Another addition to this list is Eddie Bauer. As a Seattle native, I remember going to their store in the 1970's and it was filled with men's expedition quality down clothing, boots and high quality guns. It was acquired by General Mills and now is a shell of its former self.
You will soon be putting Red Wing, Carhartt, Thorogood and Allen Edmunds is this group of brands going down in quality. Nice video Carl, glad there are other brands that make up for the companies that downgrade their products and quality.
In the immediate weeks Post-Christmas they do a huge dump for up to and over half off, that's the only time the rubber ever meets the road with them anymore
Love this video, we need way more of this... way way more of this... brands get bought out on the downlow and it might take the average consumer 5.. 10 years.. to realize it.
Another prominent addition to this would be Tom Ford's acquisition by Estee Lauder, while not Private Equity, Estee Lauder is known in the fragrance community for destroying and diluting previously good, long-lasting perfumes.
In 1975, I bought an Early 1963 Corvette Roadster to restore. For my birthday, My mom and step-dad bought me a Craftsman tool set in a Craftsman toolbox to help with that restoration. Everything in there was made in the USA. I've bought lots of hand tools since then. But I still have all of those made in USA Craftsman tools, except for the 1/2" (3/8 drive) socket which I was stupid enough to loan to my neighbor who "lost it" and never replaced it. Sad story about all of these failed/failing USA and Canadian companies. Us old timers still remember what quality was. THANKS for this video, Carl!! Stay well!!!
Thanks very much for posting this video. I detest private equity and the tremendous amount of damage they have wrought over our manufacturing sector. The financialization of the US economy has caused atrophy in most other sectors of the economy leaving us critically dependent on other countries for indispensable items ranging from medicines/personal protective equipment (including N95s) to weapons systems. We have to take back the country from these financial vultures.
This is why "acting in the shareholder's best interests" shouldn't be the only thing holding companies do. They shouldn't be allowed to go against the common good, which includes not selling you worse quality goods at higher prices.
Read Rana Faroohar's "Makers and Takers" for a look at how the US became a shareholder capitalism model instead of a more equitable stakeholder capitalist model (where all stakeholders--the common good--are represented). These private equity guys are vultures, plain and simple.
@gaberoo9099 yea, but this is the inevitable result of unregulated "free markets". The concentration of capital in the hands of a smaller and smaller group of people. They will outsource jobs for cheeper labor, artificially inflate prices, while selling lower quality goods, all so the line keeps going up.
Late 70's bought a Filson Mackinaw Cruiser for 1/2 price at a local REI sale, heavy wool jackets didn't sell that well in Southern California. Gave it to my brother who'd just moved to Bremerton Washington and he was the envy of every guy he worked with. Thing weighed a ton and was built like a Caterpillar. Sad to see so many great brands die out. Glad a lot of Pacific Northwest work boot companies are still around, guess exposure on TH-cam helps their sales.
Fiskars used to make quality tools, but their own quality has gone down to the drain. Fiskars also bought many other Finnish manufacturers and switched their production to China.
The biggest problem with Gerber is that most of the knives are Chinese garbage, and the introduction of the Bear Grylls line is when they decided to start offering mostly garbage. Instead of buying Gerber , just buy Buck knives. They're the greatest American knife company. Still multigenerational family owned and doing it right. They are committed to having at least 75% of their knives American made and have stuck to it. They still have to offer the Chinese budget knives because of Walmart, but even those are going to be better than almost anything from Gerber.
It is really sad to see companies lose their loyalty to both their employees and their customers. If you build or create a quality product that lasts, people will keep coming back. Loyalty over the long term works both ways and creates monetary success.
I was a professional knifemaker for about a decade, and I know a bunch of the guys over at Gerber personally. You're KINDA on the mark, I think there's a lot of frustration at the ownership by the rank and file, but the design team DO actually try their best to churn out good stuff. Gerber suffers from their constant use.of mystery steel, which people think is maybe 420J... it's not exactly a great knife steel. Their multi-tools are respectable on the higher end, but like you said, Leatherman pretty much has them beat on the multi-tool game pretty consistently. Wouldn't do Victorinox for anything but SAKs, SOG suffers from a lot of the same issues Gerber does with low end manufacturing. Gerber's tactical knives... nothing they make currently draws me to add any of them to my lineup. IMO the best current sub $250 American-made knife company is going to be Spyderco or Protech if you live in a state where you can own an auto. Also, that's called an Omega spring.
Gerber lost my business in 1985 when I returned a 6 month old Paul Knife to them for repair of the locking button which was failing. They refused to repair it citing some corporate bs about returning that style of knife. Instead, they sent me a Japanese made smaller and CHEAPER pocket knife and a cheap set of 3 kitchen paring knives as replacement. Today, that Paul Knife is worth a significant amount of money. The crap they sent me is worth zero. It thrills me that they are failing!!!! It's called KARMA.
What irks me is how Buck can produce a US-made/manufactured 110 model folding knife (yes in basic 420J steel, but with really good heat treat) for 20-30$ and Kershaw can make quite a few US-made models in premium Magnacut steel for prices comparable to many Chinese knife companies, and we have so few other US knife companies able to do the same. Hogue is another such brand (and I almost forgot TRM: three rivers manufacturing) which offers great value (I've seen their Deka model in Magnacut for under 100$ with optimal heat treat for this steel).
