While I was taking off a wheel to look for the cause of a slow leak, again, I noticed that the tire bead that protects the rim to some extent was overhanging the rim by a different amount on all my tires.
The tire I had off (OEM Conti's) had a good 1/16" overhang, whereas the one I curbed had none.
My point is that when tires are installed we should make sure the tire is fully seated against the rim to maximize this protection for what it's worth, which is little I know.

 

most low profile tires have rim protectors molded into them, that stick out usually an eighth to a quarter of an inch.

The one you curbed was missing it probably because it was rubbed off in the curbing process. I've noticed the conti's rim protectors are random in thickness throughout a single tire.. Just shows the lack of QC they have... but I hate continentals with a passion to begin with

 

I would not dare to argue with you as you evidently know everything, just as I did at your age, but I think that it would be obvious if the rubber had been torn off and it isn't.
Molding a tire with uneven beads would be pretty hard to do considering how the molds are made. For a company that has poor QC as you state, they have done remarkably well over the last half century or so; I ran Conti's on my motorbike in the 1950's and had no trouble with them then or with the ones I have now except for punctures but that is just bad luck combined with the thin tread area.

 

i have had some tires with a thick bead for rim protection,
and some with very little.

but i always listen for the big pop, when filling the tire to seat it
then inspect all 4 tire's after...
i could see where the tire might not set good,
due to the small or tight fit,
i noticed about all my tire installers have a bit of trouble getting the tire on the rim, and usually i find a scratch around the rim somewhere.. oh well