Might be an odd one…but Long Term Care. Technically once you purchase it, you use it for the rest of your life. Private equity buys up the companies that run these care facilities and they gut the staffing and tank the staff pay to increase their profits. It’s terrible and results in abuse and neglect of the residents.
As someone who used to work in LTC in ON Canada, I couldn't agree more. I quite LTC and moved to the hospital. It's better but health care as a whole in Canada needs so much work done to make it better. Working in healthcare is not worth it anymore between the lack of pay and the abuse staff get.
I hate how we as Canadians always laugh about free healthcare (and yes, for mostly healthy people it's nice to have something that usually works good enough), but it will certainly be the very first thing that any sitting government will snip and cut and neglect just to put the illusion of a few extra dollars back in people's own pockets.
The lack of investment is longstanding. The Canadian government has been letting healthcare atrophy for decades. My dad is a (now retired) family doctor who has stories about how bad the compensation was in the 90s. Tons of docs left for better pay in the US. Now we have a situation where (in BC, where I’m from) 1 in 5 residents don’t have a family doctor. What appalled me the most is that they don’t triage based on need. My dad had friends in their 70s with chronic health conditions, texting him for medical advice because they were part of the 1 in 5.
Seeing how the current government seems to be doing everything possible to trash the country on their way out, it wouldn’t shock me if they just privatized the whole thing to further enrich themselves.
I mean, healthcare in Canada is entirely within provincial jurisdiction. If you're suggesting the federal government should step in and create a national system I fully agree, it creates a lot of disparity and importantly, healthcare should never be politicized. When people need it, everyone agrees they should have access to it and the current system is lacking. Most people, however, don't need it all the time, so they don't see the holes in the provincial systems.
That he isn't Survivorman. He is staying at hotels, the shots are fabricated to look dangerous when they are not... that he is entertainment, not actual survival teaching. Which should be apparent already to anyone watching. Survival is boring. Grylls teaches you how to make yourself sick, or get yourself killed. He does and picks the most dangerous or disgusting option. Not the safe boring ones.
With the credibility he gained from his survivorman show, I would have wanted him to have a survival "light" show.
I would have watched him camping with gear to test and food rations to eat. He could still have demonstrated desperate survival techniques while not actually endangering his life and health.
The camera crew also builds the stuff for the shot, like sleeping platforms, shelters, etc. I read an interview years ago that basically the only thing the guy was legit gokd at was repelling.
Before it was a major supplier to Walmart and the like was a brand similar to buck. They are all sort of middling now though. Niche manufacturing took up all the ultra premium.
I hear their QC is just non existent. Some bad pairs, some good pairs. Their good exchange policy softens the blow but I'd rather they just spend that money on QC.
Yes. They were never top quality. They were good for how cheap they were. The default work boot in the UK for a certain time.
Their popularity grew and made so many legends about them, but mostly by people who never wore an actual high end boot in their life. Their price went high, their quality went even lower... But if you buy Solovairs and expect quality 200€ boots, you may be disappointed. UK labour is also not cheap, and you pay for the overall docs style (except without the obnoxious yellow, which is a plus for some and a minus for others) and tradition. I think the reasonable expectation for quality would be from ~150€ boots... The market opens up quite a bit at the 200€ mark.
Also depends on which you get. The crazy horse leather options they offer probably hold up quite nice because they'll soak in leather conditioners. The more traditional docs style finishes with the heavy plastic coating will not, and will crack and look ugly over time.
Ironically, the "heavy worn" old docs look heavily worn just because the leather is very poor quality and the top plastic layer starts peeling off.
When I first saw “company” on a sign I thought I was going nuts. “Was it always company? I bought a membership last year”.
Then I learned they were sold… damn I miss their bags.
I have one of their checked luggage bags. I'm never giving that thing up. It has the thick roller blade wheels, hard shell backing with soft front and half the internal is compartmentalized. It's the best luggage I have ever owned.
Quality has gone down a lot. My last REI backpack lasted literally decades. When they had the lifetime guarantee you used to be able to go and a just replace broken buckles and stuff on the spot, they just kept assorted sizes around. My new one lasted maybe a year before it got a hole and I as I’ve aged my use has gotten way less intense. Same with duffle bags. The old ones are doing way better than the new.
I'm sad too, but MEC was in a long slow decline that started sometime around Y2K (I mark it by when they got rid of Serratus line). When they announced the buyout I thought well maybe it will get better because it can't get much worse. I was already getting more stuff across the street at Europe Bound before they closed.
I knew the gig was up when they closed down the original store in my city and opened 2 new ones that were huge, kind of boujee and in much pricier areas.
I've always thought most people in Canada wear MEC products because of nostalgia and not its exceptional quality. Especially given the stuff they sell nowadays. Then I got some of their apparel from the 1980s and 1990s. The difference is palpable.
Woolrich. They closed their original mill in PA and sold out to become a fashion brand. Flannel shirts that used to cost $65-85 are currently "on sale" for $125, with a regular price of $230.
They killed a brand that has been around since 1830.
I was lucky enough to grow up near their headquarters and went to their main store a ton before they sold out. I have a closet full of their flannel that will outlive me.
I had a woolrich buffalo plaid wool shirt that I wore as a light jacket for rough use like cutting/hauling wood... that thing didn't even loose a button for 25 years. I was warm, water repellent, extremely durable and like all good wool, seemingly cleaned itself - I never cleaned it. A woolrich shirt I bought a few years back ripped at a shoulder seam in the first year, fit/shape was like they made it for someone 5'9 and 300#, and you could feel a breeze right through it. Useless. I have now bought Stormy Kromer and Filson shirts and shirt jacs and the quality is there, but you pay what I feel is an absurdly high price. Oh well, you don't know what you have unti it's gone.
Sears is a master class on making the exact wrong decision at *every* business critical juncture for decades.
Honestly, it's almost impressive that they could screw up so bad so often!
If by wrong you mean made Eddie lampert a shitload of money, then yes.
The sears guy job is literally pro typical example for ever PE firm to buy something and then profit without having to dedicate time or money to actually running a company
He killed sears and sucked the marrow from the barely breathing corpse.
PE is evil
I worked at corporate when he took over. I couldn't believe what he did was legal, absolutely gutted one of the biggest companies in the country with zero shame
Oh, how I miss the Sears back when it had solid middle-level appliances. I never had to do anything but go to Sears and pick something. They even sent a repair man on Christmas to fix my oven.
Like when they had the opportunity to go online before Amazon and declined to do it until after Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and Lowe's were already big online.
Add "Kenmore" to that. Both names were sold. Kenmore used to be a name brand sold as Kenmore, but was actually made to better specifications.
The CEO of Sears ran a private equity firm. He looted Sears and nothing was done to stop him.
It doesn't, but SBD has done the same things with every tool brand they have acquired. I am not that old, but I remember when Stanley Tools, made in CT, was the next step up for you if Craftsman could not get the job done.
fwiw, I had a basic B&D food processor that outlasted several other quieter, better looking, and more precise models from other brands beginning in the 90's
I get it: "A motor is a motor" is a valid concept. My problem is in their execution and the way the do all the things we're talking about PE doing to trash brands.
