We've all seen and experienced the crapy tools that are "gasp" shittier if not the same turd quality as cheap made in China tools. I stopped buying any hand tools that are made in India (and China) in the last couple of years ever since i discovered higher quality tools that are European and Japanese made, albeit more expensive. We have all generally come to despise tools made in India most often throwing them into the same garbage bin containing crappy Chinese tools.
Now, the confusion for me (being Indian) is that i clearly remember reading in school about the famous Iron pillar currently in Delhi which doesn't rust (so it must have been alloyed with suitable elements) and was built up to a total height of about 7mtrs using individual blocks/pieces (so it must have been forged/welded together), took a cannon ball hit at some point of time and didn't shatter into pieces (so it must have been properly annealed after the manufacturing process) so on an so forth (you can read all about the pillar here) and you know what ? this pillar is dated back to 4th - 5th century. So, it befuddles me that a people who made such good steel millenia and a half ago can't made a decent pair of pliers or sockets today that can compete against the rest of the world ! I mean, what the **** happened India ?
We have all gotten used to hearing of Damascus steel as being the holy grail of the time but we forget that the Arabs took it from Persia who took it from South India and Srilanka. In fact the well renowned Wootz steel (a GJ search for "Wootz" gave me zero hits) which happens to be the highest carbon steel at the time, was being made in India by 400-500BC !! and exported world wide. At a time when India was being plundered for spices, gold and diamonds, in 327BC, Alexander took a reward/donation of approx 15Kgs of the local Wootz steel from King Porus who was defeated at his hands, surely Alex the great knew real **** (i say he should be made an honorary posthumous GJ member lol) from shiny ****.
So i wonder how and why it has come to this that India makes such crappy tools today after having made the best tool steel (tools at those times were weapons) of the time ?
Now, the confusion for me (being Indian) is that i clearly remember reading in school about the famous Iron pillar currently in Delhi which doesn't rust (so it must have been alloyed with suitable elements) and was built up to a total height of about 7mtrs using individual blocks/pieces (so it must have been forged/welded together), took a cannon ball hit at some point of time and didn't shatter into pieces (so it must have been properly annealed after the manufacturing process) so on an so forth (you can read all about the pillar here) and you know what ? this pillar is dated back to 4th - 5th century. So, it befuddles me that a people who made such good steel millenia and a half ago can't made a decent pair of pliers or sockets today that can compete against the rest of the world ! I mean, what the **** happened India ?
We have all gotten used to hearing of Damascus steel as being the holy grail of the time but we forget that the Arabs took it from Persia who took it from South India and Srilanka. In fact the well renowned Wootz steel (a GJ search for "Wootz" gave me zero hits) which happens to be the highest carbon steel at the time, was being made in India by 400-500BC !! and exported world wide. At a time when India was being plundered for spices, gold and diamonds, in 327BC, Alexander took a reward/donation of approx 15Kgs of the local Wootz steel from King Porus who was defeated at his hands, surely Alex the great knew real **** (i say he should be made an honorary posthumous GJ member lol) from shiny ****.
So i wonder how and why it has come to this that India makes such crappy tools today after having made the best tool steel (tools at those times were weapons) of the time ?
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