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Post by chris on Aug 9, 2011 13:33:13 GMT -5
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Post by Swimmy on Aug 9, 2011 16:49:56 GMT -5
Sadly, not a huge selection, but a good one still.
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Post by chris on Aug 9, 2011 17:48:24 GMT -5
Swimmy its a start...baby steps. Who knows where or how this will take off...hopefully in a bigger and better way for us Americans. It's time we get our country back,
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Post by Swimmy on Aug 9, 2011 22:42:09 GMT -5
I did not mean to negate the news. I am fully supportive of it. I will be looking to do some shopping there. I'm sure that if enough of us only buy from site/stores like this that the the jobs might come back to the US. However, right now, too many will buy the cheaper foreign product and thus businesses will keep those jobs overseas. But start giving tax breaks and being more user friendly, coupled with buying only American made, then you'll see some of those jobs return to the US. Unfortunately, too many Americans believe they are "above" those jobs, and I"m not just talking about welfare scammers.
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Post by virgilgal on Aug 10, 2011 5:48:19 GMT -5
We hope to open a shop in the future that will sell "Made in the USA" cookware and other food/cooking related things as well as some art. These are all "vintage" items since there is little that can be purchased now that is made in the US. I am inspired to do this after seeing the pots and pans that people use that have non-stick surfaces that people are ingesting as the finishes wear off. I can't imagine the toxins that are absorbed using inappropriate plastics to eat from and to microwave in as well. I have been collecting "made in the USA" items for the past year for this purpose and it is overwhelming to see the things that WERE made here that are still safe, functional and beautiful. Pyrex and Anchor Hocking, Revere Ware and cast iron, pottery and stoneware from all over the country... My partner does furniture restoration and will have a workshop in our store. He saves wonderful wood things and makes them look beautiful again as well as strengthening them so that they can last for another generation or more. Chip board junk cannot serve for long and hits the landfill along with the crappy dishware and electric gadgets that last for a year. We see so much to be gained by both aspects of this endeavor... This only serves as a reminder of the quality and quantity of goods that used to be made here, but it is beautiful and shocking to see what we used to make here and we hope that it will inspire some people to support quality goods made here again. Perhaps some of our Clipper's friends can visit when we are up and running!
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Post by Clipper on Aug 10, 2011 8:44:18 GMT -5
I love it! What a wonderful endeavor. We use mostly stainless steel pots and pans, and also have some revere ware. Cast iron is our favorite for skillets and dutch ovens. I have a cast iron skillet that we only recently bought. It is made in Cleveland Tn. It is just now getting seasoned to the point that I am satisfied with. It never gets washed with soap. It gets cleaned with a paper towel and table salt for abrasive, than hot water, before wiping it with vegetable oil and storing it back in the oven until it's next use. Just a little shot of bacon fat or butter and eggs slide around in there better than teflon, haha.
We have Kathy's mother's bedroom set in our spare room. Solid maple with dove tailed solid wood drawers. The bedroom set in our bedroom is also solid wood with dove tailed drawers. It is not real old. Probably the late 70's, but it is Ethan Allen and it is quality like you can hardly find any more. I would love to do what you friend is doing, and restore or repurpose old furniture. I have an old dresser in the garage that I plan on sanding and painting white. I plan to highlight it with light blue pin striping around the drawer fronts and then clear coat to preserve the paint. Bought it at an auction for $8. No antique dealers there THAT day, haha. It has stood in the corner of the garage for two years and you can still smell the mothballs when you open the drawers. lol.
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Post by virgilgal on Aug 10, 2011 17:28:53 GMT -5
Many like you, Clipper have an appreciation for quality and the enduring value of such things. Many are from our era and I think a lot of young people who are trying to be more "green" and conscious of materials they use and of the safety of them are not so familiar with these products. I know I hated cast iron for many years because it was so heavy. Now it's the heaviest thing I can lift and I wouldn't trade it for the world!
My guy does amazing restoration work. He got called to New Orleans after Katrina and was asked to come and train people in restoration and to work on the remains of people's heirlooms. He lived in a campground for 6 months and worked long hours doing that. He told of people coming in with what looked like kindling wood in their arms and sobbing as they asked if he could turn it back into a piano bench or a chair or armoire. Many people were only able to "save" a few pieces but he was the one who could make it look like it used to. I feel like the "Made in USA" concept and furniture restoration service have very emotional components to them and I hope we can help people to embrace the idea of hanging on to what works and passing it on to the next generation. That's not a new idea by any means but one that can use a "re-boot"! We need to celebrate oldies but goodies!
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Post by Ralph on Aug 11, 2011 2:17:24 GMT -5
Cast Iron & Stainless, only way to go. I have to be very careful of what we cook with; no Silverstone or Teflon. Companion birds can die almost instantly from the fumes given off from overheated non-stick cookware. One can only imagine what it does to us in the meantime.  |
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Post by virgilgal on Aug 11, 2011 7:24:33 GMT -5
Right, Ralph! Almost all of those wonderful non-stick surfaces start off-gassing and shedding toxic fumes and actual pieces of their linings when heated to 500 degrees. I try to tell people that and they talk about how they "love" their cookware! Many people use random plastic containers to heat leftovers in a microwave, too, and unless the container says "safe for microwave" it isn't! Again, toxins are released from substances used to manufacture plastics that are carcinogenic. It breaks my heart to see people who care enough about good food to spend the time making it use cookware that negates the whole experience!
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