# Lee Valley Veritas Router Plane Blade - Made in Taiwan?!



## Pendragon1998 (Jan 31, 2014)

I just took a look at my latest order for Lee Valley. I got a Veritas router plane for Christmas plus a LV gift card, so I ordered an extra 3/16" router blade. Imagine the ill feeling I had in my stomach when I looked at the label on the new blade (blade that came with my router on top, new blade on bottom).










I did not get a fancy, *expensive * Veritas plane to stick made in Taiwan junk blades into it. I am so irritated. I'm going to talk to customer service to see if I can get a made in Canada blade (assuming they have them). I don't have a lot of Veritas stuff, but I was under the impression that they were made in Canada.


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## NinjaAssassin (Sep 5, 2013)

Is the Taiwan blade really junk?


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## Pendragon1998 (Jan 31, 2014)

If I wanted a tool made in Asia, I'd go to harbor freight or Lowes. Veritas is a premium brand and I expect them to be made in Canada or the USA. They're diluting their brand. I'd have bought a rusty old Stanley before I bought a made in Taiwan tool. I don't care whose brand name is stamped on the tool in Taipei. Is it junk? I don't know, but I have seen enough Asian crap tools that I think they are likely doing themselves a disservice. I try and support tool manufacturing in N. America as much as I can.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

Their site states that the blades are not made in Canada. It says "Made in Canada (except for blades)"

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=52609&cat=1,41182,48945&ap=1

Not sure when they switched from manufacturing in Canada to Taiwan. I wouldn't worry about it being from Taiwan though.


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## Pendragon1998 (Jan 31, 2014)

How disappointing. I got the router as a gift, including the starter blades that were made in Canada (as you can see in my photo), so I didn't see the note on the website. I guess they outsourced them. Ugh.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You might be able to get Ron Hock or just about any smith
to make up an iron for you. Lee Valley will take a return, no problem.


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## NinjaAssassin (Sep 5, 2013)

Well, the reason I ask is, I bought a 1/2" blade and it arrived a week ago. I haven't opened it yet and didn't pay attention to where it was made. If it's made with an inadequate steel for the purpose, is machined poorly or is of otherwise poor quality (i.e. junk) then that's useful to know. If it's not of poor quality, then that's also useful to know.

I'm not trying to be argumentative or a jerk here. I just don't think being made in Taiwan, alone, necessarily qualifies these blades as junk.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I'm looking for an iron for my old Stanley router plane and this is good to know. I have to agree with the OP here, when you're shopping from a premium maker, it does matter where it's made, regardless of what level of quality control it's being put through.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

For what it's worth, Taiwan and Japan are probably the best places in Asia to source from, typically. So, at least it's not Chinese, or Indian origin.


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## dawsonbob (Aug 5, 2013)

Say, does anyone remember when everyone thought "Made in Japan" meant junk? Taiwan seems to have gone the same route, and can now produce some pretty high quality items.

I think it's up to the company who puts their name on it to insure quality control. If I bought an item marked, for instance, Bosch, then I would expect Bosch quality, no matter where the item was actually made.

I suspect that the blade in question is made to Veritas' standards.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Toolmaking is a complex industry. The English are having trouble
keeping it in Sheffield and it's most disappeared from the Western
Mass, where it was a big deal in the states for a long time… water
power, you know.

Lee Valley used to be kind of a bargain supplier. The owner would
go to tool shows all over the world looking for cool stuff to
distribute. He even tried to launch a line of premium bench
planes about 30 years ago and the market wasn't ready for it.
The market is accepting the new line quite well but the company
is, I am sure, still very careful about costs and value across
the board. Jessem is another Canadian company and they
put some of their manufacturing overseas and the QC on the
machining of the aluminum parts was a disaster (seen it in
person… ugly). LV manages to delver exquisite castings
and machined parts but they of course look for economy where
they can…. their cabinet pullouts come with awful, soft
screws for example. They could replace them in Canada,
and I know they are aware the screws suck, but it's a 
caveat to value they are willing to continue making.


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## mramseyISU (Mar 3, 2014)

If it's that new powdered metal they are using then I'm not at all surprised it came from Taiwan. I buy powdered metal from Taiwan all the time and it's generally really good quality.