I love that J. Press is in here, they offer exactly what you want from Brooks Brothers but no corners are cut. I need to invest in some more stuff by them
Thank you for this, the more people that understand how destructive these private equity parasites are the better. Every industry touched by these creatures is degraded and compromised for the benefit of corporate greed. An aside, the photo used in the segment about Woolrich supplying clothing to the U.S. Army is of the Soviet Army in WWII.
Unfortunately sog is another company ruined, grew up near their HQ and loved their knives and a huge fanboy of the powerlock but they no longer make anything in house and when they were bought out they stopped supporting their warranty
Carl, we're all looking forward to a deeper dive on Filson. And not in an attempt to ostracize Filson, but I bet it's a really interesting study on the subject. We've all seen their quality to price ratio deteriorate over the years. I will say, I sent for repair. an old, cared for but well worn tin cloth packer coat, and the customer service was very good, the repair was done extremely well and beyond expectation, and they didn't charge me a dime. Credit where credit is due.
The loss of Mountain Equipment Co-op was heartbreaking. When you bought a MEC product, you knew it was good quality and affordably priced. I still have a 1999 MEC knapsack. It has been through rain, snow, & sunny hot summer days and it is still in one piece and solid. You cannot say the same for their bags now.
Thanks for the ‘run down’ Carl! Baffin is a company that still manufactures quite a few of its boots in Canada, in a similar style to Sorel. Shuron is an eyeware company that still makes all (?) of its frames in the US, with styles that haven’t changed in forever!
A great video about once great companies that went down hill! As a Canadian it saddens me about Canadian companies that went down! Keep up the good work!
How about looking at more local brands around your state? I had researched some brands in my home state of MN. Of course the big one is red wing but also there is a shop in the capital,”leatherworks MN” which makes small leather goods using some of their leather. Another company is Duluth pack which focuses on canvas & leather made bags & goods in their home town. Another brand frost river also in Duluth makes wax canvas & leather bags. There is a small handfull of amazing small shops what haven’t fell into PE so if I find any of these small shops I like to support them as much as I can!
Loved this one boss. Glad you called out the ones that needed it. Extremely sad though, in particular to Filson. That’s the one that has affected me the most personally, the change has been more rampant recently. Keep it up though Carl!
Great video! I have a mackinaw cruiser from 2019, buffalo plaid, and i have the workhorse v6. I have to say the v6 is head and shoulders above the cruiser! Love the thing!
Love your videos, you save me a lot of time and money. Any chance for some FR clothing content? I'm in Oil and Gas, I know you were a electrician so I'd love to hear your inputs about various FR suppliers/manufacturers. Hardhats, heavy duty gloves/impact gloves? Thanks.
Great video Carl. Well researched and very informative. I appreciate you recommending alternatives instead of just kvetching about how everything used to be better. Fortunately, we do have alternatives and we can vote with our wallets for the best goods. Thanks.
Of course, JPress is now owned by a Japanese holding company but in this case saved Press by committing to the original sourcing and manufacture. They have also retained Press's high quality but not too too expensive price points. The retailer O'Connell's based in Buffalo, NY retains the Press/Brooks Bros traditionalism and their "house" branded shirts and wool are made by US and Canadian factories. On another note, Abercrombie and Fitch once a renown OUTDOORS company (much like the original Filson, the current another loss to PE), is now the crap that it is and is owned by PE Sycamore Partners (which owns The Limited Co., which owns Zara, etc.) What a shame.
A few other options for American made oxford cloth button down shirts: Hamilton Shirts, Mercer & Sons and Gitman Bros. I own shirts from each--all of which are made to a very high standard.
A Filson Mackinaw cruiser that cost $178 in 2001 would be $315 with inflation in 2024. Anything in the 300s might be reasonable but $495 ?? I do love mine that I found on clearance for $180 😊. Good video.
This video made me almost cry. I'm 65. As a kid growing up I was always buying Craftsman tools as I could afford them. Nice enough tools, and priced for "the every man" AND a lifetime guarantee. This is a political video, though many may not realize it. America was build by Americans for Americans. We made American goods with American labor. The shift to destroy (yes, quite intentionally) began in the 1970s. Show me a country that does not produce anything and I will show you a nation of SLAVES. Remember Smokey the Bear? Only you can prevent continued intentional destruction of America. Corporatism is not Capitalism. Government picking winners in business is not in the interests of the Republic. Open borders? Catch and release for criminals? Sending fiat borrowed trillions of dollars overseas for our grandkids to pay off in their lifetime? Consistent never ending wars? It all stops once Patriots are hungry enough I suppose, just like history always shows us. Lets change America so we can make Made in America Great Again!
