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]

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]

"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.

 

[gt05254]

I think I'll take the 20 mile drive up to the rod shop and find out. I admit to having a fond spot in my heart for Orvis, or more correctly, some of the family that owns it, and would like to provide a definitive answer. Although I'm not sure what that answer means in the scheme of things.
Gary

 

[FrankB2]

Orvis says Made in USA: Orvis - Access 6-weight 9' Fly Rod

Orvis's description:
2⅝ oz. 9', 4-piece, Tip-Flex Fly Rod for 6-wt. line.For the traveling freshwater angler, this is the rod of choice for throwing sinking lines, big streamers, bass poppers, and heavy nymph rigs. Built with our proprietary tapers and actions developed on Helios by our rod designers, the 906-4 is incredibly light and powerful, in fact as light and powerful as any rod we sell, but at a price that is about half the cost of our premium rods. This new series is extraordinary in price to performance ratio and once you cast it you'll realize why. Made in USA.

 

[moucheur2003]

Orvis advertises the Access rods as American-made on their website and in their catalogs.

 

[fly_guy12955]

I like Orvis myself. I'd had two Orvis rods in the past....sadly,,they are gone to good homes long time now. So, when I came back to fly fishing, the first rod I got was the Access. As I said,,,it's a very fine rod,,I especially love the 'fish on' feel transmitted thur it's medium action.

I have five rods now,,,the Access,,,a TFO, a St Croix and two Redingtons,,all good rods,,but I don't think my soul will rest till I get that Superfine Touch. I've came close to buying other rods lately, but always decide to keep saving my milk money for the Orvis. I've bought new gear from Orvis,,waders, boots, fly boxes and a chest pack,,all well made gear.

That is not saying their's is any better than others,,or anything like that,,,but there is something ,,,ummm,,,,kinda 'right'...comfortable,,, with the hobby of fly fishing and using Orvis gear together...to me anyways. As I said one time before,,maybe I'm just 'too' eastern streams.

 

[ghocevar]

I toured the Orvis Manchester Factory a couple years ago and they were making the Access rods there at the time of the tour....from the blanks all the way to the hardware. It was a first run and I believe at the time they weren't even available to the public.

If you really want to know just call over to the rod factory and ask. Everyone there seemed very accommodating and I wouldn't hesitate to do it!

 

[williamhj]

I've heard different rumors about Orvis rods so if you do talk to them I'd be interested in knowing what they say. I buy a lot of stuff made overseas (I even bought a Japanese car while working in the Detroit area), it's the reality these days. What would bother me though, is if a company claimed an item was made in one country (whether a fly rod or a car or whatever) when most of it was made elsewhere. Even if it's legal, it's deceptive.

I've been listening to back episodes of the Itinerant Angler and he's interviewed people in the tackle industry who have talked about country of origin stuff. A recent one was a guy from Orvis, but there have been others. Interesting stuff.

 

[gt05254]

I sincerely doubt Orvis would claim anything they sell that was made overseas was made in USA. That is beyond belief for me.
Gary

 

[caseywise]

i have a 9' 5 wt orvis clearwater II rod that i have fished hard since i got it 5+ years ago. it's one of my favs and i will never get rid of it. not sure where its made but i'm pretty sure it was made well.
bruiser:icon_wink

casey

 

[Jackster]

I don't know the answer so I won't bother guessing.
Novel concept on this good 'ol interweb, eh? :icon_wink

 

[moucheur2003]

In the current Orvis catalog, the Clearwater rods are describes as "designed in the USA". In contrast, the Access rods are described as "Vermont made" and "made in Manchester, Vermont". The H2 page has a whole paragraph bragging about how every piece "from tip to butt" is built by hand in the Manchester shop and how "from the design process, to the testing, all the way to the actual production, each phase takes place here in the USA". (I guess if you're going to pay $800+ you deserve some over-the-top verbiage.)

(By the way, I am quite impressed with the quality and value of the current Clearwater series.)