American made Braid

[SteveTX]

Reading in another thread about where a lot of braid comes from(China). And the fact I just bought some dirt cheap braid to try yesterday It says its from Sanchung/Korea got me to thinking. I never hear of American made braid mentioned in these discussions. So I Googled and came up with these two American made braid manufacturers from this page . 

The Woodstock Line Company has been in business for over 50 years, and is still a 100% family owned manufacturing company, producing only quality industrial braided cords and fine quality fishing lines. Manufacturer of almost any type of braided cord under 1/4 inches in diameter and take pride in their ability to develop solutions that meet your customer's needs. Best known for their "SPECTRA Power Strike" superior lines available for casting, ice fishing and fly line backing.

DIAMOND Fishing Products is dedicated to providing anglers/fishermen with the highest quality materials engineered to exceed the demands of fishing. Diamond understands that each fish is a "once in a lifetime" event and requires equipment every angler can trust.  Diamond Fishing Products offers the finest monofilaments and terminal equipment available. Momoi's Hi-Catch, Momoi's Diamond, Momoi's X-Tra Hard and Momoi's Fluorocarbons and our newest Diamond Illusion boast strength and quality unmatched by other volume manufacturers.

I found some Momoi's Diamond Braid on basspro website. I also found some Woodstock Powerstrike on Amazon.

Not repeating any hearsay or what ever have any of you tried any of these personally or any other American made brands? If there was a American made brand that was making decent braid it would be nice to buy American. Glancing at these two offerings it appears they are more expensive than the typical PP etc. Anyone else have any knowledge of American made Braid?   

For a bit of laughter I decided to Google Sanchung Korea. Apparently it does not exist. It only gives me Sancheong Korea. So I presume they don't even know where this line is made. 

[TWBryan]

SteveTx,wish I could help,but I'm in the "Do I really need this stuff?" camp. :D

[SteveTX]

SteveTx,wish I could help,but I'm in the "Do I really need this stuff?" camp. :D

I'm just discussing for future possible purchases. If I find there is American made braid that works well and is competitively priced I would like to support American companies. Before today I didn't think there was any American company making braid. 

[Lipripper]

I'm just discussing for future possible purchases. If I find there is American made braid that works well and is competitively priced I would like to support American companies. Before today I didn't think there was any American company making braid. 

Me too if you get some be sure to post a review so if it's good I will replace my power pro. I would rather buy made in American also.

[FloridaFishinFool]

This is a subject I researched some years ago... the basics are still the same. There are only about a dozen factories worldwide that actually make polyethylene fibers in a gel spinning method to stretch the fibers out sort of like cotton candy is made.

As I recall, out of that dozen or so factories, 7 were in China, and the rest scattered around the world with I think only 2 or 3 being here in the USA.

One issue with "American made" is how it is defined.

For example, a company can reside in the USA, and employ whoever they want to, and they can buy their PE fibers from China and import the raw material to the USA and then use their U.S. company to weave the PE fibers into their own braid fishing line product and claim it was "made in America" which is essentially true. It was made in America. But the raw materials can be sourced outside of the USA.

So don't always buy the line "made in America" as being the gospel truth.

Another issue with braid line is that the actual plastics it is made from is not all the same. Most of it is polyethylene plastic fibers. but, there are different ways of actually making the fibers and this is the specialty each factory keeps to themselves. One factory does not produce the exact same fiber as the next factory.

And each company is hiring their own chemical and mechanical engineers to further refine the process for only their company and for only their product.

So you can find superior fibers and you can find inferior fibers out there. How do you know what you are buying?

And this is where names like Dyneema and Spectra come into play. All those names mean is that their product is made a special way unique to them and patented.

Let's take Spectra as an example...

https://www.honeywell-spectra.com/applications/fishing-line/#strength

"More than 20 years ago, Honeywell scientists helped develop the first super-lines. Now, Spectra® is the #1 super-line material found in the world's best fishing lines.

Braided fishing lines made with Spectra fiber are stronger, thinner, more sensitive and more durable than equivalent monofilament nylon fishing lines. That's why many of today's leading fishing line manufacturers use it in their products for both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Honeywell has one of the widest varieties of ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber deniers available, including high-tenacity Spectra HT, which makes it easy for fishing line manufacturers to right-size their braids for optimal cost and performance."