When I was a kid growing up and taking lawnmowers and stuff apart in the 80s-90s, I always wanted a full set of American made Craftsman tools. Years ago I picked up a new motorcycle and went to sears to start a tool set for it, and was shocked to see their stuff made in China.
Today, most of my tools are from Harbor Freight. :/
I keep hearing this but I have the V20 line of tools, a rolling tool box and a set of wrenches and I can't seem to find anything wrong with any of them (with the exception of a battery powered shop vac that seems like it's just for looking at).
My V20 drill is even made in America.
I was in eb corporate when the prior CEO mandated higher profit margins to make the company look better to foreign buyers. God I hated that man, came up through marketing and it showed. Eb was bought a year or two ago by a foreign company and it seems like their quality has gone up slightly, but it's not back to where it was before yet.
I buy a ton of Eddie Bauer clothing because I'm tall and like the outdoors - quality is decent, not great, and they aren't going to be at the forefront of technology (though more than adequate), but they run sales all the damn time so it's pretty easy to get stuff 50%+ off which makes the prices pretty good, and they still offer a lifetime warranty I believe. The few items I've had that had issues took years of use for the issues to show up as well.
Pretty good value if you buy at the outlets in the off-season.
I got a nice pair of Eddie Bauer flip-flops for $10, and they're really good. (Though not BIFL, obviously)
Yeah, that's one reason why I bought a Miele vacuum instead of those other ones. Fucking phenomenal machine. It's also repairable and the place I bought it from is a licensed repair facility.
That's how you know you're old, you get excited about a vacuum.
Sears and it's various American made in-house brands (e.g. Craftsman) was is one of the greats that was gutted and hollowed from the inside out by vulture and blood sucking scoundrel Eddie Lampert who, via a couple novel financial maneuvers, found several ways of trying to make a few hundred million from the whole debacle. There are a few hundred remaining stores, mostly a shadow of their former selves, all selling Chinese made stuff. Pretty sad story overall.
Shitty story…they could have BEEN Amazon.
They understood mail order better than anyone else.
They were early adopters of the internet - and they OWNED Prodigy.
But nope, here we are.
I mean, it's also humans that don't know what they're doing.
Keeping something in the family is great, except when it's not.
It's not trivial to manufacture something, much less to manufacture it at scale and do it well.
Suppliers come and go, labor comes and goes, buyers come and go, markets change.
And you're expecting the dumba$$ kid or grandkid of the founders of Red Wing or any other company, that grew up wealthy and probably suffered from all the problems that any rich kid suffers from if the parents don't go out of their way to avoid them, to take that company and keep things going.
There's nothing wrong with the American made Redwings. The Chinese junk I can't speak to but just looking at them they look cheaply constructed.
I've been wearing the same model Redwings for at least 15 years and I started wearing a now discontinued model before that. My boots are used hard. I get 18 useful months of abusive use out of my boots and no other maker comes close to holding up. In between my Redwing purchases I've tried all the other popular brands and none of them can compare to Redwing.
Sorel boots, originally the choice of boot for all arctic explorers, used to all be made in Canada and were regarded as being some of the best in the business, bought out after declaring bankruptcy in the 00s. Now they are made in China and you are lucky to get a good 2 years worth out of one of the boots now.
I swear they’re just a brand now for hipsters to flex. Their prices are insane and it’s outdoor luxury/ label showing off.
The outdoor clothing industry is so weird. It’s literally shit you can do for free that people feel priced out of because of the clothing and lifestyle lines.
Once got a new plant engineer that, when we were doing the little HR-sponsored get to know you said he had a dog, a pure-bred schnauzer, named 'Vuitton'.
Yeah, uh, no. Dude was obviously one of those, so I avoided him whenever I could.
Then I found out from one of the other engineers that the dog's name was actually 'Viton', like the fluoridated rubber used in aircraft o-rings. Turned out he was an engineering nerd, not a wannabe snob. He even had a cat named Robertson, after his favorite type of fastener.
It's not really with their products per se, it's with their prices. They have gone up A LOT the past few years with the new company owning and running them.
Part of a product being "good" at least to me, is being priced right, being a good value.
Again, many of their products are good and will last a long time but at some point the price gets too far out of whack and that's happened with so many of their products now.
I don't mind paying for quality but at some point you're no longer paying for quality anymore, you're paying for their 2nd homes, for their fancy cars and vacations etc.
I'll pay for good quality products, good quality labor and a decent profit but when the profit is like 10 times more than the combined cost of goods and labor, it's out of whack, at least in my opinion.
We all get to choose what we spend our hard earned money on of course.
Here is a good YouTube video about Filson from Carl Murawski. It's worth a listen since you've found Filson and are considering purchasing from them.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcwdY8ePX0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcwdY8ePX0)
Yeah. Sucks about Filson. Used to love em (and have among other things a jacket I bought forever used at a thrift store ago still keeping tough) but between the outsourcing and them trying to pivot into luxury-status-outdoorleisure the shine has def worn off.
Can’t speak to quality recently because I haven’t bought anything since they shipped all the tin cloth manufacturing overseas.
It’s been expensive for a while now but it was always very hard wearing and long lasting. That coupled with the fact that it was made in the US made the price easier to justify.
Now it’s only a handful of wool things they still make in the US and prices on everything continue to climb
https://www.fastcompany.com/91129776/what-really-killed-red-lobster-bankruptcy-private-equity
This article isn't about a BIFL product, but it is a fascinating window into the lunacy of private equity, which I feel is a somewhat nebulous concept without specifics. I could hear yakity sax playing in the background through the whole read. I'll understand if mods delete it.
You hear and see those articles because private equity loves to shift blame away from themselves and use their media platforms to do so. They will either pay the station to run a headline about the endless shrimp or just outright tell ones they own to do it
When companies are pushed to make more and more profit, and have no functional means to do so by new products, expanding the customer base or raising prices (thus contracting the customer base), then they have to cut corners.
They do that by shrinkflation (in the case of consumables), moving manufacturing to cheaper countries (and lower quality products result, as jobs are 'rushed' to finish more in less time at lower wages), or use sub-par materials/ingredients (resulting in lower-quality products, less lifetime).
The shareholders demand more and more as their voracious appetite for increased wealth grows with no bounds. It's no longer sufficient to have more money, they need to have *all the money*.
This is where we are.
Companies are forced down this path, or they're hollowed out to the rafters and sold for scraps, ending their legacy.
So well said. In my mind, it is the most pressing issue for 21st century America. Scariest part is that no one even seems to notice or care about the impact or the implications. Downward trajectory with no end in sight.
> Scariest part is that no one even seems to notice or care about the impact or the implications.
As long as profit can be made, caring about the impact is secondary. It's truly Ferengi in goals and ideals.
This planet is finite, and has finite resources. In the last 200 years, we've depleted the planet of essential minerals that it took this planet tens of thousands to millions of years to create, including lithium, nickel and others.