America for Americans? Sorry to burst your bubble but America was built by immigrants. Irish, Chinese, Germans and Swedes in the 19th century, not to mention millions of enslaved Africans; Slavs, Jews, Italians, Russians in the early 20th century, Hispanics and Asians in the 21st century. And don’t forget that the English and Dutch Europeans who came here in the 17th century were immigrants too, or maybe you’ve forgotten the first people of North America, Native Americans. I share your anger at what you call corporatism, but let’s not forget that corporatism is the natural outcome of capitalism. Win at all costs, greed is good. In the real world, Adam Smith’s invisible hand, which is supposed to keep the playing field level, doesn’t exist. In the post WWII period unionized labor played the part of the invisible hand, creating a genuine middle class in this country, but those days are mostly gone. Are you willing to pay more for goods produced by Americans in America? “Made in America” is no guarantee of superior quality anymore. Many of the high quality boot brands discussed on this channel are made in China and Indonesia. Premium jeans made in Vietnam are equal to jeans made in the U.S. The Chinese are now making high quality EVs for far less than the U.S carmakers. “Patriotism” is a jingoistic term many people use to justify their antipathy to people and ideas they find threatening.
@@stuartschwartz5341 As an historian, I flatly reject your position / rebuttal. I do not and cannot accept your endorsement of greed and corruption as the way it is and we cannot improve. You know and I know jobs in manufacturing were forced overseas with the 70s Nixon opening China by the global elites / cartel with express intent being labor savings and the destruction of America, with malice. Countries who do not produce are not economically viable. All of this comes from the Satanists of this world. You know it and I know it. I have lived long enough to have experienced the intended disassembly of America, and the rest of world via forced installation of western central banks, all owned by the same people, after bringing "democracy" to them via CIA color revolutions. The America of today is not a Constitutional Republic anymore. Some of us still believe in God, believe in the Constitution, and seek capitalism minus cronyism. Though not popular with the communists in America, we want our country back.
I would put Levi’s high above, the quality decline from the 70-early 2000s Levi’s denim and how built they were, how much they were coveted by many people and how much they are now, now I life Levi’s 501, 505s and 514, but the quality isn’t as good as my wrangler cowboy cuts and the denim feels better but won’t last as long and Levi’s bag out weirdly on some jeans
Yeah, since their Caleres buyout things have changed. I visited their HQ around that time and they had a lot of strange things going on. It was also when they introduced five different names for their welts and began changing things from the old days.
Don't forget the famous Tilley Hats from Canada - now (many) also made in China. I was a MEC original member (cardboard membership card from Vancouver) and I suspect its demise was actually orchestrated. L L Bean has changed over the decades but still has some USA-made products
Great video, small piece of pushback though: I don't think companies that went bankrupt and were then purchased should be included (MEC and Sorel for example). Unfortunately, their business models were proven to not work prior to private equity so change was clearly needed or they should have just disappeared.
I used to love Woolrich, they were one of my favorite companies. Once they sold out, they sucked. Period. It was a serious betrayal and one I an still annoyed by. Oh, and I totally agree with your assessment of Filson. Shame on them!
Unfortunately, Carl, SOG got bought out by a company called GSM. They also own Cold Steel and a few others. Same kind of quality dip has been the talk around the industry since the buyout
I`m not really familiar with America made. But as a European i most say American cars are considered pretty shitty and with a lot of errors... I once had some Snap-on tools but i remember it as very expensive and kind of bulky...
I feel like Gerber and Fiskars both make decent stuff. Not high end. But I really like the Fiskars hatchet. And Gerber has some decent knives and tool designs. Leatherman is higher quality but also more expensive.
Carhartt may not have been bought out but quality is not the same in my opinion. My union usa made jackets, bibs and flanel pants are awesome decades later.
A headline from Fortune magazine this April: "Gen Z favorite Dr. Martens is struggling as its CEO steps down-and it might be because the shoes last too long".
Ah yes. The famous ‘no its the kids that are the problem’ line of thinking. The CEOs can act shocked when a cash strapped generation doesn’t want to blow money on crap
oakley hasn't innovated a dang thing in years, their quality is subpar and their customer service is just awful. If you're looking for ski goggles do yourself a favor and buy Zeal or splurge on Smith. I was especially dissapointed after I bought some oakley 'flight deck' goggles and they started fogging terribly after 1 season. oakley uses this antiquated anti-fog coating that is incredibly delicate, rubs off easily and can't be reapplied. Smith on the other hand has bonded the anti-fog with their lens plastic so it can't be rubbed off. I've had smith 4D goggles for 3 years and they're as perfect as day 1.
@@CarlMurawski They've watered them down to a degree where I'll never be buying from Creed again. So many better alternatives, I've also left another comment on whats happening to Tom Ford fragrances too
@@CarlMurawskiYup I own both of those and only buy them when they’re on sale at Costco. I bought the Aventus 3.3 Fl Oz version for less than $250 and the GIT 3.3 Fl Oz version for $199. They just don’t last as long anymore, and the scent I’ve noticed isn’t as impressive as it used to be.
They didn't come up with the only way to make a more comfortable shoe / boot, and definitely not even the best way. It's funny how many people use the " comfort " to justify their lack of quality, even though you can have a properly made boot and use a softer bouncy wedge sole for the comfort. People who love them are the same as people who basically think only a sneaker can be comfortable.
Sort of. They had to shut down the eagle grip factory and sell off to Snapon who has kept them in production, but Malco in general is still alive. I believe they're still manufacturing a number of their HVAC sheet metal tools here in the USA, but they do have a number of Taiwanese tools.
