Made in America

No, not that terrible movie with Ted Danson. I'm talking about stuff made in America. People often say this country doesn't make anything anymore. A stroll through most stores--especially any electronics section--would give one that impression, it's true, but the Internet has opened up an avenue for people to find a lot of products still made here. This post is in honor of Labor Day (for which I began it, alas these posts with lots of links take me awhile!) and the men and women who keep our manufacturing tradition alive.

These links are all from my bookmarks (and not in any particular order), and I know there are probably others out there so if you can't find what you're looking for below, it may still be available elsewhere.

General Stores

• All USA Clothing     As the name suggests, they specialize in clothes and footwear for men, women, and children. I ordered from here last Christmas and had a good shopping experience.
• Justice Clothing     Not just a retailer, they make their own products for men and women.
• Made in USA Forever     A Made in America megastore. Clothing, home goods, furniture, toys, outdoor goods, etc. Something for everyone.
• The Union Shop     Another good site for clothes and home goods
• Union House Apparel     Clothing, footwear, and some cookware. Always a special going. I've ordered from here and trust them. One of the last sources of guaranteed American Carhartt gear.
• All American Clothing     Not to be confused with All USA Clothing (above), though they carry similar items.
• USAB2C (Business to Consumers)     The biggest merchant of American-made goods I know of. Take just about everything offered in the shops above, add a few hundred or thousand more things, and that's USAB2C. I've bought from them and I'm sure I will again.

Two things to keep in mind when shopping at the above: First, you can often find the same product at a couple different stores listed, so you can comparison shop. Second, most of the clothing is cotton and most of it is not pre-shrunk, meaning you might want to size-up. Now, some more links:

Specific Products

• Gloves     Carolina Glove Company's selection of American-made gloves
• Hats     Hats.com has 23 pages full of attractive hats made in the USA.
• Knives     Knife Center has a good selection of cutlery made here in America. Nothing beats a Ka-Bar.
• My Favorite Pen    I've grown loyal to Pilot's EasyTouch line of pens. They're inexpensive, made in the USA, write well, don't smudge on me, and always last longer than I expect them to. They're available in various colors and in two styles: retractable and with a cap. I prefer the latter and have linked to those. Staples is just an example, they're fairly widely available online and in stores.
• Vehicles     I'd be remiss not to link to my family's union, which my Dad belonged to for 30 years before his passing. From him I'll always know the value of the unsung labor that chugs along in the face of all challenges.