Let me elaborate.... K1's are forged in China, final machined in the USA buy K1. Carrillo bought K1 in 2006. K1 con rods are a high quality piece, and have a good reputation for being a solid product for the consumer with a tight wallet (myself included). I wasn't 100% accurate in saying that the K1's are rebadged Carillo's, but aside from certain metallurgical properties, they are VERY similar according to many people I have discussed this with.