@@TylerSnyder305 Oh that's cool to hear, I thought they went under completely. At least someone took over the production & is trying to keep it American.
@@SteveManCentral it is good but just barely. The problem is Snapon was rebranding them with an understandable but excessive markup , now they're making the pliers themselves and still charging the excessive price even though they have no middleman. If Malco was able to manufacture the highest quality locking pliers ever made and make a profit on them at $45, Snapon can do the same without needing to charge $80+ for them. I'm glad they're still being made and to the same quality standard , but while $60 would be understandable due to the cost of a Tool truck $80 is just so excessive. I am hoping they'll decide to introduce a less expensive version under the Williams line, they could make it happen with a cheaper black oxide " industrial finish ".
As a child I attended Woolrich Elementary School. The fence that encircled our school yard separated our playground from the property on which John Rich's home was built and beyond that the Woolrich company building(s). Little did I know that years later I would work for Woolrich Woolen Mill as a summer employee between years spent as an undergraduate at Penn State University. Nothing is made in those factory buildings these days. The Mackinaw Jacket I bought at a great employee discount during those years I think is still packed away somewhere in my hoard, waiting to be disposed of by the heirs after I give up the ghost, before that coat has seen it's last use! LOL.
I love Knafs too. But I find it funny he designs knives for sh___y Chinese brands that way over charge. I’m sure some will disagree. But that’s just my personal opinion.
Not necessarily a topic for this channel but this kind of stuff happens in a lot of different industries and I wish there was a video like this for other goods and services. I am sure a lot of people are buying garbage and have no idea. North Face comes to mind. Edit: Does anyone know if Dremel Tools have gone the way of Private Equity?
Products in this video:
Knafs Lander 2: rebrand.ly/jahed96
Gerber: bit.ly/3xeVrvB
-Leatherman: bit.ly/4ba0pr2
-Victorinox: bit.ly/4exFocP
Dr Martens: bit.ly/3z9FjvS
-Solovair: bit.ly/3KQGjHR
Woolrich: www.woolrich.com
-Weatherwool: bit.ly/3N2W9Qg
-Heat Straps: rebrand.ly/xhojsgf
-Vermont Flannel: rebrand.ly/mt1bqwr
-Duckworth: www.duckworthco.com/
Sorel: www.sorel.com/
-Duckfeet: rebrand.ly/r41kj16
Brooks Brothers: www.brooksbrothers.com/
-Spier & Mackay: imp.i317572.net/Y9ZxAR
-J Press: jpressonline.com/
-United Arrows: store.united-arrows.co.jp/brand/ua/?wovn=en
-Rowing Blazers: rowingblazers.com/
Craftsman: www.craftsman.com/
-Knipex: amzn.to/4bbRjdJ
-Proto Tool: amzn.to/4b8eHZy
-Wright Tool: amzn.to/4ba8Zq1
Filson: filson.sjv.io/1r43Bd
-Weatherwool: bit.ly/3N2W9Qg
-Heat Straps: rebrand.ly/xhojsgf
-Bradley Mountain: ktku.co/19
-Freenote Cloth: ktku.co/1a
Oakley: www.oakley.com/
-Randolph Engineering: bit.ly/3rYZUJV
-American Optical: aoeyewear.com/
-Gatorz: amzn.to/4exGbKP
-Maui Jim: amzn.to/3Rv16V9
Vise Grip: www.irwintools.com/
-Malco: amzn.to/3RzIgMz
-Facom: amzn.to/3xr2t09
Another addition to this list is Eddie Bauer. As a Seattle native, I remember going to their store in the 1970's and it was filled with men's expedition quality down clothing, boots and high quality guns. It was acquired by General Mills and now is a shell of its former self.
Almost not even the same company...
You will soon be putting Red Wing, Carhartt, Thorogood and Allen Edmunds is this group of brands going down in quality. Nice video Carl, glad there are other brands that make up for the companies that downgrade their products and quality.
It's been brutal watching the slow motion sellout and fall of Filson. The quality to price ratio of their modern gear is just ludicrously bad.
I know, that's the one which affected me most.
In the immediate weeks Post-Christmas they do a huge dump for up to and over half off, that's the only time the rubber ever meets the road with them anymore
Weatherwool and duckworth are not exactly cheaper from what I can see…
Love this video, we need way more of this... way way more of this... brands get bought out on the downlow and it might take the average consumer 5.. 10 years.. to realize it.
Another prominent addition to this would be Tom Ford's acquisition by Estee Lauder, while not Private Equity, Estee Lauder is known in the fragrance community for destroying and diluting previously good, long-lasting perfumes.
No please god no
They've already done it with a lot of classics. Oud wood has been reformulated and watered down for sure. A few others too
In 1975, I bought an Early 1963 Corvette Roadster to restore. For my birthday, My mom and step-dad bought me a Craftsman tool set in a Craftsman toolbox to help with that restoration. Everything in there was made in the USA. I've bought lots of hand tools since then. But I still have all of those made in USA Craftsman tools, except for the 1/2" (3/8 drive) socket which I was stupid enough to loan to my neighbor who "lost it" and never replaced it. Sad story about all of these failed/failing USA and Canadian companies. Us old timers still remember what quality was. THANKS for this video, Carl!! Stay well!!!
