I went into a small Italian sandwich shop / restaurant a few days ago when I forgot to bring my lunch to work with me. It was around 4pm and there was no one else there. I told the owner/manager what I was doing this month and asked him about the ingredients he used and where the came from and he was actually nice enough to let me poke around with him a little bit. Everything was clearly labeled on the boxes like it is at a supermarket and most of it was domestic which made me feel pretty good about it all. He was a good guy and I ordered up a sandwich and chatted it up with him a little. His take on restaurants was that they were essentially making the food there so everything on the menu was Made in the USA. Hmmm, I like this. Not just because I really really missed eating out.
When I was younger I worked as a prep cook for a while and moved onto the line for a bit. We made everything there and it kept quite a few of my friends employed and provided a service to the community as well as the local economy. This was always more about national pride and commitment to our country's working people than it was about isolationism and nit-picking about small ingredients so I'm green lighting eating out and I'll just pay good attention to the primary ingredients and try to keep them domestic.
I've been struggling with how to write about this and if I should just not mention it and stop writing about food altogether. It still feels a little like a cop-out, at least until my food comes, freshly prepared and delicious. At that point I forget all about my concerns and dig in! I'll still only buy domestic foods at home. I think it's too easy not to. A few products are tough but ordering somewhat expensive Kona Coffee online is not the end of the world. In fact, it's very good so I don't mind at all.
I've been struggling with how to write about this and if I should just not mention it and stop writing about food altogether. It still feels a little like a cop-out, at least until my food comes, freshly prepared and delicious. At that point I forget all about my concerns and dig in! I'll still only buy domestic foods at home. I think it's too easy not to. A few products are tough but ordering somewhat expensive Kona Coffee online is not the end of the world. In fact, it's very good so I don't mind at all.
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I went online to order my new shoes from New Balance and picked up some socks as well. In my journeys I came across two brands that fit the bill very nicely. Smartwool socks are hands down my favorite socks that I own. The ones in the store were all Made in the USA and these thing kick butt and keep your feet comfortable and dry doing it too! I also own a pair of long underwear and a winter hat made by them. It all rocks. Having been there and done that though I decided to try out another brand I've heard great things about. Some people I know will only wear Thȯrlos athletic socks. They swear by them and I thought I should look into this so I went to the Thȯrlos site and, well, check this out:
That's what I'm talking about. I ordered two pairs on Amazon and they showed up two days later with my new shoes. I'll tell ya, my feet have never been so happy. These things are the real deal and worth every penny. Like I've said before, you don't have to sacrifice quality at all when you buy a domestic product. It seems to work the opposite way in fact. I've owned every major brand of athletic shoe out there and I buy New Balance because they are the most comfortable and they wear very well. I feel the same way about Smartwool and even with my limited experience to date, Thȯrlo socks. If you don't buy them because they're American products, buy them because they're better products.
While I was on Amazon I looked into pocket knives as well. A few years back my kids were in Cub Scouts and the wifey volunteered to be a Den Leader. The kids in their third year (Bear) learn about the safe use of pocket knives and some basic whittling techniques. I had no pocket knife at the time so I ordered up a swiss army knife for me and a "Cub Scout Utility Knife" for the boy. I taught the class after all the other fathers took a step backwards at volunteer time. After that I started always carrying a pocket knife and wondering how I got along without one for so long. I use it daily, much more than any other tool I own. I liked the knife but during the summer I found it slipping out of my pocket when I wore shorts. I was not going to go back to the dark ages of not carrying a pocket knife so I shopped around and bought a SOG Flash II folding knife. Made in the USA and I have to tell you, this knife is one hell of a tool. The blade holds an edge very well and the clip holds it firmly in my pocket when it's not in use. The real key to this knife is the deployment of the blade. In under one second I can have it out of my pocket and open. It's amazing. putting it away is easy too and all one handed. The locking mechanism is flawless and fit to finish it is second to none.
I thought I'd never have to buy another knife and was perfectly happy. On Christmas Eve I was at my moms house and in line to get food from the amazing buffet spread they put on every year. She was right behind me and came across something that needed to be cut open and whoosh, click there it was. 3 1/2 inches of gleaming hardened steel blade at your service. She was horrified. "You carry that thing around with you?" she asked. It does make quite an impression and is a little bigger that I need for every day use, I'll admit. Then on New Years Eve we were all celebrating and I was drinking fancy Made in America micro-brews. I needed a bottle opener for every one and for lack of anything better on hand I started popping open my beer with the knife handle like you would with a lighter (if you know that trick). It worked great but gouged up the knifes resin handle a little and I found some small pieces in my beer. That just will not do.
