USA.

Tuners

Pots

Fret Wire

Caps

Ect.

I wonder where East Indian Rosewood comes from? Hint - its in the name.

What's an Ect? 

 

2 hours ago, Murph said:

His home country is the UK.

I remember having to explain to the angry little man once that American made guitars are "made off shore" if you aren't american. The angry little man isn't very bright.

[Sgt. Pepper]

3 minutes ago, Farnsbarns said:

What's an Ect? 

 

I remember having to explain to the angry little man once that American made guitars are "made off shore" if you aren't american. The angry little man isn't very bright.

Ect means other stuff I did not want to type. 

I am not to bright, but yes you can call a guitar made in America with 100% stuff from overseas, and I guess it can still be Made In America. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Ect means other stuff I did not want to type. 

Really? Strange, I've never heard the word ect before.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Farnsbarns

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 minute ago, Farnsbarns said:

Really? Strange, never heard the word ect before.

Funny they look like they are spelled the same. One got capitalized and must have fooled you somehow.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Funny they look like they are spelled the same. One got capitalized and must have fooled you somehow.

Nope, there's just no such word as ect, capitalised or not.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Farnsbarns

[Guest]

Has it gone away? 

Great, back to your no import Christmas. It's actually a very environmentally friendly approach. I worry more about the shipping of crap all around the world than I do about the economic and political benefits of locally made stuff (although that's also a benefit). 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Farnsbarns

[jvi]

I will avoid plastic as well as source locally for gifts,

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, jvi said:

I will avoid plastic as well as source locally for gifts,

I'm not completely anti plastic. It's actually good for making things that last a long time. I'll certainly be avoiding single use plastic and the worst thing of all is glitter. Really nasty stuff in the ecosystem and really of no value to people. I hate the stuff. 

[gearbasher]

20 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

gearbasher,

Not being Catholic, I neither suffer from the associated guilt, nor believe in eternal damnation, so I don't fear divine retribution for saying this.

The disciples would have purchased their Kalashnikovs in the arms bazaar in Kabul, while Pilate's soldiers who would have been similarly armed, would have been issued them from the gunsmith's factories of Rome.

So perhaps Jesus would not have survived the firefight.

RBSinTo

I gave this some thought. Being I had nothing better to do while freezing my butt off, riding my bike this morning.

Being Jewish, the disciples would have had Uzis. The Romans would have had Carcano rifles and Baretta sidearms. Now, comparing the Israeli army's track record to the Italian army's track record. I'd have to side with the disciples.

[Ceptorman]

1 hour ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

 

I am not to bright, but yes you can call a guitar made in America with 100% stuff from overseas, and I guess it can still be Made In America. 

That's what Harley does.

[Sgt. Pepper]

59 minutes ago, Ceptorman said:

That's what Harley does.

There is always a loop hole to get around anything.

[gearbasher]

On 11/19/2023 at 8:14 AM, Murph said:

I'm still researching jewelry, jewelers and such and must be careful here....

 

I have a friend who hand makes jewelry here in the U.S.

How about a pair of Cannoli cufflinks:

 

[RBSinTo]

7 minutes ago, gearbasher said:

I have a friend who hand makes jewelry here in the U.S.

How about a pair of Cannoli cufflinks:

 

gearbasher,

Your friend makes cufflinks from Pistachios wrapped in gold?

Innovative to say the least.

RBSinTo

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by RBSinTo

[manse]

8 hours ago, fortyearspickn said:

 

Last week, Sgt.Pepper's Macallan - a rare 100 y/o bottle sold for $2.7M.   A new record for a bottle of spirits. 

Four years ago,  prices went up significantly on Scotch.  

A 25% tariff on single malt Scotch whisky exports to the United States is being introduced on Friday.

The new duty is among measures being imposed by the US in retaliation against EU subsidies given to aircraft maker Airbus.

Tariffs -   would be nice if we saw them broken out or disclosed on things we buy. 

 

Hi there - as the UK - including Scotland, left the EU years ago, I can't see the link between tariffs on scotch and EU subsidies?  The EU hates us now!

 

 

[RBSinTo]

6 hours ago, gearbasher said:

I gave this some thought. Being I had nothing better to do while freezing my butt off, riding my bike this morning.

Being Jewish, the disciples would have had Uzis. The Romans would have had Carcano rifles and Baretta sidearms. Now, comparing the Israeli army's track record to the Italian army's track record. I'd have to side with the disciples.

gearbasher,

The disciples, unlike the Romans, were not trained soldiers, but just a dozen civilians.

By the time they figured out how to release the safeties on the Uzis, the confrontation would have been over. My mony is stil on the soldiers.

And get some decent snowpants to wear while cycling. They will keep your balls from taking the express elevator up into your abdomen when you ride.

RBSinTo

[Retired]

Its hard to find anything fully made in the USA anymore. I haven't seen clothes made here for decades. Electronics.  Even food is shipped. 