Thanks very much for posting this video. I detest private equity and the tremendous amount of damage they have wrought over our manufacturing sector. The financialization of the US economy has caused atrophy in most other sectors of the economy leaving us critically dependent on other countries for indispensable items ranging from medicines/personal protective equipment (including N95s) to weapons systems. We have to take back the country from these financial vultures.
This is why "acting in the shareholder's best interests" shouldn't be the only thing holding companies do. They shouldn't be allowed to go against the common good, which includes not selling you worse quality goods at higher prices.
Read Rana Faroohar's "Makers and Takers" for a look at how the US became a shareholder capitalism model instead of a more equitable stakeholder capitalist model (where all stakeholders--the common good--are represented). These private equity guys are vultures, plain and simple.
That's capitalism
@@trah666 Capitalism was not always like this here.
@gaberoo9099 yea, but this is the inevitable result of unregulated "free markets". The concentration of capital in the hands of a smaller and smaller group of people. They will outsource jobs for cheeper labor, artificially inflate prices, while selling lower quality goods, all so the line keeps going up.
@@trah666 Agree. All the more reason we have to push back...harder than ever.
SPICY god damn what a stupendous video and a great idea
Thanks amigo!
That's wild I was not expecting to find out that the founder of Oakleys is the creator of Red cameras.
Late 70's bought a Filson Mackinaw Cruiser for 1/2 price at a local REI sale, heavy wool jackets didn't sell that well in Southern California. Gave it to my brother who'd just moved to Bremerton Washington and he was the envy of every guy he worked with. Thing weighed a ton and was built like a Caterpillar. Sad to see so many great brands die out. Glad a lot of Pacific Northwest work boot companies are still around, guess exposure on TH-cam helps their sales.
Craftsman was the no brainer choice when I was young. Back when I had a fresh pair of Mumbos.
Fiskars used to make quality tools, but their own quality has gone down to the drain. Fiskars also bought many other Finnish manufacturers and switched their production to China.
Fiskars Chinese made stuff is just plain Crap ! Not worth bringing from the store , even if you got it for free.
The biggest problem with Gerber is that most of the knives are Chinese garbage, and the introduction of the Bear Grylls line is when they decided to start offering mostly garbage.
Instead of buying Gerber , just buy Buck knives.
They're the greatest American knife company.
Still multigenerational family owned and doing it right.
They are committed to having at least 75% of their knives American made and have stuck to it.
They still have to offer the Chinese budget knives because of Walmart, but even those are going to be better than almost anything from Gerber.
Benchmade
thank you for addressing these issues! You're a life saver!! 🙏
Glad it was helpful!
It is really sad to see companies lose their loyalty to both their employees and their customers. If you build or create a quality product that lasts, people will keep coming back. Loyalty over the long term works both ways and creates monetary success.
I am so glad i have 3 pairs of real sorel boots. Wish New England still got the winters to use my dominators.
I was a professional knifemaker for about a decade, and I know a bunch of the guys over at Gerber personally. You're KINDA on the mark, I think there's a lot of frustration at the ownership by the rank and file, but the design team DO actually try their best to churn out good stuff. Gerber suffers from their constant use.of mystery steel, which people think is maybe 420J... it's not exactly a great knife steel. Their multi-tools are respectable on the higher end, but like you said, Leatherman pretty much has them beat on the multi-tool game pretty consistently. Wouldn't do Victorinox for anything but SAKs, SOG suffers from a lot of the same issues Gerber does with low end manufacturing. Gerber's tactical knives... nothing they make currently draws me to add any of them to my lineup. IMO the best current sub $250 American-made knife company is going to be Spyderco or Protech if you live in a state where you can own an auto.
Also, that's called an Omega spring.
Gerber lost my business in 1985 when I returned a 6 month old Paul Knife to them for repair of the locking button which was failing. They refused to repair it citing some corporate bs about returning that style of knife. Instead, they sent me a Japanese made smaller and CHEAPER pocket knife and a cheap set of 3 kitchen paring knives as replacement. Today, that Paul Knife is worth a significant amount of money. The crap they sent me is worth zero. It thrills me that they are failing!!!! It's called KARMA.
What irks me is how Buck can produce a US-made/manufactured 110 model folding knife (yes in basic 420J steel, but with really good heat treat) for 20-30$ and Kershaw can make quite a few US-made models in premium Magnacut steel for prices comparable to many Chinese knife companies, and we have so few other US knife companies able to do the same. Hogue is another such brand (and I almost forgot TRM: three rivers manufacturing) which offers great value (I've seen their Deka model in Magnacut for under 100$ with optimal heat treat for this steel).
I love that J. Press is in here, they offer exactly what you want from Brooks Brothers but no corners are cut. I need to invest in some more stuff by them
Thank you for this, the more people that understand how destructive these private equity parasites are the better. Every industry touched by these creatures is degraded and compromised for the benefit of corporate greed.
An aside, the photo used in the segment about Woolrich supplying clothing to the U.S. Army is of the Soviet Army in WWII.
