Are Tapers patented? If not.....

The topic of bamboo blanks made overseas selling for a fraction of American made blanks has come up several times. If a particular taper is not patented then what's the difference of an import shop making you a blank based on the same taper as an American custom shop?. Other than 1/10th the price perhaps?

-Quality may be better? Possibly. but 10 times better?

-Material? The cane came from Asia in the first place didn't it? That just means the the local guys HAS to to pay more for imported material. However the material is only a fraction of the cost of a cane blank to either.

-That leaves just labor? Just because a local custom shop charges $big bucks/per hour to build you a blank, if material and craftsmanship are roughly equal, (Lets assume they're close for sake of argument) then it's down to paying a few bucks/hour or 50 bucks/hour for that blank?

So if the taper is not patented and you're getting a comparable product are you just paying alot more to say it's Made in America?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for buying locally, but there's a certain limit to practical economics. Buying a handmade automobile will get you the best craftsmanship available, but at a price only the Bill Gates' of the world can afford. That leads to the questions of WHY do want that super high priced product? So you can say 'This is a custom bamboo rod made just for me'? But thats another topic.

I've looked at imported bamboo blanks, and would buy one for sereval reasons.
1- They are economical in the overall realm of bamboo.
2- I dont fish for trout so I dont need a super light/delicate action.
3- I've always wanted a bamboo fly rod, just because they look really really cool.