Just late night speculation, but what's the chances of ingot importation? Possibly another tariff end run, post WW1 and fitting with reconstruction of the europe? Certainly, Belgians weren't the only tribe capable of making a round bar with a nice hole in it.
How many of you still remember razorblades made with "Sheffield steel" in the sixties? I don't imagine that meant the bladss were made across the pond. But it could have been anything from a recipe to actually manufactured complete in Sheffield.
Probably backtracking, but the industrial espionage and more legit hiring of imigrant steel engineers/scientists occuring in the industrial age and into the war yrs, certainly resulted in American steel industry's ability to compete with Euro steels. Also, the US gov't employed industrial espionage/talent stealing itself in many strategic war capacity areas. Metals were very likely one of those areas. While the famous Euro steels were legendary, American steels proved time and again to be the match or better than them in war machines, apparently without creating mysticism comparable to the European makers. That mysticism continues today in the gun biz. CSM still offers "Krupp" barrels at a premium that has no apparet functional value, just a mark on the barrel.
The long run of MIL Specs of the US (AN, NAS, MS, MIL, etc.) created the finest manufacturing system in the history of man. The recent demise of the MIL Specs was purely a economic decision, probably led by the likes of Teddy to fall into line with the EU ISO crap that did nada to advance the US manufacturing, but cost untold sums to implement. A big early step toward a "new world order" IMO.
RWTF, you can keep the rough stock Rolling Rock. It's beer, and there is not much more you can say about it than that. Arnold Palmer is indeed a living legend, not only as a golfer, but a man of many talents and acheivements, including aviation records.
Last edited by Chuck H; 01/05/10 06:50 AM.
