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Skateboarding => Shoes & Gear => Topic started by: N.L. on September 26, 2017, 11:55:49 AM
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I know the forged baseplates and other parts have been made in China for some time but I'm seeing rumors that the whole truck is now going to be manufactured in China? Any truth to this? What about Thunder, Venture, Ermico?
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im still skating my "usa", but fuuuck i dont want chindependents :(
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I don't see why not, everything else from NHS is made there.
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just bent my last pair of 'made in usa' 149s... will keep for posterity...
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This sucks..
My 3 year old pair are below the axle now
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My pair doesn't say USA on the baseplate. rip
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Choosing slave labor over American made is a big mistake.
What's next our local parks get built in China and shipped over?
FUCK INDY
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I emailed nhs last year about what?s actually made here. They were confident it?s all made here except ?a few metal pieces like bolts and washers etc? and that?s why they can?t say ?made in USA? but they assured me the trucks are still almost completely made in sf.
If they move it to China I?ll never ride an Indy truck again and I?ve ridden them since 83.
I hope it?s a rumor. What?s the source ? Any proof ?
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just bent my last pair of 'made in usa' 149s... will keep for posterity...
I sent mine back, bent within 2 months. Replaced with Reynolds 139 Hollow low.
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My newish 144s are the first Indys I've seen without the "USA" stamp underneath the baseplate (non-forged). A sticker denotes, "MFG in USA from US & Imported Parts." Molding dies are costly, so I assume a blank baseplate allows Ermico/NHS to move anywhere without having to create new tooling. It could also be that charging a premium for imported forged baseplates is confusing to customers who see the USA stamp as a sign of quality.
NHS has been making trucks overseas for many years, so the transition should be seamless. Unfortunately, with Fausto Vitello and Eric Swenson gone, the Ermico factory is the last remaining vestige of the original founders' brand heritage.
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I emailed nhs last year about what?s actually made here. They were confident it?s all made here except ?a few metal pieces like bolts and washers etc? and that?s why they can?t say ?made in USA? but they assured me the trucks are still almost completely made in sf.
If they move it to China I?ll never ride an Indy truck again and I?ve ridden them since 83.
I hope it?s a rumor. What?s the source ? Any proof ?
No proof. Just a lot of murmuring on social media... Hope I'm wrong. Be sad to see Ermico stop making trucks in SF.
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just bent my last pair of 'made in usa' 149s... will keep for posterity...
I sent mine back, bent within 2 months. Replaced with Reynolds 139 Hollow low.
Car ran over mine... not really Indy's fault.
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Chinese made doesn't necessarily mean bad quality but there are a lot more reasons to be concerned about american made options that should be obvious to most educated people in this post-globalized world.
not to mention the cultural significance the ermico foundry has had on skateboarding.
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I always find it funny how people freak out about trucks being made in China. Does Chinese production really affect the way you kickflip or the way you switch 5-0 a flat bar...stop crying about Chinese production
I feel like indy is the only brand that pushes its "American made blue collar aesthetic", work shirts and American flags are ever present in their catalogs and how many times have you seen that old bowl troll with a curled up indy trucker hat at your local skatepark? yes you might not be able to really feel a noticeable difference in an offshore truck vs an ermico but mentally you know that you're getting something American made. like n.l. said, ermico has had a huge significance within skateboarding with Swenson and Vitello and the inevitable tie to thrasher. I've always tried to buy as much made in usa skate stuff as possible, but made in North America has been the next best thing. just my two cents
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I asked NHS this week about this and they said “they set up the cabability to manufacture overseas with all their brands in case something happens to Ermico etc but it’s all made here as of today”
It was kind of cryptic because why would you ready a Factory elsewhere?
They also said it’s getting harder and harder to manufacture in California. Which I understand—but it would be a sad day.
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I always find it funny how people freak out about trucks being made in China. Does Chinese production really affect the way you kickflip or the way you switch 5-0 a flat bar...stop crying about Chinese production
subtle brag...
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I asked NHS this week about this and they said “they set up the cabability to manufacture overseas with all their brands in case something happens to Ermico etc but it’s all made here as of today”
It was kind of cryptic because why would you ready a Factory elsewhere?
They also said it’s getting harder and harder to manufacture in California. Which I understand—but it would be a sad day.
good to know...
so whens stage 12 coming out? :D
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Sorta sucks because the truck is the foundational unit to the skateboard and force behind all the skateboarding. Sucks if we couldn't make it proper here in the USA!
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a friend of mine broke a set of trucks and they denied him a replacement until he emailed then 4 different times.
just saying
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irLwngNUvmw
Anyone know what happened with Lizard and Indy? At 1:35 he says how he doens't fuck with indy anymore despite having an indy tattoo. Just curious... maybe involving this move to China? idk
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Anyone know what happened with Lizard and Indy? At 1:35 he says how he doens't fuck with indy anymore despite having an indy tattoo. Just curious... maybe involving this move to China? idk
I noticed he's been riding thunders for a little while, im sure it's something more personal rather than Indy moving overseas
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And here’s the question. If Indy moves does Thunder? Because it’s a huge marketing opportunity if only Indy sells out and leaves. And if CA is so hard to manufacture in (which I know is true) why not move the foundry to Arizona or Texas?
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Indy's whole image and shtick is corny as fuck. Move to China, who cares. Fausto and Swenson are gone, it's just an NHS Santa Cruz brand now. Other trucks turn, so whatever, no reason for blind loyalty anymore guys.
This is coming from a guy with an Indy tattoo.
