Orvis. what to believe ?

[fly_guy12955]

I have an Orvis Access 5wt,,,love it.. regardless of where it came from,,it's a great rod. Mid-Flex,,very comfortable to my casting,,SUPER 'fish on' feel. Just out of curiosity from reading the other threads,,,I talked to an Orvis rep a bit ago,,,and he said the Access is made in it's entirety in Vermont ?

Fact or fiction ?

Michael

[noreaster]

Is it possible that Orvis has 2 lines of rods; entry level made over seas, upper shelf made in Vermont? It does seem a bit shady though. Very few fly rods I've seen have a "made in" sticker or mark on them. Unless of course they are in the very esteemed and pricey range where flaunting the local production is more or less implied.Maybe I'm off here but that's what it seems.
Oddly enough an argument can be made that the manufacturing equipment used over seas is superior to anything else on the planet, potentially capable of making a superior product.

[gt05254]

Fact. I'll take you for a tour through the rod shop in Manchester if you ever get over this way.
Gary

They do have a line of rods made off shore, like the shooting star two hander. and they have a sticker on the package saying where they're made.

[mojo]

Email them.

[biggie_robs]

Originally Posted by fly_guy12955

I have an Orvis Access 5wt,,,love it.. regardless of where it came from,,it's a great rod. Mid-Flex,,very comfortable to my casting,,SUPER 'fish on' feel. Just out of curiosity from reading the other threads,,,I talked to an Orvis rep a bit ago,,,and he said the Access is made in it's entirety in Vermont ?

Fact or fiction ?

Michael

The blank is made in VT, but I think it's assembled overseas.

If you email Orvis with your question, you will get the straight dope.

[gt05254]

"The blank is made in VT, but I think it's assembled overseas."

I would love to hear the authoritative answer to that one. I'm trying to imagine the cost/benefit analysis of making the blank here, shipping it overseas to be assembled, then shipped back here to be sold. Doesn't make sense, but may be so. you never know.

Gary

[noreaster]

If that's true about all the shipping that goes into their final product rods that would have to make it an enormous corporate environmental footprint. Not sure that jives with conservation best practices.

[fly_guy12955]

Well, Like I said, I love that Access rod...pretty slow casting action,,,great feel. If it was made in Egypt I'd still like it,,,just the curiosity got to me about the 'were.'

And I have heard the theory that over-seas,,read Korean--rod building is cheaper and possibly superior to USA rods. Now that IS second hand internet talk,,,I have no real idea myself.

Thanks guys

Michael

[biggie_robs]

Originally Posted by gt05254

"The blank is made in VT, but I think it's assembled overseas."

I would love to hear the authoritative answer to that one. I'm trying to imagine the cost/benefit analysis of making the blank here, shipping it overseas to be assembled, then shipped back here to be sold. Doesn't make sense, but may be so. you never know.

Gary

Gary, I agree with you 100%. IIRC, I read on a PA fly fishing forum that somone had contacted Orvis and this is what they were told. I was careful to say "I think" because I honestly don't know for sure.

[fly_guy12955]

Rob, that is were I saw the ship back and forth assembly thing myself,,on a PA ,,fly fishing,,outdoors ??,,something like that.....forum. Bet we read the same thing. Guy just said it,,dont remember if he had any docum on what he was saying or not. But the Orvis rep swore,,I asked him TWICE,,,he swore the Access was totally made in Vermont.