Orange County Unicycles?
If they are anything like most Italian products, the quality would improve by moving manufacture to China.
Yes, that is true. However, they are not like most Italian companies. They make the highest quality parts available. I’m not saying other companies aren’t at their level, but Shimano’s top end is on par with Campy’s second (or third) tier.
The whole cycling industry is changing, but for the most part China still produces junk. The one exception is Carbon Fiber. Apparently even Colnago, anf Pinarello have frames made in China. So, maybe when a carbon fiber Uni frame comes into the mainstream it will have a China sticker on it.
I don’t know if it is still true, but for a while some of the best consumer composites came out of China because they didn’t restrict the use of carcinogenic resins that gave them qualities not attainable with materials in other countries. If it is still happening it could explain why high end frames are being made in China.
That’s because complex carbon shapes are manual labour. You have to fit the fabric over a machined shape, apply resin and repeat layer by layer.
The carbon fibers itch like hell and will stick in your clothing for months to come no matter how much you wash. The resin isn’t healthy either and if you don’t wear a mask and gloves you’ll soon develop an allergy.
Alike minds with alike enthousiasm… so I can’t tell, but I understand what your saying 
Creative people like to create, rather than doing paperwork about “your” product that you never even saw.
So personally I agree that outsourcing your core-business isn’t great practice.
Plus now at least you know for sure they were not made by child slaves.
Counting the number of custom unicycles I saw at recent conventions, then I think a chain-drive is nowadays a novelty.
Fiat ain’t Ferrari, who don’t seem to have bad engineers in F1, to mention one league.
Now IMHO Italy is richer in bicycle history, than in car industry.
Last year I heard the only Colnago’s ever made outside Italy were made by Jan LeGrand.
As a kid I use to visit his place sometimes, and even meet Peter Post. His son is now working at Presto, also a frame-builder, where I happen to have had a internship very long ago. Actually the closest decent bike-shop near my house.
During the summer of 2014 I heard -and saw- Giovanni Pinarello saying they were all made in his factory. He died September that same year. I doubt the company has suddenly changed.
And fake Pinarello frame are known as “Chinarello”.
Personally I liked the concept of Cervélo, which was developed by a student at the University of Eindhoven, also here in Holland; have the carbon weaved into the shape a the frame frame. The concept was offered few kilometers further in Valkenswaard to Manfred Krikke (Concorde, Ultima, American Eagle), who AFAIK initially declined to become the manufacturer, but later became the sole distributor, …and went bankrupt in 2012.
I’m curious if that concept has any flaws. But doubt the very expensive process has serious benefits for a unicycle.
Anyway, the Carbon K1 never was a popular frame, but probably because it’s oversized shape. And I think it still had a lot of aluminium in it.
If you hold a welding gun, you fit in my category “dirty hands”.
I wish, I might be able to afford one then.