This is, as of this writing, listed as Made In Italy.It's actually made in Peoples Republic of China.It's sold by several different importers, and yes, it's functional.It's imported from Ilsa, who is indeed in Italy, and sells it.Article 101_057mm [...]However, the package reads "Tested and controlled according to ILSA ITALY quality standards - Made in PRC"If you want an espresso tamper, and don't care if it isn't made in Italy - there's cheaper elsewhere.If you want one made in Italy, may I suggest this one, it's aluminum, but it is nice and it is made in Italy:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0198BL5E6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Just in case this ad is changed in the future, here's a pic of the listing I bought it from: