Can we still get VAR tools?

I try not to be prejudiced against Chinese-made goods. Some of it is absolute crap, but not all! I'm a computer consultant, and Apple products are some of the best in the industry. They're made in China. As has been said, if the company specifies clearly what the product should be, it can work very well.

Tools are a special thing, because they not only need to be made precisely, but they have to use good, hard steel. I haven't seen any such tools made in China yet, but they may exist now. If they don't yet, I expect them to come out soon. They'll have to find a good source of iron.

Back in the 1980's I learned that Japanese tools were well made but they were not made from the best quality steel. They didn't have access to the best iron as the US and Europe did. I haven't followed things closely since then. I recently bought a combination wrench set from Harbor Freight. I have mixed feelings about it. The set is made in India. It's well made enough, and they probably won't break on me, even though I'm sure the steel is not as good as on my old US-made Craftsman wrenches. The wrenches are too short, though, so I'm a little annoyed. On the other hand, the price difference is huge.