Pocket knives are relatively inexpensive and I decided to shop around for a perfect knife for my needs: one handed deployment, sharp as hell, pocket clip, bottle opener, under $50 and of course, Made in the USA. I searched on Amazon and came up with a list of options, the most appealing to me was the Leatherman Crater c33Tx. It has a 2 1/2 inch blade and a carabiner clip that doubles as a bottle opener plus two screwdrivers. Lots of function in a small package, and it's Made in the USA. I almost balked at this knife because in my research I found a lawsuit by the State of California that disputed the Made in the USA claim on some of their knives/tools. Apparently to put that label on a product in California all the parts in a product have to originate in the US. There is a small screw they use in a few of their products that is made in Germany so California sued them and they can't advertise as being made here and still sell their products in California. It passed my litmus test for being a domestic product and I bought the damn thing. I'm sure the good folks at the Portland, Oregon Leatherman plant appreciate the business.If you're ever up there you can take a tour of the factory and watch them make knives for yourself. You can call them at (503) 408-5550 to sign up for a tour. They have them every Wednesday at 10am. If you're from California you might want to lie and say Nevada or something otherwise they might give you some funny looks (kidding of course). Check it out though. Real Americans making a real American product.
The knife shipped promptly and arrived a few days ago. It feels very solid and all the tools work well. I had some doubts that the carabiner/bottle opener was going to work well but it turned out to be really cool. I like the fact that I can clip the knife to a backpack or a belt loop of a pocket isn't an option. I opened a beer with no problem and the gate held onto the bottle cap keeping it in my hand. By luck or design this feature is pretty cool. The deployment is not as seamless as the SOG but once I oiled the knife and worked it in it is perfectly acceptable. Once I get used to it more I'm sure it will be as automatic as my other knife but it requires a different hand position so I have to think about it when I take it out. Incidentally, when I grab it and don't think about it my hand is in the perfect position for the bottle opener. Are they trying to tell me something?
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I thought I'd never have to buy another knife and was perfectly happy. On Christmas Eve I was at my moms house and in line to get food from the amazing buffet spread they put on every year. She was right behind me and came across something that needed to be cut open and whoosh, click there it was. 3 1/2 inches of gleaming hardened steel blade at your service. She was horrified. "You carry that thing around with you?" she asked. It does make quite an impression and is a little bigger that I need for every day use, I'll admit. Then on New Years Eve we were all celebrating and I was drinking fancy Made in America micro-brews. I needed a bottle opener for every one and for lack of anything better on hand I started popping open my beer with the knife handle like you would with a lighter (if you know that trick). It worked great but gouged up the knifes resin handle a little and I found some small pieces in my beer. That just will not do.Pocket knives are relatively inexpensive and I decided to shop around for a perfect knife for my needs: one handed deployment, sharp as hell, pocket clip, bottle opener, under $50 and of course, Made in the USA. I searched on Amazon and came up with a list of options, the most appealing to me was the Leatherman Crater c33Tx. It has a 2 1/2 inch blade and a carabiner clip that doubles as a bottle opener plus two screwdrivers. Lots of function in a small package, and it's Made in the USA. I almost balked at this knife because in my research I found a lawsuit by the State of California that disputed the Made in the USA claim on some of their knives/tools. Apparently to put that label on a product in California all the parts in a product have to originate in the US. There is a small screw they use in a few of their products that is made in Germany so California sued them and they can't advertise as being made here and still sell their products in California. It passed my litmus test for being a domestic product and I bought the damn thing. I'm sure the good folks at the Portland, Oregon Leatherman plant appreciate the business.If you're ever up there you can take a tour of the factory and watch them make knives for yourself. You can call them at (503) 408-5550 to sign up for a tour. They have them every Wednesday at 10am. If you're from California you might want to lie and say Nevada or something otherwise they might give you some funny looks (kidding of course). Check it out though. Real Americans making a real American product.
The knife shipped promptly and arrived a few days ago. It feels very solid and all the tools work well. I had some doubts that the carabiner/bottle opener was going to work well but it turned out to be really cool. I like the fact that I can clip the knife to a backpack or a belt loop of a pocket isn't an option. I opened a beer with no problem and the gate held onto the bottle cap keeping it in my hand. By luck or design this feature is pretty cool. The deployment is not as seamless as the SOG but once I oiled the knife and worked it in it is perfectly acceptable. Once I get used to it more I'm sure it will be as automatic as my other knife but it requires a different hand position so I have to think about it when I take it out. Incidentally, when I grab it and don't think about it my hand is in the perfect position for the bottle opener. Are they trying to tell me something?
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We are still looking into furniture options and I'm still staring at the blank wall in my living room. We are thinking about small sectional sofas and the is a great brand that's not too expensive out there by the name of Klaussner that are Made in the USA but we haven't locked into one yet. I'll keep you posted!
That leatherman rocks. I've had one for years. It's funny when you hand it to someone to use as a bottle opener. After a few beers, people have a hard time figuring it out.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I saw a few comments about people having a hard time with the opener when I bought it. The motion is the opposite from a regular bottle opener where you lift the handle of the opener to open the cap. It's more like the lighter trick where you push the handle down, a very natural, well rehearsed motion for me! Not for nothing but after a few beers I'm probably not handing a knife this sharp to someone anyways. I'll open it for them, much safer. Thanks for the comment!
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