So Spectra fibers are developed by Honeywell. Owned and patented by Honeywell. Finding out exactly who is making it and where is another story. That is a trade secret apparently. So Spectra fibers can be made anywhere- USA and China or Europe.

Think all Spectra fibers are the same? Not according to Honeywell:



So now there are more than one type of Spectra fiber??? There is spectra S-900 and spectra S-1000. And possibly more than that. But you know Honeywell did not invent the plastics fiber. They simply hold patents on their type of fiber...

The father of plastic fiber technology and holder of the Dyneema patents is chemist Dr Albert Pennings:



http://www.thedyneemaproject.com/story-of-dyneema/dyneema.html

As world's strongest, lightest fiber – 15 times stronger than steel, yet floats on water – Dyneema® works to stop bullets, moor oil rigs and repair human joints. Now this revolutionary product is entering the world of apparel. It's been a long and epic road to get this far...

In 1968, chemist Dr Albert Pennings managed to pull some wispy threads from the stirring rods in his beaker. He found it impossible to pull the strands apart. Excited, he rushed to tell his director at DSM, a Dutch company then focused on coalmining and fertilizers. His boss's response: "Fiber?!? Fiber!?! If I wanted a fiber I would pick up the phone and order some! Stop with this nonsense!"




"It's funny to think it all just started with some stirring in a pot."

This outburst set the tone for a decades-long ride to bring Dyneema® to the market. The journey would involve multiple co-inventors, dismissive managers, happy accidents, quantum technological leaps, commercial innovations and a few experiments that under current regulations would be considered safety violations. Without the passionate drive by those who believed in the power of this fiber, it would have never gotten this far. Fast-forward to 2015, Dyneema® is a market leader in offering solutions for high-performance ropes/lines, body armor, safety gloves and medical applications.

The use of Dyneema® has produced many iconic images: upturning the stranded cruise ship Costa Concordia in Italy, placing the crown on the Freedom Tower in NYC, and the tethering of satellites in outer space. With its use in bulletresistant vests and other body armor, Dyneema® has become the material of choice for law enforcement and the military.





While renowned in the industry, Dyneema® does not yet have the name recognition of the other three synthetic fibers developed during the 20th century that would impact our world: Nylon, Kevlar and Lycra. But now Dyneema® is entering our daily lives on a broader scale as it inspires more and more developers – believers – to come up with increasingly diverse and ambitious applications.

"You can wake me up in the middle of the night and I'll happily talk about Dyneema®," says Yvonne Engelen, VP of Marketing & Sales at DSM Dyneema. Until recently, she was the company's VP of Innovation – essentially the same job held by Penning's temperamental boss.

"Call me any time! No problem at all!"
------------------------

Point being for this comment... made in America is subjective and not all fibers are the same... and it shows depending on what brand of braid line you decide to purchase...

[fishballer06]

Good 'ole Stren claims all their lines are made here in the USA.

I can't comment on the quality of their line's though. I haven't used any of their lines since the mid 90's.

[LgMouthGambler]

Good 'ole Stren claims all their lines are made here in the USA.

I can't comment on the quality of their line's though. I haven't used any of their lines since the mid 90's.

Made/assembled. The product they use for the braid is not. Nor is most. Like stated before, there are only a few companies that make the dyneema. Even Shimano uses fibers from a Chinese source to make Power Pro. Stren is a product of Pure Fishing, and nothing by them is from the USA.

[SteveTX]

I never expected to even find "made in USA" braid much less with 100% materials sourced from the USA. My point is even "assembled" in the USA is a start. We didn't lose our products over night to foreign producers and I am sure we wont get them back over night. But as a American if I can help keep another American company to employ Americans in America then that is a start. 

[merc1997]

Good 'ole Stren claims all their lines are made here in the USA.

I can't comment on the quality of their line's though. I haven't used any of their lines since the mid 90's.

i use the stren braid all the time, and it is made out of the dyneema.  i have very good success with it.  not for sure where they make it at, but it is very good braid in my opinion.  i also use it because they make it in the clear blue fluorescent.

bo

[FlatsNBay]

Tufline is American made. I was always a Power Pro user and never had any complaints and then I won a spool of Tufline. Ive been using Tufline in various sizes for the past year and love the stuff! Great company too as far as I can tell. They are owned by Western Filament which I think is made in Colorado.