[PrairieDog]

We are trying to do the same here, for both the jobs and the carbon reduction.  Xmas is getting more low key every year, and family is aging out.  We have no kids, and the niece and nephew are rude little ingrates who only care about how many bills are in the card.  So we pretty much just shop for each other.

 Past year was kinda cool: we serendipitously landed on a mutual  “artful” Christmas, where we ended up buying each other artwork. Spouse loves birds and I managed to score a signed Charlie Harper litho of a favorite. And I got a great photo of a marten by a wildlife photographer, and a bronze sculpture of a horned toad by a favorite Texas artist we’ve patronized for years.  It was a fun, if rather flat presentation under the tree, chuckle.  

So I vote for art/craft galleries that can be full of surprising and locally sourced and creative gifts.  We’re also moving into more, “experience” things, like going to a concert, or heading to birdwatch in a new place.  

But this year, we may just tie ribbons around the proliferating guitars in the music room 😄 

Edited November 21, 2023 by PrairieDog

[PrairieDog]

18 hours ago, IanHenry said:

Most people I buy for will probably be getting a good bottle of Scotch. 

So, I confess I can’t drink/swallow Scotch.  I know. But it is what it is. I’ve tried just about every attainable high end because I “wanna be one of the gang.” But turpentine and burnt rubber just doesn’t grab my palate, lol.  

However, years ago in my search I came across something called  Macallan Amber: a special edition maple/pecan infused Scotch liqueur (not to be confused with the 1824 version)  Okay, now that I can drink!  At least it looked kinda like whiskey in the glass, if you ignore the syrupy element flowing down the sides. 

Of course, real Scotch drinkers choked on it, so they discontinued it rather quickly.  I managed to scrounge up six last bottles, and I’m down to my last, which means it is being hoarded. And I’m resigned to figuring I’ll probably die without finding a “special” enough occasion to crack it open.  

Epilogue: after checking on the whiskey sites tonight to make sure I had the details correct, apparently it’s now going in my will and insured along with the guitars 😂  (Oh, why did I have to go and drink those other five bottles??) 

Edited November 21, 2023 by PrairieDog

[IanHenry]

5 hours ago, PrairieDog said:

So, I confess I can’t drink/swallow Scotch.  I know. But it is what it is. I’ve tried just about every attainable high end because I “wanna be one of the gang.” But turpentine and burnt rubber just doesn’t grab my palate, lol.  

All Single Malt Scotch whiskies are very different from the next one (note, that's Whisky, not Whiskey, that's Irish) for example Islay Whisky is very peaty and I avoid that like the plague.

The best way to drink it is with a little drop of water, or as I prefer, with an ice cube but leave it to melt into the Whisky. 

 

[IanHenry]

20 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Is that what Location United Kingdom means?

Funnily enough, I once got chatting with a couple of young Ladies in a bar in New Orleans when they asked me where I was from, I told them The UK which drew a blank, then The United Kingdom, and finally England but they didn't know where that was.  They were from Alabama which is a place that I've never been to, sounds interesting though.

[Murph]

12 hours ago, Retired said:

Its hard to find anything fully made in the USA anymore. I haven't seen clothes made here for decades. Electronics.  Even food is shipped. 

Round House jeans are 100% American. Mesa amps used to be mostly American, not sure now. We have farmers markets and local butcher/food sources around here. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Murph

[Guest]

7 hours ago, PrairieDog said:

So, I confess I can’t drink/swallow Scotch.  I know. But it is what it is. I’ve tried just about every attainable high end because I “wanna be one of the gang.” But turpentine and burnt rubber just doesn’t grab my palate, lol.  

However, years ago in my search I came across something called  Macallan Amber: a special edition maple/pecan infused Scotch liqueur (not to be confused with the 1824 version)  Okay, now that I can drink!  At least it looked kinda like whiskey in the glass, if you ignore the syrupy element flowing down the sides. 

Of course, real Scotch drinkers choked on it, so they discontinued it rather quickly.  I managed to scrounge up six last bottles, and I’m down to my last, which means it is being hoarded. And I’m resigned to figuring I’ll probably die without finding a “special” enough occasion to crack it open.  

Epilogue: after checking on the whiskey sites tonight to make sure I had the details correct, apparently it’s now going in my will and insured along with the guitars 😂  (Oh, why did I have to go and drink those other five bottles??) 

"burnt rubber" sounds like you've been drinking peated scotches (lowland/islay). Try what's generally called a highland scotch. No peat smoking of the malt, no smoke/burnt flavour. (Not me thing, I like medium peated whisky myself).

Laphraoig  is too much for me, but a Talisker level of smoke is nice. 

I had a fantastic bottle of  Yoichi Japanese single malt "scotch" for my birthday this year (a bit spendy, but my mother was in Japan so not quite as much).