Scott bikes? Ok. Everything else? No thanks. I've sewn up my Scott gloves so many times, they look like Frankenstein's monster. They just bought my favorite boot manufacturer last year too. Glad I got my last pair of Garmonts while they were still Garmonts.
The greatest brands you still love
- Thread starter kennith
- Start date
Scott bikes? Ok. Everything else? No thanks. I've sewn up my Scott gloves so many times, they look like Frankenstein's monster. They just bought my favorite boot manufacturer last year too. Glad I got my last pair of Garmonts while they were still Garmonts.
Bah. One can't let a few outlying products spoil the fun. Filson still has it where it counts, and more of their clothing is coming right back where it belongs.
I don't know about any green label stuff. It's not in the catalog they send me, and I've never seen it in one of their outfitters.
I could order double tin pants right now, actually. I'm not sure what you're on about.
Cheers,
Kennith
Orvis is the brand that most disgusts me nowadays. Their clothing isn't impressive at all now, and their outfitters won't even touch the word warranty.
If you don't like them, send them back. They won't bitch.
You must have bought that funky moleskin stuff. I don't think that's going to last very long in the catalog. It makes a good pocket liner, but I don't think making a shirt out of it was a very good idea.
I wouldn't call on any name brand for a belt, though; even Filson. Belts should be custom made, and so should leather jackets.
Cheers,
Kennith
That Marauder they offer is damned close to my old Eagle Industries and Piper base units, minus the tacked on extras. It's a perfect shape for ins and outs, and it's set up well for the guy behind you.
My trips take me farther nowadays, though, and while I pack extremely light, it's nice to have a bit more room to store shit. Even so, I may have to pick one of those up for use after arrival.
It would be a damned sight more convenient than what I'm doing now.
Cheers,
Kennith
Filson green label is their foreign made bull shit. At one time Filson clothing and bags were all white label- it was the only label they used. The new "double tin" is lighter weight and imported fabric. - Should have clarified I suppose. They cut 3 jackets out if their line ax well. The fact that they've partnered with Jack Spade says enough.
The feather and safari cloth shirts were very well made then they started importing that fabric as well. The moleskin is tough as shit.
My grandfather gave me a hunting vest when I was in high school around '84 or so.... Nice as hell and took years before it showed any signs of degradation - I bought a hunting vest with blaze orange on the yoke and a snap strap had broken as well as the orange yoke is separating from the face fabric. They're not the same company they used to be.
Why shoul belts be custom made? I have an off the rack belt from Justin that I inherited from my father and it's still wearing well. I've got an old Trafalgar belt I bought a millennium ago and it's still tough as hell.
Moleskin is an ooooooooooooold fabric! I believe it was used in some military uniforms. It's dense as hell and damn near wind proof.
The feather and safari cloth shirts were very well made then they started importing that fabric as well. The moleskin is tough as shit.
My grandfather gave me a hunting vest when I was in high school around '84 or so.... Nice as hell and took years before it showed any signs of degradation - I bought a hunting vest with blaze orange on the yoke and a snap strap had broken as well as the orange yoke is separating from the face fabric. They're not the same company they used to be.
Why shoul belts be custom made? I have an off the rack belt from Justin that I inherited from my father and it's still wearing well. I've got an old Trafalgar belt I bought a millennium ago and it's still tough as hell.
Moleskin is an ooooooooooooold fabric! I believe it was used in some military uniforms. It's dense as hell and damn near wind proof.
5.11! I'm shocked no one has mentioned them yet. Everything they make is so tactical and purpose built (as opposed to all those other pants made with no purpose). They make their even in my rather hefty size and they look great, and tactical. They have lots of pockets to put stuff in like my techlite flash light, ice picks, extra clips, suture kits, and lock picks in. Their Taclite Pro shirt in 3x easily conceals my Desert Eagle 50 I wear in a shoulder holster most days. They have lots of new products too, like a TactaKilt for days when you don't feel like wearing pants but still want everyone to know your are a badass. The offer patches you can sew on to your 5.11 stuff so it will be both tactical and custom. 5.11 suits my personality to a T so that whether I am buying groceries, sucking down beer and hot wings, or loudly complaining about the price of 5.56 ammo at gun shows, everyone knows that I am the guy who is tactical.
Your hat is tactical as fuck. All kinds of high-speed badassery hidden in there.
Cheers,
Kennith
Actually, I figured a few would have been on about stuff like that by now. I thought I'd go for everyday brands some might not consider, but I'm glad to see many things like that mentioned already.
I'll add:
Panasonic:
They make some very good stuff. Even my microwave and razor ended up being Panasonic products. Most of their offerings are still made in Japan, and they have a very accessible and responsive customer service group.
Falcon Northwest:
If you just want to buy a computer, you can't go wrong with Falcon. They offer a very good warranty, excellent customer service, and test the fuck out of their machines before they ship.
Zombie Tools:
Their blades are a hell of a lot better than you might think. They are great for bush use; especially in machete sizes, because they don't stand out. These guys have a silly image, but they are very serious about their work. Shut up Dan.:rofl:
Cheers,
Kennith
I'll add:
Panasonic:
They make some very good stuff. Even my microwave and razor ended up being Panasonic products. Most of their offerings are still made in Japan, and they have a very accessible and responsive customer service group.
