# Ghurka UPDATE



## starter

I'll be returning the Commuter 559 I just picked up the other day. When I got the bag home, I saw that some of the stitching was uneven, and on it's way to unraveling. Perusing their site, I had been led to believe that the bags were manufactured in Connecticut, USA by "over 40 skilled artisans". I got this crazy idea because a feel-good blurb on their website entitled "The Importance of Manufacturing" says as much.

After discovering the sloppy stitching however, I did a bit more research. First I called Ghurka themselves. The person I spoke with said my bag was "probably made in the USA..." When I asked him if it would be possible to get a definitive answer, he said he'd call me back. He never did. So I decided that a Google search was in order. The search uncovered the fact that most of their manufacturing is now done in the People's Republic of China. The same search also revealed that the country of origin tag is very well-hidden in the bags.

No kidding. Two searches failed to find it. Finally, a third search utilizing a high-powered LED flashlight confirmed my suspicions. Deep in the bag, tucked between a flap of fabric, with half the tag hidden in the stitching, I found the tiny print: "Made In China".

Wow. This bag is touted as American-made, their own rep claims as much over the phone, and did I mention it has a price-tag of roughly a thousand dollars after tax? And it's made in some Chinese sweatshop by kids?

I'm not naive, I know this stuff goes on... But the lies, price-tag, and general shamelessness with which this company comports themselves in this regard make this offense particularly egregious.

Shame on you, Ghurka.


----------



## number06

I have had similar experiences trying to find out or finding out too late where an item is manufactured. It is sad that you have to really make sure before you order something that it indeed is USA made. The real "wow" factor of your story is the money you spent on the bag. Can you ask their customer service if it can be exchanged because of the stitching for one actually made in the US. Many of the companies that do this usually make their Chinese merchandise at a lower price point which will usually set off an alarm.


----------



## Igorek

Unbelievable, that is a total rip off.


----------



## Retrograde

Being an Aussie I had never heard of these guys so I decided to check out their website. This is straight off the website:

Likewise, our Ghurka collection is handmade by real people - artisans who have spent their lives learning the art of making beautiful and practical things out of fine leather. Ghurka is committed to preserving the American craft trades in their struggle against international outsourcing. Our factory in Norwalk, Connecticut and headquarters in New York City employ over 40 skilled artisans, designers, production staff, and marketing and sales specialists who are passionate about American craftsmanship.
In his article _Why Manufacturing Matters_ for the Harvard Business Review, author Roger Thompson powerfully illustrates the detrimental impact of outsourcing not only on domestic jobs, but also on creativity. His compelling essay gets to the heart of the matter: _"People in the United States and other advanced industrialized countries say that the future is in innovation, not manufacturing, as if manufacturing is not part of the innovation process&#8230; Exporting manufacturing has a negative impact on the country's industrial commons, which represents the collective capability to sustain innovation."

_Mind you, it's a strange name for a company that is passionate about American craftsmanship.


----------



## martin_blank

Interesting. I was recently looking at ghurka for a new leather brief case and opted for a different company specifically because I couldn't verify the bag I wanted was made in the USA..


----------



## Zarith

starter said:


> Wow. This bag is touted as American-made, their own rep claims as much over the phone, and did I mention it has a price-tag of roughly a thousand dollars after tax? And it's made in some Chinese sweatshop by kids?
> 
> I'm not naive, I know this stuff goes on... But the lies, price-tag, and general shamelessness with which this company comports themselves in this regard make this offense particularly egregious.
> 
> Shame on you, Ghurka.



It's awful. But Ghurka is not an exception. In the Luxury industry it's a common practice. Most "French" luxury brand get everything done in Asia, Turkey or Algeria. These brands charge $500 for a product made for $25.

The problem here is that there is no legal way to counter attack.

Nowhere is it written that your specific product was made in USA. They mention on the website "_handmade by real people_" but not "_handmade by real American_". They indicate that Ghurka is "_committed to preserving the American craft trades_" but this doesn't mean much. It's like saying "_Ghurka is committed to preserving the environment_".


----------



## Mako

You want USA buy a Saddleback Leather bag.


----------



## johnnycasaba

I believe Saddleback products are made in Mexico, I have one of their wallets, very happy with it.



Mako said:


> You want USA buy a Saddleback Leather bag.


----------



## Guarionex

Did someone say saddleback? Here's mine. This will literally crush Ghurka. ( they are heavy ) but It will make you stronger. They are made in Mexico but are top notch and no nonsense customer service and warranty.


----------



## martin_blank

Well now I have to say..

I ended up with a saddleback...tobacco brown, medium brief case and it's an awesome bag..


----------



## Will_f

I wonder where those $8000 Louis Vuitton bags are made? 


Will


----------



## Retrograde

Will_f said:


> I wonder where those $8000 Louis Vuitton bags are made?


Apparently LV have factories in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and even in the USA.


----------



## Mako

Mexico! Isn't that part of the union yet?

Sorry, my bad, I could have sworn they were US made. Better due diligence next time.Made in Mexico by American craftsmen



johnnycasaba said:


> I believe Saddleback products are made in Mexico, I have one of their wallets, very happy with it.


----------



## Guarionex

martin_blank said:


> Well now I have to say..
> 
> I ended up with a saddleback...tobacco brown, medium brief case and it's an awesome bag..


Pic?

