Partridge hook supply problems

[Darren Lewis]

I've read in a few places about partridge supply problems, well they've never been the best, but I've heard that they've had a major problem. They decided to move their factory to china, found a factory site, agreed everything with the chinese, packed everything up including the machinery into containers, and sent it off. But when it get there, the chinese wouldn't let them unload the machines, so they've had to set up a new factory entirely from scratch. That would cause quite a supply problem I reckon.

[Pat]

I understand that most of the production is now on-going. Along with all hook manufacturers it is a challenge getting what you want but I am hopeful that the worst of the Partridge problems are behind them.
The current currency situation is making hooks from Japan very expensive and China is not too good (normally requiring payment in US dollars) so we are all going to be careful of hooks in the near future.

[kjackson]

The word from the guys at Mustad-USA is that the new digs in Singapore are up and running--finally. They did have some problems there, and the shipment of equipment was a problem as well. However, things are in place and production capability is at an all-time high.

Lacking the new catalogs, I can't say definitively, but the word was that line Partridge line was pretty much eviscerated. I'll say here that the US distribution and European distribution likely differ, so that last statement may not be true in the UK.

On the steel side--Mustad is the only hook company that makes its own wire from a proprietary steel, so quality won't be affected by the world market woes.

On another note, Mustad-USA is moving most, if not all, of the "classic" hook patterns into the Signature line with a small price increase. What this does is give old favorites like the 3399A a chemically sharpened point and micro-barb. It also moves the hooks into the standard sizing regimen.

I've been tying on the Signature hooks for the past year or two and like them, but I may not be as critical as some.