[SteveTX]

Tufline is American made. I was always a Power Pro user and never had any complaints and then I won a spool of Tufline. Ive been using Tufline in various sizes for the past year and love the stuff! Great company too as far as I can tell. They are owned by Western Filament which I think is made in Colorado.

Awesome info. Thanks

[Lipripper]

Tufline is American made. I was always a Power Pro user and never had any complaints and then I won a spool of Tufline. Ive been using Tufline in various sizes for the past year and love the stuff! Great company too as far as I can tell. They are owned by Western Filament which I think is made in Colorado.

Thanks for the info I will have to check on the price and see if it's about the same range as power pro.

[SteveTX]

Thanks for the info I will have to check on the price and see if it's about the same range as power pro.

The TUF-Line Domin8 65lb is $14.97 at Dicks right now. $31.99 at TW
Monster has TUF-Line XP Braid 150 yard for $14.99 for 65lb I didnt see any Domin8 there to compare.

Looks like its probably a couple a bucks more. Maybe shopping could get it real close. Id possibly pay a couple bucks extra for the American made if the stuff is equal or better quality.

[FlatsNBay]

Tufline 4orce is basically same thing as Tufline XP. I've used XP and 4orce for flipping and frogging and Tufline Supercast for my light spinning applications. Dominion8 is pretty pricey so I haven't used it.

Keep an eye on the Dick's Sporting Goods sales and you can pick up a spool pretty cheap. I've found that 4orce is usually about the same price as Power Pro.

[FloridaFishinFool]

Tufline is American made. I was always a Power Pro user and never had any complaints and then I won a spool of Tufline. Ive been using Tufline in various sizes for the past year and love the stuff! Great company too as far as I can tell. They are owned by Western Filament which I think is made in Colorado.

Not so fast there FlatsNBay! Tufline does not claim to be made in USA. The statement of claim on their product packages, some of them clearly says: "Braided in USA" not "made in USA. Huge difference. But they do have a few packages that do say made in USA, but really?

What this means is precisely what my comment above was describing.

They are an American company buying raw plastic fibers from a foreign source, importing them, and then weaving them into fishing line within the USA. But the actual raw stock plastic fibers that their fishing line is made from is NOT made in USA.

Take a read on just one of their products:



Here is their factory:



Those are WEAVING machines only. No gel spinning. And this company on their website does not say they actually make gel spun plastic fibers.

http://tuf-line.com/about-us/

"Western Filament, Inc. has grown consistently along with its reputation of unwavering quality and is known as the industry leader in textile braiding."

Braiding. There is the key word right there. They weave. That's it. They do not actually make gel spun fibers. They buy that cheap more than likely from China as a guess on my part. I honestly don't think there is even a gel spinning factory in Colorado. From memory I think there was one in California and one on the east coast some where. The rest are in Europe and more than half of them are in China.

So from what I can tell, Tuf Line is only woven in the USA, not the plastic fibers. And this is why on some of their products they say "Braided in USA" while on others they say "Made in USA" which for me is debatable depending on what their definition of made in USA means.

Here is another tell tale sign their plastic fibers are NOT made in USA... from their website again:

"TUF-LINE Technology:

So what makes TUF-LINE The Ultimate Fishing Line? Being avid anglers ourselves, throughout the decades we have continually tested and proven the superiority of our braid. Understanding the needs and wants of our customers, quality has always been and always will be our number one priority. There is nothing worse than losing the fish of a lifetime due to a breakage in your line which is why TUF-LINE is pound for pound 15 times stronger than steel. Our proprietary coating process has created the most "bullet-proof" line on the market. The coating process permeates into the fibers of the braid creating a stronger, more abrasion-resistant, long lasting superline. Through years of research and development we have perfected our unparalleled coating process."

Again, there is NOTHING in there about actually making the plastic fibers. Only that they have developed a special coating and coating process which makes their line special and last longer... that is their selling point.

Not one word about actually producing gel spun plastic fibers! That is a patented specialty that only about a dozen factories the world over actually makes. ALL brands of fishing lines come from those dozen or so factories, Tuf Line included.

[LgMouthGambler]

Tufline 4orce is basically same thing as Tufline XP. I've used XP and 4orce for flipping and frogging and Tufline Supercast for my light spinning applications. Dominion8 is pretty pricey so I haven't used it.

