American Made

So, I’m sitting here working on a big hot cup of coffee while back braiding the ends on some sling and manty ropes. See I’m off to a trade show this weekend, and I need to get a pile of ropes made up in hopes of outfitting a number of folks who are waiting for the snow to melt; then they are off to camp far from the pavement.  I know I can braid rope at the show if I need to, but…As soon as I start braiding, I instantly have a crowd watching me braid.  That’s not bad, but then someone asks the question I didn’t know anyone could do that?  

How do you think it gets done?  Then they want to learn; which is great but that slows the process down to a crawl… Today as I’m braiding, a post pops up on Facebook. I have my glasses on so I look to see who wants what, or some joke that shouldn’t even be posted, or please don’t let it be one more baby picture cruising my feed.  Lord help me if it’s a baby holding a cat picture.

It’s not, it is someone asking for names of tack stores selling US made tack.  “bing, bing, bing” comments are flying in, a list of names and comments are quickly forming a long list.  I stopped braiding rope just to read this.  All the post are about the same…these folks are great and the prices are so low!!!  Let’s stop there.  I know the tack stores that are being listed and if the prices are so low you won’t believe it its not US made. If you can buy a riding saddle for well under a thousand dollars and they throw in free shipping it wasn’t made here.  It might not be a bad saddle, but it’s an import. Sorry for bursting your bubble. Just because they speak in English when you call them and their prices are printed in English; the products are made Lord knows where.  We face this problem all the time. People want US hand made products but don’t want to pay for it.  There are those manufactures that are building tack and saddles here in the states, but are buying foreign tanned leather.  Is that wrong?  It comes down to who do you want to support and what do you want to pay for…If you want a US made manty rope or decker pack saddle and a free cup of coffee stop by Trailhead Supply and see me, I braid rope everyday one at a time out of US made rope…the coffee is mountain grown just not here…

See you on the Trail

Andy