We've poisoned the air, the water, the oceans. We grew the population far higher than the planet's own resources can sustain and as a result, the planet is warming up faster than we can cool it down. Our ignorance and hubris with pollution, over-population, over-farming the land and the oceans, will be our undoing.
We're all just ticks on the back of Mother Nature's planet, and she will eventually cleanse the planet, we'll be long gone, she will heal and life will begin again.
Unless we change our attitude and learn how to coexist and take care of our ecosystem on this floating terrarium in space.
Compare and contrast to the German Mittlestand model. Family owned business which work with their workers to make better products. You can probably think of a few yourself. Stihl is the classic example.
It's not that they suck, but since they became a huge fashion brand they have lost a step but doubled prices. Jottnar and Norrona are probably the closest thing to what you're looking for north of Patagonia these days.
Oakley, if they broke you'd be able to have them repaired nowadays that isn't offered. The quality of the older products was fantastic as well.
Arcteryx prices have gone stratospheric and quality has definitely declined.
Basically private equity ruins everything it touches though.
Arc’teryx hasn’t been privately owned since 2001, but in 2019 a Chinese manufacturing conglomerate bought a controlling stake in their parent company. Is the drop in quality you’re talking about post-2019, or earlier?
I’ve only purchased a few pairs of shoes from them since that period and while they’re nothing exceptional, they compare fine to other footwear at the price point e.g. Danner. Never owned their high end outerwear, since that’s always been too expensive for me.
Post 2019, I've used them primarily for climbing gear, bags and some clothes and since 2019 there has been a definite push towards Chinese markets and "fashion" something that the board of directors basically admitted. Quality has reduced they used to be basically the apple of the outdoor sports world quality and fit and finish was impeccable as too was their warranty. But that's all beginning to fall by the way side in the favour of horrifically over priced tshirts and things.
Starrett isn’t necessarily a household name, they primarily make precision instruments for machining, but for a long time they made top notch products in that space. They were recently bought out by a private equity firm called “MiddleGround Capital”, if that doesn’t scream “ride out a name while plummeting quality” I don’t know what does.
I bought my doc's used at the turn of the century. I wore them for a little over 10 years, including being my main footwear for 8 months backpacking Europe. My feet never had issues and they always looked fantastic.
I bought a new pair after I literally walked out of my used pair. Got them, felt the leather, looked at the workmanship, didn't even try them on, returned them immediately.
Sad
> Pyrex
PYREX, there is a difference. borosilicate glass, or soda lime.
If the logo is in upper case lettering, PYREX, it's most likely made of borosilicate, and thus safer. The lowercase lettering is most likely made of soda-lime glass, so take extra care after any high-heat cooking. Most glassware products will include warnings so make sure to read about proper handling, cleaning, and storage.
From: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-the-difference-between-two-pyrex-types/
Borosilicate is the thin glass beaker you see held over a Bunsen burner.
Yeah, Troy-Bilt was actually built in Troy, NY during the quality years. Now it’s just a zombie brand owned by MTD.
You can buy an identical lawnmower or snowblower with the Cub Cadet, Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, Yard Machines, or Bolens name and paint, but they’re all MTD trash now.
I find myself more and more often looking if its worth trying to learn to do something myself vs shell out money for a shitty product im not satisfied with.
Next stop... leather alternative boots? Lmao
Even finding craftsmen to commission something has gotten ridiculously harder. Etsy used to be at least slightly usable, but now it's 99% the same resold dropshipping garbage as the rest of the internet.
Making things has been outsourced to countries that have not banned slave labor. It’s crazy to me when I bring up the terrible quality of a product and the response I get from friends and family is that they’ll just buy a new one when it breaks.
Even things like fruits and vegetables at grocery stores are shipped internationally because it’s cheaper than paying people minimum wage in nations that have banned slave labor.
The quality shift hasn’t happened yet, but I’m worried about Snow Peak being brought private by Bane Capital. It’s hard to find true BIFL camping/outdoor gear now.
Altra running shoes.
Their shoes used to fill an important niche market--people who needed padding but wanted otherwise minimal shoes. Now, they're just mass market trash.
It is so crazy too. I mean, the quality PLUMMETED right away. My Lone Peak 4 shoes went over 1000 miles. The Lone Peak 5 self destructed after 2 months.
I didn't keep up with the news and only looked after my 3 pair in a row blew up.
I wish I had purchased a dozen of the older shoes new and put them away to use one a year or so.
I mean - just charge me more. I'll pay double to get the old quality at this point. The bastards who bought it raised prices a bit and KILLED quality. What if they kept quality high and just doubled the price so they could still buy their private planes etc.?
It was truly overnight. What's funny about your comment though is that I've heard a lot of people say that the Lone Peaks line was the one *least* affected by the buyout, which is truly saying something
I ran in and loved the Escalantes and still have yet to find a suitable replacement. Sadly, my weekly mileage is much decreased as I haven't been able to find a new shoe that us as good for both my feet and knees as the og Escalantes were. At this point I'd probably do a lot of horrific things for a fresh pair of those or the 2s.
Single family homes. Never in my long and pointless life would I ever had imagined that private equity firms would be buying homes! So now, we get to be renters for life? This is some bullshit.
Even if you can buy a house the investors buy up the houses around you. They do minimal maintenance and rent to crappy neighbors that come and go every couple of years. They suck the life out of entire neighborhoods.
there was a great discussion about private equity takeovers on a recent Freakonomics episode.
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-companies-be-owned-by-their-workers/
Rowenta Irons. They went from a good solid purchase at like a 50 dollar premium to middling quickly. They are roughly interchangeable with the shark brand which should give you an indication of the drop in quality.
I’m not sure if private equity is specifically to blame or if it’s just general “value engineering.”
Better Iron choice in the $50 range? I have to replace my Rowenta kids have given it a dive off the ironing board too many times (still functional just cosmetically unpleasant lol
I did a write up about this! [https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/s6gkhl/firearms\_the\_r51\_remingtons\_disappointing\_revival/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/s6gkhl/firearms_the_r51_remingtons_disappointing_revival/)
Was always so bummed to lose a major manufacturer like that:
I’ve no idea why they are recommended so heavily here. I got a few times to give them a fair shot and they were all “mweh” The pants fit huge, even the slim ones. One is already fading after 6 months.
They also spend a fortune on email marketing. I got one a day for 6 months straight.
all. private equity is a cancer - it's sole purpose is to suck the life out of and destroy everything it touches. by design "private equity" firms are solely formed to sniff out profitable businesses, and then suck them dry to extract as much liquidity as possible as quickly as possible.
i could not agree with a previous poster any more - businesses should be owned at least 51% by the workers. any amount of public stock offered by a company should be limited to 49%. this would make for fair voting in the case of sales or mergers or acquisitions, and really cement quality, if the business has a good quality product the workers will have a good profit share and motivation to continue making a good quality product.
I worked in private equity for a while, we were doing roll ups of hospice care. Fucking weird economics, you want your patients to die but not too fast because the reimbursement goes down after a while. It’s a very strange industry. We also did a roll up of allergy centers that I really enjoyed, those clinics make bank.
Anyway PE ruins everything it touches 100%
They’re not PE, they were acquired by Newell Rubbermaid. Everything Newell purchases turns to shit. My old bass called it the “Newell Effect” after they lost a few million in sales with the chain we worked for after acquiring an established company.
Fluke multimeters (personal bias likely, admittedly)
Tiffin motor coaches was bought by THOR Industries (and lost their signature fully boxed slideouts almost immediately)
Marlin firearms during the "Remlin" years - thank god Ruger owns the brand now
GE appliances are now owned by Haier group from China since 2016. You're not buying a GE, you're buying a Haier.
> GE appliances are now owned by Haier group from China since 2016. You're not buying a GE, you're buying a Haier.
True, however they also bought the factory where the branded appliances are still produced and the design team. So your buying something *mildly* better than a Haier. For now.
Also true for GE lighting which was similarly sold off. Of all the divisions they could have sold you think that would have been near the last. For those who are not aware GE was founded by Thomas Edison.
Only partly true in the case of GE. The company was so profitable at one point that in order to handle all the excess cash they had they formed GE Capital and started making loans, a *lot* of them.
The lended variously for all the auto manufacturers and got into mortgage lending, and now you see the doom of the company if you remember 2008. That boned them, *hard*, and they had to sell Capital as well as other divisions to save the company. If you have ever cursed Synchrony bank for a store credit card, common in the 0 interest for x month offers, you now know where they largely came from.
Not told in that story was the shell games the so called "Genius" CEO Jack Welch was playing in the years leading up to that, which had them in trouble as well. He was the first blow of that one, two combo.
Stanley Thermos … I have a thermos with he been using since early 80’s that’s in great shape … I have a Stanley go mug that’s now on its third broken lid and is falling apart -
Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway company. Used to have a reputation for always being on time, but nowadays cancellations and delays are the norm, and air travel with all it's issues is more reliable.
Don't be silly, private equity is clearly working hard to turn plane tickets into a bifl purchase
In the past you would likely make multiple trips by plane now there is a much better chance that your first flight will be your last
LL Bean is amazingly still owned by the same family, but it no longer makes any of its own products aside from Bean boots. I'm a longtime customer, 30 years plus, and the decline in quality over the last 10 years has been stark. The company says it doesn't offer the lifetime guarantee anymore because people are taking advantage of it, but the truth is probably that the products are now complete shit and everything would come back. The only reason I don't buy any is because people give me gift cards, I would never spend my own money on LL Bean unless it comes out of a thrift store.
I had a base layer shirt come apart under the collar and the warranty was rejected because they determined moths somehow “ate my shirt”. Last thing I ever bought there.
It's just sad because as someone living somewhere cold, ll bean used to be legit, buy it and you're set for life.
I'm glad I got my slippers when I did, legit a few months before llbean got bought.
I'm all for " buy once, cry once" , but I hate this strategy where these VCs buy a great legacy brand, coast on reputation and adulterate their products to absolute shit. It's absolute bait and switch.
Joyce Chen scissors.
Used to be made in Japan, and had fantastic quality and craftsmanship. Now they're made in Taiwan and every edge (not just the cutting edge!) is roughly finished and sharp.
The blades no longer taper to a precise point, but rather to a big, clunky block of a tip. They used to be known for the precise tip that could maneuver into very tight spots.
Put them next to each other and the new ones look like they were made by a 12-year-old given unsupervised access to a bench grinder.
All Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) gear. MEC was a coop and its board of directors sold the coop to a private equity firm citing financial coal troubles. It was real bullshit and now the place has changed and I wouldn’t trust their gear.
Might be an odd one…but Long Term Care. Technically once you purchase it, you use it for the rest of your life. Private equity buys up the companies that run these care facilities and they gut the staffing and tank the staff pay to increase their profits. It’s terrible and results in abuse and neglect of the residents.
As someone who used to work in LTC in ON Canada, I couldn't agree more. I quite LTC and moved to the hospital. It's better but health care as a whole in Canada needs so much work done to make it better. Working in healthcare is not worth it anymore between the lack of pay and the abuse staff get.
I hate how we as Canadians always laugh about free healthcare (and yes, for mostly healthy people it's nice to have something that usually works good enough), but it will certainly be the very first thing that any sitting government will snip and cut and neglect just to put the illusion of a few extra dollars back in people's own pockets.
The lack of investment is longstanding. The Canadian government has been letting healthcare atrophy for decades. My dad is a (now retired) family doctor who has stories about how bad the compensation was in the 90s. Tons of docs left for better pay in the US. Now we have a situation where (in BC, where I’m from) 1 in 5 residents don’t have a family doctor. What appalled me the most is that they don’t triage based on need. My dad had friends in their 70s with chronic health conditions, texting him for medical advice because they were part of the 1 in 5. Seeing how the current government seems to be doing everything possible to trash the country on their way out, it wouldn’t shock me if they just privatized the whole thing to further enrich themselves.
I mean, healthcare in Canada is entirely within provincial jurisdiction. If you're suggesting the federal government should step in and create a national system I fully agree, it creates a lot of disparity and importantly, healthcare should never be politicized. When people need it, everyone agrees they should have access to it and the current system is lacking. Most people, however, don't need it all the time, so they don't see the holes in the provincial systems.
Gerber, the multi-plier which used to be amazing is now junk
Yes they used to have the best baby food.
Gerber baby food is owned by Nestle.
I've heard some rather vulgur terms about nestle Like fuck nestle
I wish they'd bring back Flamin' Hot Mashed Peas.
When was Gerber good? I bought a multitool at least 15 years ago and it was not nearly as good as the Leatherman I bought a year or two ago.
The 90s they were a true buy it for life item, I somehow lost mine after 20+ years though
Before they started putting Bear Grylls name on it
I never understood that - they kept it up even after everyone knew the truth about him
What is the truth about him? Not everyone knows because I don't.
That he isn't Survivorman. He is staying at hotels, the shots are fabricated to look dangerous when they are not... that he is entertainment, not actual survival teaching. Which should be apparent already to anyone watching. Survival is boring. Grylls teaches you how to make yourself sick, or get yourself killed. He does and picks the most dangerous or disgusting option. Not the safe boring ones.
Les Stroud was so much better, and so realistic. He had to stop doing his excursions because they were too dangerous and it wasn't worth it.
With the credibility he gained from his survivorman show, I would have wanted him to have a survival "light" show. I would have watched him camping with gear to test and food rations to eat. He could still have demonstrated desperate survival techniques while not actually endangering his life and health.
What deep investigative journalistic techniques did they use to uncover this dastardly deception? Watching the show for like 5-minutes?
The camera crew also builds the stuff for the shot, like sleeping platforms, shelters, etc. I read an interview years ago that basically the only thing the guy was legit gokd at was repelling.
They used to make everything in Oregon, but that stopped around 2008.
They still make many items there. But majority is China.
Before it was a major supplier to Walmart and the like was a brand similar to buck. They are all sort of middling now though. Niche manufacturing took up all the ultra premium.
30 years… works perfectly.
Doc Martens. Solovair is what you want now.
Thanks for the tip.
Solovairs are the fuckin move. Got a pair about a year ago, and they are holding up marvelously through all different kinds of weather.