Keep an eye on the Dick's Sporting Goods sales and you can pick up a spool pretty cheap. I've found that 4orce is usually about the same price as Power Pro.

Im sure since the Dominion8 is the 8 carrier braid, its gonna be pricier like the way J Braid 8, and Power Pro Super Slick is. The 4orce is the 4 carrier like the OG Power Pro and most others its similar price. A company that says anything about being "made" or "woven" or "braided" is perfect if you are looking to supporting a more US company base. Dont worry about where the strands are made, cause like most things they arent made here. Hell, even some of the "known" brands are now having everything "made" with cheaper labor from China and the like. The more I have been seeing and getting my hands on things, the more I have apparently come to accept things arent gonna be like they were 10 years ago. Damn near everything in the fishing industry now a days is made by the same companies. Take it from someone who had a hard time believing it. Research over the past 5 years has really proven it.

<")))>{

[SteveTX]

This is at the top of their website its all I saw at a glance.

I didn't read everything. But I can almost guarantee you that "Braid" in the USA is just a play on words, being cute, advertising per say.
Just like LgMouthGambler said just about anything these days with more than 5 components 2 or 3 will be made elsewhere. All we can do is try to support as much of America that is left.

[TWBryan]

Well,I'm getting ready to buy braid to stick on my 4600C5. Where's a good place to buy that won't require me to sell an organ? I'm looking for something in 40lb test and up to 65lb test. Thanks!

[SFL BassHunter]

Well,I'm getting ready to buy braid to stick on my 4600C5. Where's a good place to buy that won't require me to sell an organ? I'm looking for something in 40lb test and up to 65lb test. Thanks!

Walmart sells Power Pro cheaper than everyone else. 13-14 dollars per spool.

[TWBryan]

Thanks Rick, I'll check there the next time I go in.

[SteveTX]

Well,I'm getting ready to buy braid to stick on my 4600C5. Where's a good place to buy that won't require me to sell an organ? I'm looking for something in 40lb test and up to 65lb test. Thanks!

I agree with rickdelprado for me locally Power Pro best buy is at Walmart $12.92 for 150 yards, 65 lbs. My local bass shop sells it but its $14.79 for 100 yards for the same 65lb. 
If you can shop online (order) it I bet you can get some deal on some decent braid. The TUF-Line Domin8 125 yards is on sale at Dicks $14.97 https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/tuf-line-domin8-premium-braided-fishing-line-16tufutflndmn8125fli/16tufutflndmn8125fli
Here is some Trilene®Tracer® Braid Professional Grade 1/2 price if you can use 80lb. Not sure what your fishing but it might be a decent solution. http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley-line-superline-berkley-trilene/trilenetracer-braid-professional-grade/1311934.html#prefn1=isSale&srule=price-low-to-high&prefv1=Sale&start=1 Even more deals in the 40 and 50lb test if you look at the 300 yrd spools.

[TWBryan]

SteveTX,thank you,only issue with going online is the added cost of shipping.  Current rig is a 6'6" medium-heavy bps tourney special rod and an Abu Garcia 4600C5 reel. This will be my first time trying braid. I'm thinking that 50 lb test should be okay diameter wise.

[SFL BassHunter]

SteveTX,thank you,only issue with going online is the added cost of shipping.  Current rig is a 6'6" medium-heavy bps tourney special rod and an Abu Garcia 4600C5 reel. This will be my first time trying braid. I'm thinking that 50 lb test should be okay diameter wise.

academy would be your best online choice for price on power pro. It's about the same as walmart but you do have to spend 25 bucks to get free shipping.

[TWBryan]

Thanks Rick,I've thought about academy sports as they have some cheaper rods there and I am sort of looking for a catfish rod. Of course this month the mouse on the computer had a nervous breakdown and the power supply is slowly dying. The hits keep coming. Will probably snag power pro from walmart.

[SteveTX]

SteveTX,thank you,only issue with going online is the added cost of shipping.  Current rig is a 6'6" medium-heavy bps tourney special rod and an Abu Garcia 4600C5 reel. This will be my first time trying braid. I'm thinking that 50 lb test should be okay diameter wise.

Mine comes up free shipping for the Berkley And the Berkley comes in the 40 or 50lb if you get 300 yards. Is like $19 but tons more line for the few bucks more. I just dont know how you think about the fish seeing the line thing as this is tracer line. I don't see any difference but some claim fish look at the line and run off scared.