There’s a decent chance that uniform could have been made in the US, depending on when that picture was taken.
Reminds me of that scene from the wire when Stringer Bell says to D'Angelo "We do worse, we get paid more."
Unfortunately sog is another company ruined, grew up near their HQ and loved their knives and a huge fanboy of the powerlock but they no longer make anything in house and when they were bought out they stopped supporting their warranty
Damn, I didn't know that. What a shame.
Yeah...Sorel really hurts. I lived in those.
Carl, we're all looking forward to a deeper dive on Filson. And not in an attempt to ostracize Filson, but I bet it's a really interesting study on the subject. We've all seen their quality to price ratio deteriorate over the years.
I will say, I sent for repair. an old, cared for but well worn tin cloth packer coat, and the customer service was very good, the repair was done extremely well and beyond expectation, and they didn't charge me a dime. Credit where credit is due.
The loss of Mountain Equipment Co-op was heartbreaking. When you bought a MEC product, you knew it was good quality and affordably priced. I still have a 1999 MEC knapsack. It has been through rain, snow, & sunny hot summer days and it is still in one piece and solid. You cannot say the same for their bags now.
Thanks for the ‘run down’ Carl!
Baffin is a company that still manufactures quite a few of its boots in Canada, in a similar style to Sorel.
Shuron is an eyeware company that still makes all (?) of its frames in the US, with styles that haven’t changed in forever!
It would be cool to have a time machine just to go shopping for some real American made goods lol.
A great video about once great companies that went down hill! As a Canadian it saddens me about Canadian companies that went down! Keep up the good work!
How about looking at more local brands around your state? I had researched some brands in my home state of MN. Of course the big one is red wing but also there is a shop in the capital,”leatherworks MN” which makes small leather goods using some of their leather. Another company is Duluth pack which focuses on canvas & leather made bags & goods in their home town. Another brand frost river also in Duluth makes wax canvas & leather bags. There is a small handfull of amazing small shops what haven’t fell into PE so if I find any of these small shops I like to support them as much as I can!
Loved this one boss. Glad you called out the ones that needed it. Extremely sad though, in particular to Filson. That’s the one that has affected me the most personally, the change has been more rampant recently. Keep it up though Carl!
Very, very good video! Probably part of a series that needs to be done every couple of years.
Great video! I have a mackinaw cruiser from 2019, buffalo plaid, and i have the workhorse v6. I have to say the v6 is head and shoulders above the cruiser! Love the thing!
Love your videos, you save me a lot of time and money.
Any chance for some FR clothing content? I'm in Oil and Gas, I know you were a electrician so I'd love to hear your inputs about various FR suppliers/manufacturers. Hardhats, heavy duty gloves/impact gloves? Thanks.
Definitely. I've gotten a lot of requests for FR gear, so that's definitely coming soon.
@@CarlMurawski rock and roll. Thanks for all your effort, duder.
Honorable mention for arc rated gear also😂
The cap throw deserves more than a like!
thanks for all of this information and especially the links in the description! that makes it super easy to head over to those pages.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video Carl. Well researched and very informative. I appreciate you recommending alternatives instead of just kvetching about how everything used to be better. Fortunately, we do have alternatives and we can vote with our wallets for the best goods. Thanks.
Thank you sir!
Of course, JPress is now owned by a Japanese holding company but in this case saved Press by committing to the original sourcing and manufacture. They have also retained Press's high quality but not too too expensive price points. The retailer O'Connell's based in Buffalo, NY retains the Press/Brooks Bros traditionalism and their "house" branded shirts and wool are made by US and Canadian factories.
On another note, Abercrombie and Fitch once a renown OUTDOORS company (much like the original Filson, the current another loss to PE), is now the crap that it is and is owned by PE Sycamore Partners (which owns The Limited Co., which owns Zara, etc.) What a shame.
You think you could make a video on classic tools alternatives for brands that have gone down in quality?
A few other options for American made oxford cloth button down shirts: Hamilton Shirts, Mercer & Sons and Gitman Bros. I own shirts from each--all of which are made to a very high standard.
I grew up in PA and it hurts to see what Woolrich has turned into.
A Filson Mackinaw cruiser that cost $178 in 2001 would be $315 with inflation in 2024. Anything in the 300s might be reasonable but $495 ?? I do love mine that I found on clearance for $180 😊. Good video.
This video made me almost cry. I'm 65. As a kid growing up I was always buying Craftsman tools as I could afford them. Nice enough tools, and priced for "the every man" AND a lifetime guarantee. This is a political video, though many may not realize it. America was build by Americans for Americans. We made American goods with American labor. The shift to destroy (yes, quite intentionally) began in the 1970s. Show me a country that does not produce anything and I will show you a nation of SLAVES. Remember Smokey the Bear? Only you can prevent continued intentional destruction of America. Corporatism is not Capitalism. Government picking winners in business is not in the interests of the Republic. Open borders? Catch and release for criminals? Sending fiat borrowed trillions of dollars overseas for our grandkids to pay off in their lifetime? Consistent never ending wars? It all stops once Patriots are hungry enough I suppose, just like history always shows us. Lets change America so we can make Made in America Great Again!