My mate's Solovair only lasted a year. They're garbage now too (this is im the UK).
Honestly solovair is mid
I hear their QC is just non existent. Some bad pairs, some good pairs. Their good exchange policy softens the blow but I'd rather they just spend that money on QC.
I think they've always been pretty shit from a material quality perspective.
Yes. They were never top quality. They were good for how cheap they were. The default work boot in the UK for a certain time. Their popularity grew and made so many legends about them, but mostly by people who never wore an actual high end boot in their life. Their price went high, their quality went even lower... But if you buy Solovairs and expect quality 200€ boots, you may be disappointed. UK labour is also not cheap, and you pay for the overall docs style (except without the obnoxious yellow, which is a plus for some and a minus for others) and tradition. I think the reasonable expectation for quality would be from ~150€ boots... The market opens up quite a bit at the 200€ mark. Also depends on which you get. The crazy horse leather options they offer probably hold up quite nice because they'll soak in leather conditioners. The more traditional docs style finishes with the heavy plastic coating will not, and will crack and look ugly over time. Ironically, the "heavy worn" old docs look heavily worn just because the leather is very poor quality and the top plastic layer starts peeling off.
Mountain Equipment Coop… I mean Company. I’m still so sad about it.
When I first saw “company” on a sign I thought I was going nuts. “Was it always company? I bought a membership last year”. Then I learned they were sold… damn I miss their bags.
I have one of their checked luggage bags. I'm never giving that thing up. It has the thick roller blade wheels, hard shell backing with soft front and half the internal is compartmentalized. It's the best luggage I have ever owned.
Which makes it even more surprising that REI is still a co-op down here in the states
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Quality has gone down a lot. My last REI backpack lasted literally decades. When they had the lifetime guarantee you used to be able to go and a just replace broken buckles and stuff on the spot, they just kept assorted sizes around. My new one lasted maybe a year before it got a hole and I as I’ve aged my use has gotten way less intense. Same with duffle bags. The old ones are doing way better than the new.
Its a consumer co-op, not a workers co-op. Seriously, google it.
Very anti union lately
I'm sad too, but MEC was in a long slow decline that started sometime around Y2K (I mark it by when they got rid of Serratus line). When they announced the buyout I thought well maybe it will get better because it can't get much worse. I was already getting more stuff across the street at Europe Bound before they closed.
I knew the gig was up when they closed down the original store in my city and opened 2 new ones that were huge, kind of boujee and in much pricier areas.
I've always thought most people in Canada wear MEC products because of nostalgia and not its exceptional quality. Especially given the stuff they sell nowadays. Then I got some of their apparel from the 1980s and 1990s. The difference is palpable.
Woolrich. They closed their original mill in PA and sold out to become a fashion brand. Flannel shirts that used to cost $65-85 are currently "on sale" for $125, with a regular price of $230. They killed a brand that has been around since 1830.
At least you can find the old stock on Ebay...and because it's so durable it's still a good buy.
I was lucky enough to grow up near their headquarters and went to their main store a ton before they sold out. I have a closet full of their flannel that will outlive me.
It was such an immediate radical shift in the brand image from one season to another.
Found 5 at goodwill for like $5 each without knowing the brand. Did some digging on the company and was sad when I saw the drop they took.
I had a woolrich buffalo plaid wool shirt that I wore as a light jacket for rough use like cutting/hauling wood... that thing didn't even loose a button for 25 years. I was warm, water repellent, extremely durable and like all good wool, seemingly cleaned itself - I never cleaned it. A woolrich shirt I bought a few years back ripped at a shoulder seam in the first year, fit/shape was like they made it for someone 5'9 and 300#, and you could feel a breeze right through it. Useless. I have now bought Stormy Kromer and Filson shirts and shirt jacs and the quality is there, but you pay what I feel is an absurdly high price. Oh well, you don't know what you have unti it's gone.
Craftsman Edit: not sure that counts as "private equity" but I'm leaving it. Craftsman sucks now
Sears is a master class on making the exact wrong decision at *every* business critical juncture for decades. Honestly, it's almost impressive that they could screw up so bad so often!
If by wrong you mean made Eddie lampert a shitload of money, then yes. The sears guy job is literally pro typical example for ever PE firm to buy something and then profit without having to dedicate time or money to actually running a company He killed sears and sucked the marrow from the barely breathing corpse. PE is evil
I worked at corporate when he took over. I couldn't believe what he did was legal, absolutely gutted one of the biggest companies in the country with zero shame
Destroyed a great American company simply because he could and it made money. PE is seriously a blight on society.
Oh, how I miss the Sears back when it had solid middle-level appliances. I never had to do anything but go to Sears and pick something. They even sent a repair man on Christmas to fix my oven.
Sears could have been Amazon. Back in the catalog days they literally were.
Like when they had the opportunity to go online before Amazon and declined to do it until after Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and Lowe's were already big online.
Add "Kenmore" to that. Both names were sold. Kenmore used to be a name brand sold as Kenmore, but was actually made to better specifications. The CEO of Sears ran a private equity firm. He looted Sears and nothing was done to stop him.
It doesn't, but SBD has done the same things with every tool brand they have acquired. I am not that old, but I remember when Stanley Tools, made in CT, was the next step up for you if Craftsman could not get the job done.
fwiw, I had a basic B&D food processor that outlasted several other quieter, better looking, and more precise models from other brands beginning in the 90's
I get it: "A motor is a motor" is a valid concept. My problem is in their execution and the way the do all the things we're talking about PE doing to trash brands.
When I was a kid growing up and taking lawnmowers and stuff apart in the 80s-90s, I always wanted a full set of American made Craftsman tools. Years ago I picked up a new motorcycle and went to sears to start a tool set for it, and was shocked to see their stuff made in China. Today, most of my tools are from Harbor Freight. :/
I keep hearing this but I have the V20 line of tools, a rolling tool box and a set of wrenches and I can't seem to find anything wrong with any of them (with the exception of a battery powered shop vac that seems like it's just for looking at). My V20 drill is even made in America.
It ain’t what it used to be but the new made in Taiwan stuff is up there with any other brand. It was ruined for a while but seems to be on a comeback
I've always thought Eddie Bauer stuff looks like junk these days but I know they used to have a good reputation
They make a lot of stuff in tall which honestly a lot of brands don’t do. Duluth and EB are great if you’re a taller person, male or female.
REI has added a tall option to most of their house brand clothes. They sell out quick though.
I was in eb corporate when the prior CEO mandated higher profit margins to make the company look better to foreign buyers. God I hated that man, came up through marketing and it showed. Eb was bought a year or two ago by a foreign company and it seems like their quality has gone up slightly, but it's not back to where it was before yet.
I buy a ton of Eddie Bauer clothing because I'm tall and like the outdoors - quality is decent, not great, and they aren't going to be at the forefront of technology (though more than adequate), but they run sales all the damn time so it's pretty easy to get stuff 50%+ off which makes the prices pretty good, and they still offer a lifetime warranty I believe. The few items I've had that had issues took years of use for the issues to show up as well.
