I just came across this while searching Google for manufacturing facilities in China. I wonder how many of our flashlights are made under similar conditions.
http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1063782
I'm pretty sure it is which is really sad but that's just how things are in 3rd world countries.
Very disturbing. The one thing wihich china excells is to keep providing enough food for their citizens. That's no small feat. That aside, i think that basic human rights are unheard of there. Quality of life must be very poor. This reminds me of an article for a computer parts manufacturer that had problems with their employees commiting suicide. They were far too many in a 2 year ime period. The major problem was depression as the identified it. No kidding right?
Budgeteer, I think you're talking about Apple? or maybe it was Foxconn? Can't remember.
Anyway, there are nicer factories, such as this one: http://ruida-opto.taobao.com/view_page-19687275.htm (That's the one from the XM-L zoom thread), and I think that the more hi-tech you go the better chances that you have a better factory.
But it is indeed sad that peopel live and work in these conditions.
Maybe if we could influence the economies and lifestyle of other countries it would be better.
Colonialism FTW!!
They are pretty much the scene in this part of the world.Money/Investments play a huge part.
Happen to see these pictures of Fenix factory which looks good but what about those sub $10 flashlight factories :zipper_mouth_face:
http://fonarik.com/fenix/ekskursiya-na-zavod-fonarej-fenix-chast-1-znakomstvo-s-proizvodstvom.html
http://fonarik.com/fenix/ekskursiya-na-zavod-fonarej-fenix-chast-2-kontrol-kachestva-a-tour-to-the-fenix-factory-part-2.html
Yeah, it was foxconn.
WOW :O
Ive worked in a place like that , here in Oz ...
No fridge , no Air conditioning , dirty , hard work .. Why you office guys picking on China ?
Glad to have seen such a facility Fenix has there. I were sceptical with them being built in China like all others, but now I can justify my 2 Fenix lights I bought yesterday :)
Having one state-of-the-art factory doesn't mean they don't have ten more factories like that in the first post... or worse...
Here's the real irony: We all want fancy new torches (or other products) for little cost, but are then appalled when we see the reality of what it takes to achieve that low cost. I'm just as guilty...
Then again, maybe there's more to it than what we see.
For example, like many of you I like knives. Lately though I've been on a Khurkri kick. My shopping venue of choice is Himalayan Imports, not only for the relatively cheap price, but for the fantastic quality product they produce. All the blades that come out of their shop in Nepal are hand made, and by that I mean the only powered piece of equipment they use is the buffing wheel. Over on bladeforums.com in the himilayanimports subforum they have a very interesting post on how each blade is cut, forged, tempered, and sharpened by hand (and sometimes by foot). Their shops would make the chinese sparkplug factory above look positivey modern.
But here's the kicker. The Kami's (bladesmiths) wouldn't be able to practice their art if noone was buying HI's blades, and the cheap cost they sell at is to them, sufficient. They have a different outlook on life that's mostly lost here in the west.
As an aside, I got to test my new 18" khuk out on a dogwood tree over at the in-laws... For such a hard wood, it made short work out of the 5" branches I was cutting up and completely embarrassed the Cold steel blade I brought along for comparison.
With some of the flashlights Ive received, I wonder if they were made in the same plug factory.
ugh, I see flashpilot’s post, then read match’s, and now I want to spend $175 on a khurkri 
They certainly are beautiful.
It is not about brands. It is very sad but it is truth of some countries, every day thousands children die because of hunger.
“About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations.”
Here is a link, a little old but nothing changed now it is even worse:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-02-17-un-hunger_x.htm
So I guess everybody in the world must stop a minute and think about this. Everyone is responsible.
Especially politicians & countries responsible for this.
Humanity and human life is more important than money, mines or oil.
As much as this is correct its not the whole story, if we agreed to pay 10-15% more to double or triple the wage of the person making the product the factory owner will just pocket that money and pay them the same as they do now. Thats the problem we need to solve.
It looks pretty much like the machine shops here in the 1960s and 1970s, dirty, noisy, oily, that is why I didn’t like them and only worked in them when I needed work.
With all the laws in America today, maybe the machine shops of my youth are all shiny and bright now.
Here’s another factory that manufacturers a few lights you might be familiar with: