Deon:

What type of fishing are you planning on? I have a 6 wt Flight that I use for smallies. It is a casting canon. It has a pretty stiff tip and I would not want to use it to protect a 5x or 6x tippet. For smallies this is not a problem. If you are looking for a lighter weight rod for fine tippets that is made in the USA, I would consider a St Croix. An Avid, for example, is a very nice trout rod with a medium-fast taper that will take good care of finer tippets and would easily fit your price range.

Davjd