Thread: Chinese Badger knots and sweatshops

It would impress me a lot if we could find out what a minimum standard of living would be and then implement a tagging system similar to fair trade that would give consumers an opportunity to knowingly pay a little more for products that were made with respect to the standards of living for factory workers. Have it include things like safety standards and fair wages. I would be inclined to pay more knowing products were not made in sweat shops. I do check made in tags on products frequently. That gets a little tough too.

Originally Posted by RezDog

It would impress me a lot if we could find out what a minimum standard of living would be and then implement a tagging system similar to fair trade that would give consumers an opportunity to knowingly pay a little more for products that were made with respect to the standards of living for factory workers. Have it include things like safety standards and fair wages. I would be inclined to pay more knowing products were not made in sweat shops. I do check made in tags on products frequently. That gets a little tough too.

It would be nice if that were possible. I am doubtful when I remember recent news articles concerning the clothing manufacturer Patagonia. Patagonia is what I would consider an industry leader when it comes to ethically sourcing materials, fair labor, and conservation. Especially conservation. But apparently even Patagonia has problems with unethical animal treatment at farms operated by their suppliers and unfair labor practices in factories.
Patagonia Finds “Modern Slavery” in Supply Chain | Outside Online

Originally Posted by UKRob

The post on migrant workers struck a chord with me - Dubai has an indigenous population of about 400k but a regular population of about 1.3million - the vast majority of the guest workers are from the Indian sub-continent working in construction and general labouring roles. They too are housed in compounds with their own shops because they could not possibly afford normal prices for accommodation and other necessities. Nonetheless, they take the work because it pays incomparably better than they could expect at home.

By the way, when the temperature starts creeping up there, the whole peninsula could be classed as a sweatshop.

This type of migrant worker brings in a whole other issue. Migrants within China for example, they can easily travel by train from the central part of China to the coast where all the factories are and find a job. Places like Dubai have no worker population so they import workers. Often there are head hunter type people who go and find these workers. They pay their air fare, finder fee, etc to get them there. The worker would not be able to afford this otherwise. The problem you run into there is that they owe this back, they become indentured and cannot freely leave their job until their debts are repaid. If they do leave they can be arrested for breach of contract. Basically they stole the money that was fronted for them. And how would they get home if they did quit their job?
Management knows that the employees cannot leave are often tempted to make increasing demands on the workers who can't do anything about it.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Isn't that what we do with cattle?

Exactly. That's why we like leather goods. Got a second leather roll up from classic shaving in CA. Just beautiful.

I avoid Chinese made items as much as I can, even buying used made in other countries than new Chinese.

I have seen the videos of the Chinese fur farms, and that was enough for me to not buy any fur, or leather product that comes from there. Seeing the animals skinned alive then tossed in a pile to die is just wrong in my opinion.

At what point do we put our own interests/greed/low price dreams aside, and do what is right? We expect others to buy our products at a high price, yet we want the cheapest low cost items we can get....

Before I got interested in straights I had seen a couple of fresh road killed badgers down the road from me. I should have picked them up....

But that's where your going to get badger hair from commercially, plus they are a pest over there, but have you ever been to a chicken farm? It's good to have a moral sense of what's right , but we seem to look the other way at what we use everyday. Personally I haven't found the brush I like in anything else but badger, and I've tryed them all. Tc

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

I dont know about TGN knots coming from sweatshops but unfortunately they are many in China and India, so its not unreasonable to think that they could come from unethical sources.

The quality in TGN knots dropped the last years
I have bough from this store many knot all kinds but their black-pure-finest badgers are not as few wears back.
I hesitate to order again for this reason [plus the international shipping rate raised].

Tcridshd, you kind of proved my point. There are other options for badger hair besides China, but they cost more. Yes, I grew up not that far from some of the biggest Foster Farms chicken plants in CA. My main objection is that they do not dispatch the animals before skinning them, so I am choosing not buy products from them. It isn't just fur, or leather products. My truck needed brake pads, and rotors all around. I chose to spend another $120 and got parts that were made over here. I simply do not trust Chinese brake parts to stop my truck when it is a combined weight with a trailer exceeding 20,000#. Being a machinist by trade, I have also seen enough poor quality Chinese made metal items to decide not to use them. All of the other contaminated consumer items that have been sent over here is another reason to buy over here.

We as the consumer hold the power to change the products sold to us through our purchases. As long as we continue to put our cost savings above their working conditions, it will not change. There are businesses in Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada that I will not patronize due to their company policies. I vote with my wallet.

How many knots do you go through a year, and how much more would they be if you supported a local trapper? Would it be worth it to you to spend the extra to help a fellow citizen stay employed? For some people, no. For me, I try to buy as much made in USA as I possibly can.