That's actually a really bad idea. How did you miss this as a UAW vet? We Americans have completely and totally lost the commodity wars. Anything that is cheap, low tech and produced in mass has already left this country for China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, etc. We can only produce things here if they a high-value/high tech enough to warrant the higher cost of US labor, regulation, land/rents, etc. Industrial and farm machinery, planes, autos, pharmaceuticals, etc.
We don't want to go low tech. Germany is renowned for high quality and high value manufacturing. Siemens, Bosch, Daimler, Mercedes, etc. China makes crappy toys, Vietnam makes crappy shoes, and Bangladesh makes crappy tube socks and tighty-whiteys - we buy all of it by the the dozen at Walmart. Which of the above countries would you rather the U.S. try to emulate in our economy?
I don't know that I think it's worth $45 to me for the can cutter, I agree with you there. If $45 is what it takes to make a first run of something that could possibly become a new made-in-America job-creating product, then so be it. Buy it or don't. But calling these guys greedy and full of avarice is BS. And justifying the moral attack by saying the U.S. should follow China, Vietnam, etc in a race to the bottom for cheap manufactured goods is crazy.
I won't buy one, not for $45. But I wish them luck and I hope more young folks follow their lead and try to start the next great American company. We need it.