Falcon Northwest:
If you just want to buy a computer, you can't go wrong with Falcon. They offer a very good warranty, excellent customer service, and test the fuck out of their machines before they ship.
Zombie Tools:
Their blades are a hell of a lot better than you might think. They are great for bush use; especially in machete sizes, because they don't stand out. These guys have a silly image, but they are very serious about their work. Shut up Dan.:rofl:
Cheers,
Kennith
Speaking of brands that have lost their way....
I used to just get a new pair of Vans skate shoes every few years...but I don't think they've been made in Orange Co. for years.
Also Doc Martens...I havent checked lately...are they still made in Thailand or did they go back to England?
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I used to just get a new pair of Vans skate shoes every few years...but I don't think they've been made in Orange Co. for years.
Also Doc Martens...I havent checked lately...are they still made in Thailand or did they go back to England?
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I went to VCU Adcenter for art direction where every weekend there was a talk from some of the grand pooh bahs of advertising.
In 2000 and 2001 "brand" was a huge buzz word - it was all about the "brand" and what a brand is. (The school is now the "Brand Center"). The world wide creative director from M&C Satchi spoke about brands an what he believed great brands are - Great brands make a promise and always maintain and exceed expectations. Great brands are easily recognizable and stand for something that never changes. It really was an amazing talk where forward the end he revealed what he and others believed to be three of the greatest brands in the world. One was Harley Davidson, one was The Grateful Dead, and the was the skull and cross bones pirate flag. If you think about it when you see black and orange you think of Halloween or HD - the HD logo immediately stirs up thoughts of USA, rebels, leather, and outlaws an loud pipes. When you see a Steal Your Face skull you instantly think hippie, '60's , described shows and VW busses. When you see a skull and bones flag you immediately think pirates and outlaws, and danger. The flag is the most co-opted logo in the world.
There are some brands that have kept their promise and many that have forgotten what their promise was. Remember Abercrombie & Fitch? Some of the best outdoors and sporting equipment and clothing made. Now they're struggling to stay relevant to teen agers with t shirts and plaid shirts. Jos A Bank was at one time a great suit maker up their with southwick and Hamilton - now they are at the bottom of the pile giving away suits. Brands like Filson haven't gone that way yet but they are slowly easing into the warm bath of quick buck fad chasing and may just find themselves paying for it. Barbour as well. It's damn hard to maintain a brand for years on end but that's what separates the A&F's from the Grateful Deads.
In 2000 and 2001 "brand" was a huge buzz word - it was all about the "brand" and what a brand is. (The school is now the "Brand Center"). The world wide creative director from M&C Satchi spoke about brands an what he believed great brands are - Great brands make a promise and always maintain and exceed expectations. Great brands are easily recognizable and stand for something that never changes. It really was an amazing talk where forward the end he revealed what he and others believed to be three of the greatest brands in the world. One was Harley Davidson, one was The Grateful Dead, and the was the skull and cross bones pirate flag. If you think about it when you see black and orange you think of Halloween or HD - the HD logo immediately stirs up thoughts of USA, rebels, leather, and outlaws an loud pipes. When you see a Steal Your Face skull you instantly think hippie, '60's , described shows and VW busses. When you see a skull and bones flag you immediately think pirates and outlaws, and danger. The flag is the most co-opted logo in the world.
There are some brands that have kept their promise and many that have forgotten what their promise was. Remember Abercrombie & Fitch? Some of the best outdoors and sporting equipment and clothing made. Now they're struggling to stay relevant to teen agers with t shirts and plaid shirts. Jos A Bank was at one time a great suit maker up their with southwick and Hamilton - now they are at the bottom of the pile giving away suits. Brands like Filson haven't gone that way yet but they are slowly easing into the warm bath of quick buck fad chasing and may just find themselves paying for it. Barbour as well. It's damn hard to maintain a brand for years on end but that's what separates the A&F's from the Grateful Deads.
I have a long relationship with Doc's myself. I bought my first pair when I was 17 for 180 bucks. I wore them everyday for 5 years when I was working construction during the day and going to punk shows all the time. They are still holding together nicely, the soles just finally wore smooth. I bought 4 pairs of Chinese Doc's after that and none made it a year. They do offer a made in England line now and I bought a pair 2.5 years ago. They lasted 2 years (with my much less demanding life style and other shoes I wear) and the sole split. They now have a guaranteed forever collection. I bought a pair this winter and we will see how they hold up. This is probably the last pair I will buy either way. These will either last me forever and I won't need another pair or I will be so disgusted I will have to find a different boot company.
Good call on Dana Gleason! I still have (and use) a couple Dana Designs backpacks that were made in Bozeman. They are heavy but damn they are comfortable and last forever. My 4,000 c.i. pack has been getting hammered at the crags, on alpine climbs, and world travel since 1995. It's filthy, it stinks, but everything still works.
LL Bean has always been great for general stuff, and the warranty is top notch. Never known for style points like Filson or others but always lasted as long as any of my other stuff at a similar price point. then again, I am a cheapfuck.
atriot:
atriot: