Originally Posted by
DiabloScott
I have zero doubt there are Chinese craftspeople who can weld Ti with the best of them... but Chinese businesses tend to go with the cheapest thing they can get away with... labor, materials, quality control, and overhead... so you just have to be more diligent.
US and EU businesses tend to request the cheapest thing they can get away with from Chinese (or Taiwanese, or other manufacturers) in order to minimize cost with maximum profits. While some of these businesses may follow the lowest-common-denominator approach, the country has the equipment and the know-how to manufacture anywhere between "crap" to "gem" with every possible option in between.
As I say this, I can't help but think of the gorgeous Velo Orange Gran Cru stem. It's not crap. IIRC, it's either from China or Taiwan.
Granted, there's no guarantee that by cutting out the middleman you're getting a decent product, but only experience from other customers will bear out exactly what you are getting for $135.
-Kurt