I don't care where Festool's drill bits come from, they are of exceptional quality. That's from someone who used them instead of someone who looked at a label.
I don't think $14 for 10 bits is expensive either. It's the normal rate for quality. I bought 8 small bits the other day of another brand for €8.80.
I do agree with Bill Chang. It's considered a national sport in China to "Screw the man". A lot of Chinese products are substandard, but they can produce quality too if they want. Only thing is, as a client that wants quality from them, you've got to keep your eyes WIDE open. I suspect Festool has that area covered. Btw, wasn't it Famag who made Festool's drill bits? Thought I read that somewhere once. Not sure anymore. But if it's Famag, that's as high a quality as you can get.
It's no use complaining that Chinese workers get paid very badly. It's true, but if they don't get this pay, what do you think they'll get? Even less. That's how the situation is right now. Nothing short of a revolution is gonna change that, and I don't see a revolution happening. Only time will make the difference. A long time, measured in decades at least.
I remember from history class that somewhere in the 1800's the American navy sailed to China and threatened to open fire on Chinese cities if the emperor didn't open the trade barriers for them. Because the Chinese didn't want anything to do with the west. Lol, well, that attitude changed dramatically. To some people's regret.