America for Americans? Sorry to burst your bubble but America was built by immigrants. Irish, Chinese, Germans and Swedes in the 19th century, not to mention millions of enslaved Africans; Slavs, Jews, Italians, Russians in the early 20th century, Hispanics and Asians in the 21st century. And don’t forget that the English and Dutch Europeans who came here in the 17th century were immigrants too, or maybe you’ve forgotten the first people of North America, Native Americans. I share your anger at what you call corporatism, but let’s not forget that corporatism is the natural outcome of capitalism. Win at all costs, greed is good. In the real world, Adam Smith’s invisible hand, which is supposed to keep the playing field level, doesn’t exist. In the post WWII period unionized labor played the part of the invisible hand, creating a genuine middle class in this country, but those days are mostly gone. Are you willing to pay more for goods produced by Americans in America? “Made in America” is no guarantee of superior quality anymore. Many of the high quality boot brands discussed on this channel are made in China and Indonesia. Premium jeans made in Vietnam are equal to jeans made in the U.S. The Chinese are now making high quality EVs for far less than the U.S carmakers. “Patriotism” is a jingoistic term many people use to justify their antipathy to people and ideas they find threatening.
@@stuartschwartz5341 As an historian, I flatly reject your position / rebuttal. I do not and cannot accept your endorsement of greed and corruption as the way it is and we cannot improve. You know and I know jobs in manufacturing were forced overseas with the 70s Nixon opening China by the global elites / cartel with express intent being labor savings and the destruction of America, with malice. Countries who do not produce are not economically viable. All of this comes from the Satanists of this world. You know it and I know it. I have lived long enough to have experienced the intended disassembly of America, and the rest of world via forced installation of western central banks, all owned by the same people, after bringing "democracy" to them via CIA color revolutions. The America of today is not a Constitutional Republic anymore. Some of us still believe in God, believe in the Constitution, and seek capitalism minus cronyism. Though not popular with the communists in America, we want our country back.
I would put Levi’s high above, the quality decline from the 70-early 2000s Levi’s denim and how built they were, how much they were coveted by many people and how much they are now, now I life Levi’s 501, 505s and 514, but the quality isn’t as good as my wrangler cowboy cuts and the denim feels better but won’t last as long and Levi’s bag out weirdly on some jeans
I'm sorta suspicious of Allen Edmonds too.
Yeah, since their Caleres buyout things have changed. I visited their HQ around that time and they had a lot of strange things going on. It was also when they introduced five different names for their welts and began changing things from the old days.
Skip a knife ad? Never.
These look nice
Don't forget the famous Tilley Hats from Canada - now (many) also made in China. I was a MEC original member (cardboard membership card from Vancouver) and I suspect its demise was actually orchestrated. L L Bean has changed over the decades but still has some USA-made products
Hey I was wondering why I don't see any berne work wear or wolverine workwear or boots?
No reason in particular. I actually got a Berne work jacket for a comparison I’m doing in the fall. There are just so many brands, so little time!
Paolo Corinaldesi used to be CEO of Woolrich and is currently CEO of Filson.
Can Filson be turned around? Or is it to late?
ANOTHER great video! Keep it up
Thank you so much!
Wow this was a good one
Very accurate list.
If I don't actually know about a company, I will listen to the sponsor read, I only skip it if I already know about the company or product.
I’m no mathematician, but I’m pretty sure $178 to $495 is more than a 64% increase 😉
All in good fun, Carl. Love the content!
Great Video man!!
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!
Great video, small piece of pushback though:
I don't think companies that went bankrupt and were then purchased should be included (MEC and Sorel for example). Unfortunately, their business models were proven to not work prior to private equity so change was clearly needed or they should have just disappeared.
Fair point!
Rip woolrich 😢 it’s such a shame. Their old vintage stuff is so good though.
Looks like you need Ben to send you a tool burrito to better organize those screws when changing the scales. /j
I used to love Woolrich, they were one of my favorite companies. Once they sold out, they sucked. Period. It was a serious betrayal and one I an still annoyed by. Oh, and I totally agree with your assessment of Filson. Shame on them!
I wish I could start a Private equity firm.
Didn’t this happen to Allen Edmonds?
Unfortunately, Carl, SOG got bought out by a company called GSM. They also own Cold Steel and a few others. Same kind of quality dip has been the talk around the industry since the buyout
Damn.... another one bites the dust
Tell it like it is 👊🏼.
What a sad world we’re moving toward. Hopefully the internet will prove beneficial and people will begin coming to their senses.
Hey now, I love my Paraframe. It's a great little knife
I`m not really familiar with America made. But as a European i most say American cars are considered pretty shitty and with a lot of errors...
I once had some Snap-on tools but i remember it as very expensive and kind of bulky...
I feel like Gerber and Fiskars both make decent stuff. Not high end. But I really like the Fiskars hatchet. And Gerber has some decent knives and tool designs. Leatherman is higher quality but also more expensive.
Ya get what ya pay for ! Gerber was good before Fiskars acquired them.
It really does suck the way things have gone, Belstaff is another brand gone to the dark side, Swann dri is getting there too.
Cool vid, but you missed out Boeing
The eagle grip pliers are no longer being made.