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## jacquesr (Jul 3, 2014)

The ones made in Taiwan are clearly not as good as the other ones.
There is no "Caution - Sharp" notification on the packaging… LOL


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Tooling is made to the specifications from the buyer. Don't get freaked out by origin.
These guys don't spec junk.
Have you used the blade?
Bill


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## lateralus819 (Mar 24, 2013)

Too many people saying how over seas manufacturing produces "quality" products. That may be so, but it's "overseas" I.E. Not N.A. or in this case Canada. The defining factor i went and spent a good chunk on LN was because they are made in U.S.A.


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## NinjaAssassin (Sep 5, 2013)

There's nothing wrong with that, Kevin. But the geographic region in which a product is manufactured is not what determines whether or not it's a quality product. Not wanting to buy a product because it's manufactured somewhere else is one thing. It's a completely different matter to automatically assume a product manufactured somewhere else is junk.

Anyway, I was sincerely curious if the iron is any good.


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## HillbillyShooter (Feb 15, 2012)

This type of manufacturing decision is a good example of why I no longer buy ********************s from Filson. If I pay for a premium product that has historically been made in the USA or Canada, I expect to receive a product made in the USA or Canada. If I don't get what I paid for, I take my business elsewhere and cease doing business with that vendor. Thanks for the post.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

"I no longer buy ********************s from Filson"


> ?


 not sure I've heard of them, are they a premium turd or just a run of the mill road apple?

Loren, I live in Western Mass. The nearest active tool makers are in Athol (Starrett). All we have left are repurposed mills or empty lots. Most of my tools are vintage and made in the northeast. The quality is obvious and a testament to the workmen of that time.

Just my two cents worth.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I lived there for a couple of years and became intrigued by 
the industrial history of the area.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

There is a Museum of Our Industrial History, staggering the amount of manufacturing that went on here. All gone, first to other parts of the country then overseas. Sounds like LV is beginning to go the same route.


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## lateralus819 (Mar 24, 2013)

Bill- I did not mean to say a product made in a foreign country is not up to Par. I used to own many Made in Japan guitars. Very high quality.


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## Bogeyguy (Sep 26, 2012)

Sad, sad, sad.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Well, sometimes, poor quality control overseas or below the border can work out.

Like the fender jazz bass I bought years ago. Because of tonal variation you could stumble on one that sounds a little better than the one right next to it. Over here, it wouldn't vary as much.

But when I want quality. I pick up a Gibson.


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## NinjaAssassin (Sep 5, 2013)

Sorry if it sounded like I attributed that sentiment to you, Kevin. I got that impression from the OP and apparently muddied the waters by unclearly clarifying that point.


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## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

I understand what your saying about paying more for a made in N.A,for something you canbuy for half or less that does the very same thing that is made overseas (Stanley);So you expect by paying more that you are helping keeping jobs in NA.I agree if they say made in NA then it should be.
Most steel now days is made overseas due to pollution.not in our back yard so it went overseas.The steel doesn't have to be [email protected] it's just spec'ed that way to save a penny.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

"Made in U.S.A." doesn't have the same meaning it had 50+ years ago. The tool making technology has progressed over the years so it is universal. Most tools are made by machines, not humans. Machines have no borders. The machine used to make a tool here, may very well be the same machine used in Taiwan or even China. Whatever work left to do is assembly, inspection and packaging. The U.S. no longer has a monopoly on quality. Just as there is poor quality tools coming from China, there are poor quality tools coming from the U.S. although not much is made here anymore. I would use the "made-in-Taiwan" blade and see how it works. If it does what it is supposed to do, then it really doesn't matter where it was made.
Detroit outsources parts from all over the world, including China and I haven't heard of any cars falling apart on the road.


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## rmihai (Jan 27, 2014)

The simple question really is: do you trust LV? I do - so, for me, doesn't make adifference where is made…


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## mandatory66 (Jul 26, 2012)

Quality seems to improve as foreign industrial companies gain experience. First Japan made junk tools then Taiwan made junk and now china holds the title. I must say that China is now improving from my experience. This point in time I am willing to accept the standard of quality emanating from Taiwan but am reluctant to purchase anything from China. We are the victim to world competition and the cheap labor in other parts of the world. Whenever I can I purchase USA for expected quality and support for jobs in the USA even with a premium in price. If I were to buy a plane blade from Lie Nielsen I would expect it to be manufactured in Maine USA not in Taiwan. Pendragon has a valid reason to be disappointed. - "Quality will long be remembered when the price is forgotten"


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