Originally Posted by
yohannrjm
I think the issue here is the 'Made in Italy' sticker. If I have something that says it was made somewhere (wherever that may be) I expect it to be made there. So if I have a 'Made in Italy' sticker on my frame, then I would expect the frame to be brazed/welded in Italy....not brazed/welded in Taiwan and then painted in Italy.
I don't mind Italian companies having bikes made in Taiwan or wherever, as long as it's stated clearly what the country of manufacture is. If the bike is designed by a company and meets that company's standards then it works for me regardless of where it was made.
Rivendell bikes are not made by Grant, but he designs the frames and controls the quality somehow, so they're still Rivendell bikes....again, regardless of where they come from.
I agree. If the frame has a sticker that says, "Made In Italy", that frame had better have been brazed and painted in Italy. If it was made in Taiwan, it should say, "Made In Taiwan". Either or both can have the same brand name (Colnago, or whatever). The possibility that the two frtames are identical in materials, performance and quality is irrelevant. The issue is fraud (product substitution).
The components typically are stamped with the country of origin, and can/should be treated separately from the frame. I think it is a well established industry practice that the components may/may not come from the country of origin of the frame.
A frame that says, "Made In Italy" but was brazed and painted in Taiwan is fraudulent. <-- I mean this is the legal/criminal sense.