I agree that DSA puts out a lot of propaganda; my hope is that this is a real improvement in response to the numerous complaints they've gotten. Of course, this is just an assumption of mine, and I'm basing it off the fact that they've never bothered to do it before. And as has been pointed out in the past, it would be the most logical thing to do(fix a major issue, less money lost on returns and a better reputation.) Perhaps I'm being too hopeful?

T.Diamante wrote

Quote:

I agree that DSA puts out a lot of propaganda; my hope is that this is a real improvement in response to the numerous complaints they've gotten. Of course, this is just an assumption of mine, and I'm basing it off the fact that they've never bothered to do it before. And as has been pointed out in the past, it would be the most logical thing to do(fix a major issue, less money lost on returns and a better reputation.) Perhaps I'm being too hopeful?

My major issue with DSA is that they are not addressing the fundamental issue with where their goods are manufactured in a way that is believable. If they are made in a different country then there is nothing wrong with that; HT blades are good and are made in China for example; many of the Windlass offerings are good and come from India. - no problem with that at all.

My problem is that DSA don't, won't, can't prove they are made in Canada and so at that price point and with an absence of evidence, I assume they are made offshore. If they are made offshore, then perhaps they have been saying this for so long that they now can't climb down from this position.

So I am left assuming they are made offshore and in this scenario I see it as both laughable and shameful that they will not admit this and every time they claim they are made in Canada, to me, they look more and more silly. For clarity when I say 'made' I mean the manufacture of the components, not the final assembly, which may be done in Canada.

So the way I see it, with my assumptions made from a lack of alternative evidence, is that if they cannot admit to what is clearly the case, how can I believe anything else that they say?

If it quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, I believe it is a duck; even if others claim it is an eagle.

Tod

Well said, Tod. That's been my point(s) all along. The blades are OBVIOUSLY made God knows where, and also of obvious and highly questionable quality. Yes, they are ASSEMBLED in Canada...but not a shred of evidence they are forged there. Hell, I could open up a sword manufacturing facility using outsourced blades and fittings right here in my garage! And the quality would be guaranteed better.....'cause I'm a hard-ass. ;) .......McM

I agree with Leo's assessment. The last time I checked with Quebec's Registry for companies, they were listed as an import-export business. As this impacts the fees they need to pay for our local Workman's Compensation it is quite significant. Fees for covering accidents in the workplace are in relation to the risk of injury, which is traditionally higher in places where you have physical work going on ( a forge ! ), than in clerical jobs ( import-export), thus much higher costs....Also, before their last move, their business was in an area where you could not reasonably operate a forge. a tightly knit suburb, and before that in a residential urban setting in Montreal, again not forge-friendly. I am all for reasonable doubt, but then they showed that strange little video supposedly showing the forge in action in their new location ( in Dorval), which forumites who know anything about forging thought hilarious. Having visited a few forges in my time, I had to agree. I do not understand the insistance this firm shows in its' claim that their product is Canadian made, though once the claim is made publicly,I guess they're stuck with it...maybe they are clinging to a technicality pertaining to assembly, though part assembly is a far cry from forging from billets. In any event, their product has been sufficiently criticized for its deficiencies, and they are not physically capable of remedying their defaults, which also is a strong indicator that they are not in charge of the production of the item. If they made it from scratch, they could correct the defaults...and apparently they cannot.

These are all very valid points, both regarding the sourcing of their materials and their reputation in the past. I've followed DSA very loosely over the years; I've never made a purchase with them because of their reputation within the sword community.
Leo and Jean-Carle you both hit on a major point: regardless of their construction/quality it's difficult to justify a purchase from them when so many other makers are open about their practices.

He gets away with it because no one has filed and pursued a complaint regarding his claims. If someone did bother, he'd be sorted out by a bureaucrat.
This explains the policies about claiming Canadian manufacture. (from 2009)
http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/c...#enG-3-2-2

Its probably fair to say the market is so small that whatever agency is currently tasked to deal with this has more pressing matters.