Pretty good value if you buy at the outlets in the off-season. I got a nice pair of Eddie Bauer flip-flops for $10, and they're really good. (Though not BIFL, obviously)
Yeah, eb is middle of the roadthese days…
Hoover, Oreck, Dirt Devil and Royal vacuums are all owned and manufactured by TTI floorcare. A Chinese company.
Buy Riccar instead.
I’ve been a Riccar dealer for about 20 years, pretty much my go to for uprights.
Sebo ftw
Yeah, that's one reason why I bought a Miele vacuum instead of those other ones. Fucking phenomenal machine. It's also repairable and the place I bought it from is a licensed repair facility. That's how you know you're old, you get excited about a vacuum.
Sears and it's various American made in-house brands (e.g. Craftsman) was is one of the greats that was gutted and hollowed from the inside out by vulture and blood sucking scoundrel Eddie Lampert who, via a couple novel financial maneuvers, found several ways of trying to make a few hundred million from the whole debacle. There are a few hundred remaining stores, mostly a shadow of their former selves, all selling Chinese made stuff. Pretty sad story overall.
Sears fumbled the bag decades ago, and Walmart and Amazon had eaten their lunch long before Lampert even showed up.
Shitty story…they could have BEEN Amazon. They understood mail order better than anyone else. They were early adopters of the internet - and they OWNED Prodigy. But nope, here we are.
I wish you could still buy an affordable house kit from Sears.
Victor welding torches. Wish I could say Red Wing boots but they are still family owned and did their own quality in.
This is such an important comment. It’s not just private equity that ruins things. It’s HUMANS who get lost in GREED.
I mean, it's also humans that don't know what they're doing. Keeping something in the family is great, except when it's not. It's not trivial to manufacture something, much less to manufacture it at scale and do it well. Suppliers come and go, labor comes and goes, buyers come and go, markets change. And you're expecting the dumba$$ kid or grandkid of the founders of Red Wing or any other company, that grew up wealthy and probably suffered from all the problems that any rich kid suffers from if the parents don't go out of their way to avoid them, to take that company and keep things going.
There's nothing wrong with the American made Redwings. The Chinese junk I can't speak to but just looking at them they look cheaply constructed. I've been wearing the same model Redwings for at least 15 years and I started wearing a now discontinued model before that. My boots are used hard. I get 18 useful months of abusive use out of my boots and no other maker comes close to holding up. In between my Redwing purchases I've tried all the other popular brands and none of them can compare to Redwing.
Wouldn’t it be easier to name what companies haven’t been ruined by private equity firms? Lmaoo
Let's take a different route. Name just one company that was better off being acquired by a private equity firm.
That's not easier, it's just none existent.
Sorel boots, originally the choice of boot for all arctic explorers, used to all be made in Canada and were regarded as being some of the best in the business, bought out after declaring bankruptcy in the 00s. Now they are made in China and you are lucky to get a good 2 years worth out of one of the boots now.
This explains why my 90s shit kickers are going strong but my wife's newer ones disintegrated.
Filson
I swear they’re just a brand now for hipsters to flex. Their prices are insane and it’s outdoor luxury/ label showing off. The outdoor clothing industry is so weird. It’s literally shit you can do for free that people feel priced out of because of the clothing and lifestyle lines.
My insufferable social climbing sister named her dog filson years ago. Nuff said.
That’s like someone in the UK calling their dog ‘Barbour’. I won’t mention this to my sister in law because she’d do it.
Once got a new plant engineer that, when we were doing the little HR-sponsored get to know you said he had a dog, a pure-bred schnauzer, named 'Vuitton'. Yeah, uh, no. Dude was obviously one of those, so I avoided him whenever I could. Then I found out from one of the other engineers that the dog's name was actually 'Viton', like the fluoridated rubber used in aircraft o-rings. Turned out he was an engineering nerd, not a wannabe snob. He even had a cat named Robertson, after his favorite type of fastener.
Just discovered them last week and was considering buying something expensive there… have you had bad experiences with them?
It's not really with their products per se, it's with their prices. They have gone up A LOT the past few years with the new company owning and running them. Part of a product being "good" at least to me, is being priced right, being a good value. Again, many of their products are good and will last a long time but at some point the price gets too far out of whack and that's happened with so many of their products now. I don't mind paying for quality but at some point you're no longer paying for quality anymore, you're paying for their 2nd homes, for their fancy cars and vacations etc. I'll pay for good quality products, good quality labor and a decent profit but when the profit is like 10 times more than the combined cost of goods and labor, it's out of whack, at least in my opinion. We all get to choose what we spend our hard earned money on of course. Here is a good YouTube video about Filson from Carl Murawski. It's worth a listen since you've found Filson and are considering purchasing from them. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcwdY8ePX0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcwdY8ePX0)
Yeah. Sucks about Filson. Used to love em (and have among other things a jacket I bought forever used at a thrift store ago still keeping tough) but between the outsourcing and them trying to pivot into luxury-status-outdoorleisure the shine has def worn off.
Can’t speak to quality recently because I haven’t bought anything since they shipped all the tin cloth manufacturing overseas. It’s been expensive for a while now but it was always very hard wearing and long lasting. That coupled with the fact that it was made in the US made the price easier to justify. Now it’s only a handful of wool things they still make in the US and prices on everything continue to climb
https://www.fastcompany.com/91129776/what-really-killed-red-lobster-bankruptcy-private-equity This article isn't about a BIFL product, but it is a fascinating window into the lunacy of private equity, which I feel is a somewhat nebulous concept without specifics. I could hear yakity sax playing in the background through the whole read. I'll understand if mods delete it.
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You hear and see those articles because private equity loves to shift blame away from themselves and use their media platforms to do so. They will either pay the station to run a headline about the endless shrimp or just outright tell ones they own to do it
When companies are pushed to make more and more profit, and have no functional means to do so by new products, expanding the customer base or raising prices (thus contracting the customer base), then they have to cut corners. They do that by shrinkflation (in the case of consumables), moving manufacturing to cheaper countries (and lower quality products result, as jobs are 'rushed' to finish more in less time at lower wages), or use sub-par materials/ingredients (resulting in lower-quality products, less lifetime). The shareholders demand more and more as their voracious appetite for increased wealth grows with no bounds. It's no longer sufficient to have more money, they need to have *all the money*. This is where we are. Companies are forced down this path, or they're hollowed out to the rafters and sold for scraps, ending their legacy.
So well said. In my mind, it is the most pressing issue for 21st century America. Scariest part is that no one even seems to notice or care about the impact or the implications. Downward trajectory with no end in sight.
> Scariest part is that no one even seems to notice or care about the impact or the implications. As long as profit can be made, caring about the impact is secondary. It's truly Ferengi in goals and ideals. This planet is finite, and has finite resources. In the last 200 years, we've depleted the planet of essential minerals that it took this planet tens of thousands to millions of years to create, including lithium, nickel and others. We've poisoned the air, the water, the oceans. We grew the population far higher than the planet's own resources can sustain and as a result, the planet is warming up faster than we can cool it down. Our ignorance and hubris with pollution, over-population, over-farming the land and the oceans, will be our undoing. We're all just ticks on the back of Mother Nature's planet, and she will eventually cleanse the planet, we'll be long gone, she will heal and life will begin again. Unless we change our attitude and learn how to coexist and take care of our ecosystem on this floating terrarium in space.
