Made In The USA: 2024 Omnibus Edition For Black Friday

All subscribers welcome

protip: herman miller mohair is not totally compatible with barn cats

Going shopping this weekend? Here, by reader request and with a significant amount of recent contributions from the subscriber base, are some great USA-made options in many different categories. Some of them are linked to articles that I’ve written in the past, or to the manufacturer website. I’m also putting sales and discount information where I have it; feel free to add more in the comments and I will revise the article throughout the days to come. Without further ado:

Clothing

• Union House underwear

• BGREEN luxury underwear

• Alden shoes

• New Balance still has a Made in USA line, although it’s shrinking

• Dearborn Denim is a great choice, especially for jeans with a little stretch.

• Origin is probably the one brand all of you filthy casuals know. I’m a satisfied customer.

• 1620 Workwear is like Origin for people with no combat-sports pretensions.

• All American Clothing makes brilliant T-shirts, pants, you name it, and cheap.

• Gustin is responsible for about half of what I wear on a daily basis. I’ve yet to be disappointed after close to 50 purchases.

• LC King is my favorite “work pant” but they are often low on stock.

• Hanks Belts have been very satisfactory.

• NW Alpine is like Patagonia without the sweatshops.

• USA-made socks are almost more the rule than the exception now, but Darn Tough remains a standard-bearer while Fitsok is a great choice available from Amazon.

• Bison is out there doing solid tactical belts and other products.

• American Giant should be at the top of your shopping list for hoodies and similar casual items.

• Thorogood is a classic American work boot.

• The American Hat is the choice of ACF merch!

• Red Wing continues to make a lot of boots in the USA…

• as does Danner.

• Rancourt offers casual shoes and “boat shoes” at a fancy price, but they do last.

“Everyday Carry” — knives and such

• TactileTurn is the standard-bearer American pen makes

• Spyderco is mostly USA-made, but check the specific knife

• Pro-Tech makes great automatic knives with side-open…

• Microtech makes great automatic knives with front-open…

• Leatherman does all their main-branded multi-tools in the USA.

• Gerber builds certain multi-tools in the USA, like the P600, but often with Taiwanese jaws or parts.

• Ka-Bar continues to make most of its service-oriented knives, including the wacky Space Force model, in the USA.

• Birmingham Pen Co. makes beautiful metal fountain pens and unforgettable ink to go with them.

• Keybar builds a delightful rotating pen holder.

• Fisher Space Pens engraves everlasting pens for lovely gifts — especially if your giftee is in the military.

• Kershaw and ZT cover a wide spectrum of knives from fancy to disposable. Almost all are USA made.

Watches

• Vortic and Colorado Watch Co do pocketwatch conversions and new builds in Fort Collins, CO.

• RGM has both all-American watches and Swiss movements in American cases.

• Frett&Co. rebuilds pocketwatches.

• Cincinnati Watch Co. assembles watches in Ohio.

Music — it’s a highly USA-oriented field, but here are some of the best

• Clayton Custom for the best guitar picks in the business.

• Taylor has a tremendous commitment to USA manufacturing — and it’s not too late to find an “American Dream” entry-level California-made model for as low as $1,100.

• Earthquaker Devices builds great effects pedals, cheap, in Ohio

• Spaceman builds great effects pedals, expensive, in Oregon

• Couch Guitar Straps are fantastic and vegan-friendly

• Jaykco makes beautiful guitar straps one at a time

• Paul Reed Smith “S2” models combine USA-made bodies with overseas electronics, so you can get into the guitar affordably and swap in the better components later.

• John “The Commander” Baruth plays USA-made basses from Goatrock, Tim Sway, Fodera, Kiesel, G&L, and Fender.

• Ernie Ball, Dean Markley, D’Addario, Mapes, LaBella, and Stringjoy all make strings in the USA.

Tools

• Vyper Chairs are worth every penny of their outrageous price.

• Malco Eagle Grips are still out there.

• Chapman Tools comes highly recommended and is doing some useful sales at the moment.

• Wright Tools makes the finest wrenches I’ve ever touched.

• Proto builds lovely sockets and open-end wrenches in the USA.

• SK Tools has mostly gone to China but they continue to offer some great deals on their remaining USA-made ratchets and sockets.

Luggage

• Red Oxx is simply the greatest.

• Timbuk2 customs are made in San Francisco.

• Waterfield is still doing the damn thing.

• Tom Bihn is made in Seattle.

Miscellaneous

• Herman Miller is doing 25% off some products this weekend

• 1888 Mills does great towels, I’m a satisfied customer

• Redland Cotton does towels and sheets, I’m a satisfied customer

• Atlas Pet Company — made in Golden, CO, 50% off some items

• Unicomp still makes great keyboards in Kentucky!

• Captains Of Crush hand squeezers helped me drive my non-power-steering race cars without pain or reduced performance.

• Rogue makes much of its fitness equipment in the USA, but you’ll need to confirm.

• Texas Power Bars is a Rogue alternative, although I continue to recommend “The Ohio Bar”

• GRIP6 makes unique belts and wallets.

• Liberty is the primary source now of American-made flatware.

• Fiesta is still the most affordable and diverse American dish-maker. (Is that a word?)

• BW Trailer Hitches are absolutely beautiful.

• EZCarlift is how I lift my cars, unless I’m using my

• Rotary assembles 2-post lifts in the USA.