Orvis CFO Reel; FYI

[Uplander]

There has been some questioning regarding whether or not the Orvis CFO reel is, or is not, made in China, as some have stated (myself included), or, is still manufactured in England, as the photo on the Orvis website showed.

Curious myself, I e-mailed Orvis, and the below is the response:


-----Original Message-----
From: Technical Fishing Support [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 2:40 PM
To: OConnell, Shaun
Subject: RE: Fishing and Hunting Tech Support (#8682-43058741-7264)


Thank you for your e-mail. The CFO reels are now being made at our facility in China. We have been working on updating the photos on-line but aparently missed one. After realizing that our facility in England just wasn't big enough to handle demand, we built a new manufacturing facility in China and moved our equipment and engineers over there. If you have anything else feel free to call or e-mail. Again, thank you for your inquiry.

Regards,


Jason Reid
Technical Advisor
Orvis Rod & Tackle
800-548-9548 ext. 628
[e-mail]


-----Original Message-----
From: OConnell, Shaun
Sent: Mar 27, 2006 1:21:44 PM
Subject: Fishing and Hunting Tech Support

To Whom it may Concern,

Could you please tell me the country of manufacture of the CFO reel? Many fly fishermen say it is now manufactured in China, however the photo on your website clearly shows a CFO reel with the "Made in England" slogan.

Thank you,

Shaun O'Connell

[JoeOverlock]

Well that settles it... it's the end of an era...

[Uplander]

joeoverlock said:

it's the end of an era...

Yeah. My father has a few old (i.e. England) CFOs he uses. Only Orvis reel I have is a Battenkill, and it was made in England.

Cripes, first Hardy goes all Generation X on me, and now Orvis is messin' with the recipe as well.

[FishinCane]

The CFO is a great reel... The most prized CFO's are the one that were made by Hardy. In the 90's until just a year ago they were made in England by British Fly Reel (owned by Orvis). They are now made in China. I've handled the new ones and they are just as good as the ones made in England.

[gonefishing]

I know this is an old topic but thought I'd share my opinion on a new orvis reel that I picked up for this season. I've fished with my CFO since I started flyfishing and keep a Battenkill as a "backup" reel.

This past spring I purchased the new Battenkill Bar Stock (BBS) and WOW, is it smooth. There is absolutely nothing quite like my CFO but I haven't been able to put it back on my rod since getting this new reel. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a new reel. If anyone wants to check it out in the future, let me know and I'll bring it to a meeting.

[strbender]

I also have the Orvis BBS III. I purchased mine last fall and it has the made in England stamp. I also have an older Cortland Crown II. The difference is night & day to say the least. I love my BBS.
Now would I still buy one now that they are made in China? NO WAY!!! I feel I can find a reel of similar quality and price made in the USA or England. I understand all about the "global marketplace" (I'm a self-employed carpenter) so I don't need to hear about all that. I feel Orvis is going in the wrong direction.

[gonefishing]

Mine is the BBSII for line wgts 2-5. I can't help it, just thinking about the reel puts a smile on my face

Agree 100% with you. I love Orvis products and customer service but I don't like the direction they're going.

[flyfishgb]

I just Bought a Brand NEW CFO III from orvis. It is UNBELIEVABLE, Big deal its made in China. The reel is an ORVIS.... I am extremely satisfied... This reel has already handled some big fish. And made it alot easier to land them. Well worth it

Maybe its not made by Hardy or in England, But it is made by Orvis. They are a great retailer and the reel hasnt even changed. If anything they made it Lighter, smoother, and more consistent.