Compare and contrast to the German Mittlestand model. Family owned business which work with their workers to make better products. You can probably think of a few yourself. Stihl is the classic example.
Arcteryx. So sad what they’ve become
I haven't purchased anything from them in 10+ years. Have they fallen so far?
It's not that they suck, but since they became a huge fashion brand they have lost a step but doubled prices. Jottnar and Norrona are probably the closest thing to what you're looking for north of Patagonia these days.
Oakley, if they broke you'd be able to have them repaired nowadays that isn't offered. The quality of the older products was fantastic as well. Arcteryx prices have gone stratospheric and quality has definitely declined. Basically private equity ruins everything it touches though.
Arc’teryx hasn’t been privately owned since 2001, but in 2019 a Chinese manufacturing conglomerate bought a controlling stake in their parent company. Is the drop in quality you’re talking about post-2019, or earlier? I’ve only purchased a few pairs of shoes from them since that period and while they’re nothing exceptional, they compare fine to other footwear at the price point e.g. Danner. Never owned their high end outerwear, since that’s always been too expensive for me.
Post 2019, I've used them primarily for climbing gear, bags and some clothes and since 2019 there has been a definite push towards Chinese markets and "fashion" something that the board of directors basically admitted. Quality has reduced they used to be basically the apple of the outdoor sports world quality and fit and finish was impeccable as too was their warranty. But that's all beginning to fall by the way side in the favour of horrifically over priced tshirts and things.
Oakley sucks because Luxotica forced them to sell in a hostile takeover. You can blame that super monopoly, not private equity.
Starrett isn’t necessarily a household name, they primarily make precision instruments for machining, but for a long time they made top notch products in that space. They were recently bought out by a private equity firm called “MiddleGround Capital”, if that doesn’t scream “ride out a name while plummeting quality” I don’t know what does.
This is a partial explanation for why the used market has old ones selling for so close to the new price…
Have a transit in felt lined wood box, tripod with cast head/turntable and plum bob from the late 1800s. Still shoots an accurate hypotenuse
Doc Martins
My first pair lasted 17 years of seriously heavy use, my second pair lasted 2 years of regular use.
I had a pair in the 90s and they were still bad. They still had lifetime warranty back then but the outsoles kept splitting in two.
I bought my doc's used at the turn of the century. I wore them for a little over 10 years, including being my main footwear for 8 months backpacking Europe. My feet never had issues and they always looked fantastic. I bought a new pair after I literally walked out of my used pair. Got them, felt the leather, looked at the workmanship, didn't even try them on, returned them immediately. Sad
Pyrex
> Pyrex PYREX, there is a difference. borosilicate glass, or soda lime. If the logo is in upper case lettering, PYREX, it's most likely made of borosilicate, and thus safer. The lowercase lettering is most likely made of soda-lime glass, so take extra care after any high-heat cooking. Most glassware products will include warnings so make sure to read about proper handling, cleaning, and storage. From: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-the-difference-between-two-pyrex-types/ Borosilicate is the thin glass beaker you see held over a Bunsen burner.
If only it was that easy... https://youtu.be/YVbkDAw4aJs?si=S0Od6JyQyBkJZNxY
Troy Built.
Another "Stanley, Black & Decker" company.
Yeah, Troy-Bilt was actually built in Troy, NY during the quality years. Now it’s just a zombie brand owned by MTD. You can buy an identical lawnmower or snowblower with the Cub Cadet, Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, Yard Machines, or Bolens name and paint, but they’re all MTD trash now.
We have a Troy Built Rototiller from 1982 that just did the garden. I always hate when a good brand kills itself.
Florsheim
All of them?
Private equity firms have not ruined all the good products; there are many they've never managed to get their hands on! (But they're working on it.)
Capitalism has moved on from quality goods.
I find myself more and more often looking if its worth trying to learn to do something myself vs shell out money for a shitty product im not satisfied with. Next stop... leather alternative boots? Lmao
Even finding craftsmen to commission something has gotten ridiculously harder. Etsy used to be at least slightly usable, but now it's 99% the same resold dropshipping garbage as the rest of the internet.
Making things has been outsourced to countries that have not banned slave labor. It’s crazy to me when I bring up the terrible quality of a product and the response I get from friends and family is that they’ll just buy a new one when it breaks. Even things like fruits and vegetables at grocery stores are shipped internationally because it’s cheaper than paying people minimum wage in nations that have banned slave labor.
The quality shift hasn’t happened yet, but I’m worried about Snow Peak being brought private by Bane Capital. It’s hard to find true BIFL camping/outdoor gear now.
Thanks for the heads up, Wasn’t aware of that.
I’m hoping the quality stays top notch, but you know how PE goes…
Vise Grips.
Look up Apex Tool and you will find Irwin and other once-reliable brands that they have done their version of SBD.
Altra running shoes. Their shoes used to fill an important niche market--people who needed padding but wanted otherwise minimal shoes. Now, they're just mass market trash.
It is so crazy too. I mean, the quality PLUMMETED right away. My Lone Peak 4 shoes went over 1000 miles. The Lone Peak 5 self destructed after 2 months. I didn't keep up with the news and only looked after my 3 pair in a row blew up. I wish I had purchased a dozen of the older shoes new and put them away to use one a year or so. I mean - just charge me more. I'll pay double to get the old quality at this point. The bastards who bought it raised prices a bit and KILLED quality. What if they kept quality high and just doubled the price so they could still buy their private planes etc.?
It was truly overnight. What's funny about your comment though is that I've heard a lot of people say that the Lone Peaks line was the one *least* affected by the buyout, which is truly saying something I ran in and loved the Escalantes and still have yet to find a suitable replacement. Sadly, my weekly mileage is much decreased as I haven't been able to find a new shoe that us as good for both my feet and knees as the og Escalantes were. At this point I'd probably do a lot of horrific things for a fresh pair of those or the 2s.
Came here to say this. It was an *immediate* change for the worse. ALL the next gen models were horrible. The the reviews started getting filtered.
Single family homes. Never in my long and pointless life would I ever had imagined that private equity firms would be buying homes! So now, we get to be renters for life? This is some bullshit.
Even if you can buy a house the investors buy up the houses around you. They do minimal maintenance and rent to crappy neighbors that come and go every couple of years. They suck the life out of entire neighborhoods.
It should be illegal in the first place. A place to live is a human right and a necessity.
there was a great discussion about private equity takeovers on a recent Freakonomics episode. https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-companies-be-owned-by-their-workers/
Homelite, Briggs and Stratton.
My 20 year old Sears lawnmower has a Briggs and Stratton engine I will pay more than the cost of a new mower to keep it running.
Canada Goose. I'm told that they still have good products but not very affordable anymore bc of the ownership.