Sent from Motorola Xoom


----------



## martin_blank

This is 2-3 months of daily use..I've read it takes about a year for it to full break in..and just judging from brand new to now, it's going to look and feel amazing


----------



## Guarionex

6 months and bag is still sweet. I got caught In a few rain storms,4 flights and its still looks mint. I did rub some chamberlain milk on it after a few battle scars that vanished,once I conditioned it. The extra long strap I ended up folding it back into the loop.


----------



## martin_blank

That looks really nice

Mines is in need of some conditioning..


----------



## starter

UPDATE:

So after writing an email to Ghurka outlining basically the contents of my original post, I was surprised to find a response in my inbox asking what they could do to make the situation right. Apparently, Ghurka is under new management, and they are very committed to returning Ghurka to their original handmade in the US roots.

As it was explained to me, Ghurka established it's reputation as a quality US-made brand during the tenure of it's founder, Marley Hodgson. Then the company was sold. When this happened, the "old-new" owners moved much of the production overseas. It was the "new-new" management who had posted the stuff about American manufacturing on their website... And they actually mean it. Apparently what had happened was that I had bought a bag made during the previous owner's tenure, but of course my decision was based off the (accurate) sales pitch on the newly revamped website. Essentially it was a bit of bad-timing for me during this time of positive change over at Ghurka. While my Chinese-made bag was still on the website, it's actually been discontinued, and was a close-out item on the site. 

Long story short, Ghurka took back the Chinese-made bag and replaced it with a beautiful US-made bag... The quality and construction is stunning, a truly gorgeous piece. Ghurka has definitely made a fan out of me...


----------



## martin_blank

Is it the exact same bag/ model?

That's actually a very interesting response from a retailer.

It would probably be cynical to say they probably don't mind selling the discontinued stock to less educated consumers....otherwise why continue to place the Chinese made bags on the site?

That said, glad to see more manufacturing returning stateside and some really good customer service


----------



## Will3020

Yikes !


----------



## starter

martin_blank said:


> Is it the exact same bag/ model?
> 
> That's actually a very interesting response from a retailer.
> 
> It would probably be cynical to say they probably don't mind selling the discontinued stock to less educated consumers....otherwise why continue to place the Chinese made bags on the site?
> 
> That said, glad to see more manufacturing returning stateside and some really good customer service


Different bag... I had the Commuter No. 659, they replaced it with the Office No. 169... The decision with what to replace it with was discussed between the representative and myself. I wanted a messenger, so that was it... Has all the pockets I need. I guess I would have been in trouble if I'd needed the size of the 659, but as it stood the 659 was a bit large anyway, so it all worked out.

I agree that simply keeping the made-in-China stock online until it's gone isn't how I would handle it... Seeing as how they've since marked it down on the site anyway, I'd probably put a note explaining it's country of origin. Let people decide if the sale price is worth it. But overall, I'm pleased with their customer service and how they fixed the situation.

Ghurka as it stands now is essentially a young company again. They've thrown out the previous owner's business plan of offering a ton of different models and large production runs (apparently there was even an embarrassing stint on ShopNBC), and returned to the things that made Ghurka such a great company back in the day when Hodgson ran things... That is to say a more exclusive, smaller, hand-made American line. I'll definitely forgive them a few growing pains while they find their footing... Because that's a pretty noble pursuit, in my book.

Score one for American jobs!


----------



## janisspoon1548

"You want USA buy a Saddleback Leather bag" - this has got to be the most funniest thing ive read. After an exhaustive search to find my husband an American made briefcase ive become what i think very educated in this matter. I was heading towards Ghurka but realize that i don't like their business practices.

this is what i learned so far

ha ha, saddleback is US cows but tanned and made in Mexico and Ghurka is just another big company trying to get back to its "roots." - good luck, new/old company, come on. They made the decision to manufacturer in China because they could get away with it, when sales went down, they are trying to re-brand. The original craftsman is no longer around and people who don't care about the craft are running the company.

ok so that bag is not made in china but i'll bet you that leather is tanned in another country, probably Mexico and brought to the USA so low paying Chinese American so called "craftsman" can make it. its a joke really.

I was going to go with a craftsman in San fransicsco that makes custom briefcases until i found, by luck, out to dinner one night in Huntington (i live on Long Island) the Joseph p Marcellino bag company. i walked in the store and one of their workshops, as explained to me by joe, was within that store in Huntington. He took me on a small tour and showed me how he builds, what really are beautiful bags, right in that store. i was amazed. He also explained to me that he only uses - get this, American raised steer, that is tanned in America by the Hermann oak company. Made in America was apparently very important as made in NY. he even went on to say that the metal and thread all came from America. at that point i said prove it, and he grabbed one of those cone shapes with thread and turned it over. i forgot the name of the company but it was somewhere in Pennsylvania.

All in all it was a great experience but it did take a long time to get the briefcase, but i understand its just him and a few people. I love the entire personal process and my husband loves the briefcase too. This is the bag i got below and their website is www.jpmarcellino.com for anyone that is interested.

oh and if its Saddleback or Ghurka, id go with Saddleback, through my research i have not come by one negative review and many on Ghurka.


----------



## bscepter

Just stumbled upon this thread. I have an old Ghurka Express bag from 1990 or so, and it's beautifully made and bulletproof. I did just buy a 2013 Examiner off eBay and am cautiously optimistic that it's US-made, but I'll have to wait until it arrives next week to see. The seller touted it as US, so if it isn't, I'll have legitimate claim to return it.


----------



## sashko

typical


----------