Great video a lot of good information
When private equity gets ahold of anything it turns to shit
Hell yeah
Even the cheap stuff offered by the gutted companies is too expensive and unaffordable for most people nowadays. So unfortunate.
I’m shocked carhartt wasn’t one of them
Still family owned actually!
@@CarlMurawski oh so just ruined by regular greed lol
Are there any companies that actually improved after getting bought out?
It used to be a think that could and would frequently happen 100 years ago, but not anymore.
This was a good video.
Well thank you!
Carhartt may not have been bought out but quality is not the same in my opinion. My union usa made jackets, bibs and flanel pants are awesome decades later.
A headline from Fortune magazine this April: "Gen Z favorite Dr. Martens is struggling as its CEO steps down-and it might be because the shoes last too long".
Ah yes. The famous ‘no its the kids that are the problem’ line of thinking. The CEOs can act shocked when a cash strapped generation doesn’t want to blow money on crap
Could it be that Dr. Martens is less crappy than the other crap?
Their boots are so trash people buy one and know not to buy any more
This video just made me more depressed.
Check out Comrade Carl over here, I love it
Rip Friendly's :(
Good video
Omega Spring
Hey but at least some suits got some imaginary promise tickets for imaginary success!!!
oakley hasn't innovated a dang thing in years, their quality is subpar and their customer service is just awful. If you're looking for ski goggles do yourself a favor and buy Zeal or splurge on Smith.
I was especially dissapointed after I bought some oakley 'flight deck' goggles and they started fogging terribly after 1 season. oakley uses this antiquated anti-fog coating that is incredibly delicate, rubs off easily and can't be reapplied. Smith on the other hand has bonded the anti-fog with their lens plastic so it can't be rubbed off. I've had smith 4D goggles for 3 years and they're as perfect as day 1.
Ubisoft ! Oh sorry wrong video..
Maui Jim got sold to PE Carl
Damn. They did?
@@CarlMurawski Kering Eyewear it’s now apart of there portfolio granted they are French so it might be safe but 🤷
Creed Cologne also has fallen prey.
Aventus was such a staple. I hope they haven't changed that one. Or Green Irish Tweed!
@@CarlMurawski They've watered them down to a degree where I'll never be buying from Creed again. So many better alternatives, I've also left another comment on whats happening to Tom Ford fragrances too
@@CarlMurawskiYup I own both of those and only buy them when they’re on sale at Costco. I bought the Aventus 3.3 Fl Oz version for less than $250 and the GIT 3.3 Fl Oz version for $199. They just don’t last as long anymore, and the scent I’ve noticed isn’t as impressive as it used to be.
Filson....
Doc Martin's were never that good of a design, that includes solovair as it's the same design. Traditional fully leather boots is where it's at.
They didn't come up with the only way to make a more comfortable shoe / boot, and definitely not even the best way.
It's funny how many people use the " comfort " to justify their lack of quality, even though you can have a properly made boot and use a softer bouncy wedge sole for the comfort.
People who love them are the same as people who basically think only a sneaker can be comfortable.
Half of these aren’t private equity sales, but the point still stands
Yeah, more corporate greed than anything.
Polaris is even going downhill
J Press is fantastic
Malco has gone under now too.
Sort of.
They had to shut down the eagle grip factory and sell off to Snapon who has kept them in production, but Malco in general is still alive.
I believe they're still manufacturing a number of their HVAC sheet metal tools here in the USA, but they do have a number of Taiwanese tools.
@@TylerSnyder305 Oh that's cool to hear, I thought they went under completely. At least someone took over the production & is trying to keep it American.
@@SteveManCentral it is good but just barely.
The problem is Snapon was rebranding them with an understandable but excessive markup , now they're making the pliers themselves and still charging the excessive price even though they have no middleman.
If Malco was able to manufacture the highest quality locking pliers ever made and make a profit on them at $45, Snapon can do the same without needing to charge $80+ for them.
I'm glad they're still being made and to the same quality standard , but while $60 would be understandable due to the cost of a Tool truck $80 is just so excessive.
I am hoping they'll decide to introduce a less expensive version under the Williams line, they could make it happen with a cheaper black oxide " industrial finish ".
I don’t feel sorry for any of these companies. They forgot why they are in business for.
As a child I attended Woolrich Elementary School. The fence that encircled our school yard separated our playground from the property on which John Rich's home was built and beyond that the Woolrich company building(s). Little did I know that years later I would work for Woolrich Woolen Mill as a summer employee between years spent as an undergraduate at Penn State University. Nothing is made in those factory buildings these days. The Mackinaw Jacket I bought at a great employee discount during those years I think is still packed away somewhere in my hoard, waiting to be disposed of by the heirs after I give up the ghost, before that coat has seen it's last use! LOL.
I love Knafs too. But I find it funny he designs knives for sh___y Chinese brands that way over charge. I’m sure some will disagree. But that’s just my personal opinion.
Not necessarily a topic for this channel but this kind of stuff happens in a lot of different industries and I wish there was a video like this for other goods and services. I am sure a lot of people are buying garbage and have no idea. North Face comes to mind.
Edit: Does anyone know if Dremel Tools have gone the way of Private Equity?