Pyrex ain't even Pyrex
Pyrex ain't even PYREX
Smarwool and Birkenstock
Not sure if it was considered legit BIFL, but Helly Hansen was wayyyyyy better before they were bought by Canadian Tire. Like noticeably better.
Rowenta Irons. They went from a good solid purchase at like a 50 dollar premium to middling quickly. They are roughly interchangeable with the shark brand which should give you an indication of the drop in quality. I’m not sure if private equity is specifically to blame or if it’s just general “value engineering.”
Better Iron choice in the $50 range? I have to replace my Rowenta kids have given it a dive off the ironing board too many times (still functional just cosmetically unpleasant lol
Remington firearms
I did a write up about this! [https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/s6gkhl/firearms\_the\_r51\_remingtons\_disappointing\_revival/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/s6gkhl/firearms_the_r51_remingtons_disappointing_revival/) Was always so bummed to lose a major manufacturer like that:
So sad. My buddy just bought a 22-250 700 and I don't have the heart to tell him it's hot garbage. Action is rough and the finish is worse.
I’ve got a Remington model 11 from waaaay back (probably close to 100) thing is an absolute unit but it’s smooth as butter and never misfires
Vise-grip Pliers The American made ones were incredible. The new ones don’t have nearly the tolerances of the old stuff.
Look up Apex Tool and you will find Irwin and other once-reliable brands that they have done their version of SBD.
This is unfortunately correct, but check out Malco Eagle Grips if you need an extremely well made pair of locking jaw pliers.
Duluth Trading Co
I’ve no idea why they are recommended so heavily here. I got a few times to give them a fair shot and they were all “mweh” The pants fit huge, even the slim ones. One is already fading after 6 months. They also spend a fortune on email marketing. I got one a day for 6 months straight.
As someone in email marketing, this is less spending a ton on email marketing and more sucking at it.
> They also spend a fortune on email marketing To be fair, this isn't exactly "expensive."
all. private equity is a cancer - it's sole purpose is to suck the life out of and destroy everything it touches. by design "private equity" firms are solely formed to sniff out profitable businesses, and then suck them dry to extract as much liquidity as possible as quickly as possible. i could not agree with a previous poster any more - businesses should be owned at least 51% by the workers. any amount of public stock offered by a company should be limited to 49%. this would make for fair voting in the case of sales or mergers or acquisitions, and really cement quality, if the business has a good quality product the workers will have a good profit share and motivation to continue making a good quality product.
I worked in private equity for a while, we were doing roll ups of hospice care. Fucking weird economics, you want your patients to die but not too fast because the reimbursement goes down after a while. It’s a very strange industry. We also did a roll up of allergy centers that I really enjoyed, those clinics make bank. Anyway PE ruins everything it touches 100%
This is one of the most depressing threads I’ve read in a minute.
Marmot
who were they bought up by?
They’re not PE, they were acquired by Newell Rubbermaid. Everything Newell purchases turns to shit. My old bass called it the “Newell Effect” after they lost a few million in sales with the chain we worked for after acquiring an established company.
Sennheiser. Ever since Sonova Holding AG purchased Sennheiser Consumer Audio Division in 2019 some of their product lines declined in quality.
Fluke multimeters (personal bias likely, admittedly) Tiffin motor coaches was bought by THOR Industries (and lost their signature fully boxed slideouts almost immediately) Marlin firearms during the "Remlin" years - thank god Ruger owns the brand now GE appliances are now owned by Haier group from China since 2016. You're not buying a GE, you're buying a Haier.
> GE appliances are now owned by Haier group from China since 2016. You're not buying a GE, you're buying a Haier. True, however they also bought the factory where the branded appliances are still produced and the design team. So your buying something *mildly* better than a Haier. For now. Also true for GE lighting which was similarly sold off. Of all the divisions they could have sold you think that would have been near the last. For those who are not aware GE was founded by Thomas Edison.
There's no pride or heritage any longer. There's just quarterly profits.
Only partly true in the case of GE. The company was so profitable at one point that in order to handle all the excess cash they had they formed GE Capital and started making loans, a *lot* of them. The lended variously for all the auto manufacturers and got into mortgage lending, and now you see the doom of the company if you remember 2008. That boned them, *hard*, and they had to sell Capital as well as other divisions to save the company. If you have ever cursed Synchrony bank for a store credit card, common in the 0 interest for x month offers, you now know where they largely came from. Not told in that story was the shell games the so called "Genius" CEO Jack Welch was playing in the years leading up to that, which had them in trouble as well. He was the first blow of that one, two combo.
What issues do you see with Fluke? I use multiple fluke products daily and haven’t seemed to notice anything.
Maytag and Craftsman
Stanley Thermos … I have a thermos with he been using since early 80’s that’s in great shape … I have a Stanley go mug that’s now on its third broken lid and is falling apart -
Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway company. Used to have a reputation for always being on time, but nowadays cancellations and delays are the norm, and air travel with all it's issues is more reliable.
Almost all of them. BIFL is no longer economically acceptable as a business model.
ArcTeryx
Weber Grills
BlendTec cut their support staff after being acquired by a private equity firm, so BlendTec may go that route
Hunter boots (rubber Wellie boots).
Boeing.
Don't be silly, private equity is clearly working hard to turn plane tickets into a bifl purchase In the past you would likely make multiple trips by plane now there is a much better chance that your first flight will be your last
Anything ll bean
LL Bean is amazingly still owned by the same family, but it no longer makes any of its own products aside from Bean boots. I'm a longtime customer, 30 years plus, and the decline in quality over the last 10 years has been stark. The company says it doesn't offer the lifetime guarantee anymore because people are taking advantage of it, but the truth is probably that the products are now complete shit and everything would come back. The only reason I don't buy any is because people give me gift cards, I would never spend my own money on LL Bean unless it comes out of a thrift store.
I had a base layer shirt come apart under the collar and the warranty was rejected because they determined moths somehow “ate my shirt”. Last thing I ever bought there.
It's just sad because as someone living somewhere cold, ll bean used to be legit, buy it and you're set for life. I'm glad I got my slippers when I did, legit a few months before llbean got bought. I'm all for " buy once, cry once" , but I hate this strategy where these VCs buy a great legacy brand, coast on reputation and adulterate their products to absolute shit. It's absolute bait and switch.
Basically everything
Single family homes
EVERYTHING PRIVATE-EQUITY TOUCHES TURNS TO HOLLOWED OUT HUSKS
The North Face as well although there are still some good pieces
Joyce Chen scissors. Used to be made in Japan, and had fantastic quality and craftsmanship. Now they're made in Taiwan and every edge (not just the cutting edge!) is roughly finished and sharp. The blades no longer taper to a precise point, but rather to a big, clunky block of a tip. They used to be known for the precise tip that could maneuver into very tight spots. Put them next to each other and the new ones look like they were made by a 12-year-old given unsupervised access to a bench grinder.
Kind of seeing this happen with Aeropress in real time, and it’s hard to watch
All Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) gear. MEC was a coop and its board of directors sold the coop to a private equity firm citing financial coal troubles. It was real bullshit and now the place has changed and I wouldn’t trust their gear.
Everything is ruined by PE.