[oflannabhra]

Musgrave Pencil Co [0], in Shelbyville, TN is one of the only other ones in the country I'm aware of.

The biggest challenge for a lot of these is that they essentially require full-time machinists to keep the old machinery running, as the manufacturers typically have gone out of business decades ago. Tremont Nail Co [1] is another one I'm aware of, because they manufacture nails with old processes (cutting instead of wire).

Which really tells the story of US manufacturing decline. When all supporting functions of an industry no longer exist, or have migrated to other countries, or have been surpassed by new technology, why should we romanticize and pine for an era that has been passed by? Why shouldn't we have a vision for a new era and double down on the things we are best at?

[0] - https://musgravepencil.com [1] - https://tremontnail.com

[robotnikman]

>Which really tells the story of US manufacturing decline. When all supporting functions of an industry no longer exist, or have migrated to other countries, or have been surpassed by new technology, why should we romanticize and pine for an era that has been passed by? Why shouldn't we have a vision for a new era and double down on the things we are best at?

That is true, and most people do not romanticize working in a factory as their day job. However it is a good idea I think to keep some small amount of it onshore so the knowledge is not totally lost, in case whatever country who is doing the manufacturing decides to use that as leverage over your country.

[gwern]

[0]: ...they're having a "beat the tariff sale". 5% off everything.

[ajsnigrutin]

> why should we romanticize and pine for an era that has been passed by? Why shouldn't we have a vision for a new era and double down on the things we are best at?

Because if something bad happens, be it a war, trade war with tarrifs or a pandemic, or just a stuck ship somewhere blocking transport, you're left without everything that you were once able to make, but can't make anymore.

[oflannabhra]

but going back to processes that are essentially "artisan" at this point, instead of re-shoring efficient automated manufacturing is the problem. Doubling down on making high volume pencils in an inefficient way is a fools errand when, if the stated goal is to manufacture all pencils domestically used through domestic firms is going to require an entire domestic supply chain on top of entirely new manufacturing processes and machinery.

Trying to scale old systems is not going to solve the issue of not being able to make the things we want to own, if that is even a good or feasible goal in the first place.

[dingaling]

I think that's a bit of a straw man, onshoring doesn't demand that it re-implements 1910-style production.

Maybe a new-tech pencil factory would only require 10 staff to run it 24/7. That's fine. Onshoring doesn't equate to full employment, but it does result in skills, knowledge and revenue remaining within a local OODA loop instead of being exported along with the actual production.

[kbolino]

Advanced economies are not so much living ahead in time as living at the top of a deeper production chain. The lower rungs on the production ladder do not cease to exist, though sometimes one of them is replaced by another, they just move around. And the biggest reason they are moved is to exploit different laws. One does not need to romanticize the past to want the work done under stricter laws at higher cost and with better pay and working conditions.