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True, kinda just odd to think about in general. Indy has this "fuck you! skate fast! go die! beer!! tattoos!!" imagery when really all they do is manufacture a metal turning apparatus for a toy. It's not that serious... I'm kinda over my 144s and want to try some aces or the 148 thunders.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irLwngNUvmw
Anyone know what happened with Lizard and Indy? At 1:35 he says how he doens't fuck with indy anymore despite having an indy tattoo. Just curious... maybe involving this move to China? idk
Yes, yes I'm sure Lizard King's departure from Indy was directly related to their possible shifting of production to China. That is the only possible motive.
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Wish they would make a 144 low
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if the last time an Indy went to China is any example, then "Anything Goes"
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if the last time an Indy went to China is any example, then "Anything Goes"
Ha!
Put your head down on the desk and be quiet.
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...
This is coming from a guy with an Indy tattoo.
prove it
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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec. Quality suffered. I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit. They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.
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I've still got one set each of Thunders and Indys with USA stamps on the underside of the baseplates. I shall be holding on to them.
I have a friend who works in the shoe industry and he thinks things could come full circle at some point as China already has a burgeoning middle class who need to be paid proper wages. At some point it could be cheaper to make shit in the US again... Its already happening to some extent.
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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec. Quality suffered. I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit. They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.
a cnc truck?
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True, kinda just odd to think about in general. Indy has this "fuck you! skate fast! go die! beer!! tattoos!!" imagery when really all they do is manufacture a metal turning apparatus for a toy. It's not that serious... I'm kinda over my 144s and want to try some aces or the 148 thunders.
Those 148 Thunders have been real great for me, granted I'm old and keep it close to the ground but they're rad.
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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec. Quality suffered. I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit. They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.
Haha the standard models would cost more now just because defects and scuffs would be less likely
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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec. Quality suffered. I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit. They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.
I think that's what it would be. Whatever they make good Mtb cranks with. They could use less material cause it would be alot stronger. There are cast-metal cranks but only dept. store bikes have them if that's enough perspective. So yah, not just for cosmetics ha ha ..
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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec. Quality suffered. I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit. They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.
The strongest aluminum cranksets are cold-forged. Indy probably would have offered CNC trucks in the 1990s, but the only way to eliminate axle slip was to injection mold aluminum right onto the steel axle. I don't know if I could go back to banging my axle on sidewalk or light pole every 5 minutes.
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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec. Quality suffered. I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit. They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.
The strongest aluminum cranksets are cold-forged. Indy probably would have offered CNC trucks in the 1990s, but the only way to eliminate axle slip was to injection mold aluminum right onto the steel axle. I don't know if I could go back to banging my axle on sidewalk or light pole every 5 minutes.
Okay I think you're saying cnc trucks would mean slipping axles?
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Axles now usually have some kind of 'spurs' sticking out of them so they can lock into the molten aluminum and not slip.
It might be harder to accomplish the same with a CNC cut piece.
Are bike cranks really CNC pieces? I always assumed they were hammer forged. I know you can cut harder stuff with milling machines but I thought most of the time they used fairly soft aluminum billets, etc. because otherwise you'd be burning through blades.
There was a chromolly truck (G&S) for a while but I've got to imagine grinds felt more like slides on them.
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Axles now usually have some kind of 'spurs' sticking out of them so they can lock into the molten aluminum and not slip.
It might be harder to accomplish the same with a CNC cut piece.
Are bike cranks really CNC pieces? I always assumed they were hammer forged. I know you can cut harder stuff with milling machines but I thought most of the time they used fairly soft aluminum billets, etc. because otherwise you'd be burning through blades.
There was a chromolly truck (G&S) for a while but I've got to imagine grinds felt more like slides on them.
Practically all high end bike cranks that aren't carbon are now forged (i.e. all Shimano stuff, lower end Campagnolo/SRAM stuff), the CNC-every-part thing is to a degree a fad that has mostly passed.
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Just to be clear I didn't initially say 'cnc' cause I don't know what mtb cranks are made out of. Seems obvious to me tho that there's no way that cast is going to be better or like that cast construction would have the market covered on no slip axles.
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High end bike stuff is forged and then cnc into its final form. Raceface stuff is beautiful and top notch. Cnc isn’t a fad and has not gone anywhere in mtb. All high end chainrings, cassettes, stems, dropper posts is cnc.
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I've still got one set each of Thunders and Indys with USA stamps on the underside of the baseplates. I shall be holding on to them.
I have a friend who works in the shoe industry and he thinks things could come full circle at some point as China already has a burgeoning middle class who need to be paid proper wages. At some point it could be cheaper to make shit in the US again... Its already happening to some extent.
I wouldn't be surprised if they start getting made in Mexico. I agree with you on the whole middle class growing in China and the whole coming to a full circle. Absolutely, they're a fast growing country, but so is Mexico. There is a shift of American products starting to be made in Mexico, as it is much closer and less expensive to ship. Machinery and Electrical machinery were the biggest exports from Mexico. Many skate company's have chosen to have their boards made in Tijuana, I've skated Toy machine, early FA, Flip (2009ish) and Zero which have been made in Tijuana over the years and the quality of them was just as good. Glad I've hold on to my Indy's over the years. I don't do many grinds nowadays, aside from slappys, so my trucks last quite long. Made in china products aren't known to be of great quality so I'd be discouraged from made in china indy's.
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i don't get this "china products quality" is bad motto.
i'm rocking a pair of China made Krux, and the overall craftmanship is top notch.
in the other hand, Dwindle boards are still terrible...