Jo Brand - never shit. Even when she's dealing with it.
But Russell Brand... can't remember him ever being good.
In that vein, Kevin Bridges
I have 80s Karrimor too, I recall it is Jaguar 75. Curiously metal zipper pullers have fallen off but the fabric is fine (except where it has worn through). Somehow most of visible stitching and webbing seem to be suffering from some sort of rotting, ruining the pack. I don’t have a heart to throw it away but maybe a Viking funeral in Midsummer bonfire could be suitable ending.
Brasher
most jeans are pretty poor nowadays.
To be fair that's because people expect to pay £50ish for a pair of jeans and at that price theyre going to suck.
There's a whole ecosystem of smaller companies doing high quality jeans (Hiut spring to mind) but people tend to disregard them as bouji overpriced nonsense when actually, adjust for inflation and they're roughly the same as the decent Levis were in 80's.
People's behaviour dictates the market and companies adjust accordingly.
Volcom
Nah, they’re still great. Just started doing MTB gear as well
The dedicated Volcom shop in Les Deux Alpes says otherwise. Terrible materials, abysmal stitching and quality. Anything I've bought in recent years is no comparison to their mid 90s quality
Rolex
Merrell for me but it could just be the style I buy, the laces outlive the soles now
The Post Office. Or Royal Mail
2 deliveries a day , the first usually pre leaving for work.
Next morning service for pence.
Having worked at numerous board stores in the 90’s that sold Volcom i reckon your memory might by rose tinted there @BoardinBob. I still remember the arguments over warranty returns.
but back in 90’s snowboarding, style ruled over quality
Merrell for me but it could just be the style I buy, the laces outlive the soles now
So true. My first ever approach shoes were Merrell, but we've had a few pairs which have worn silly quick. One pair managed a fortnight holiday and were warrantied for chunks falling off the soles....
Oh and inov8 seems to be a real mixed bag now too
I switched to inov8 when the quality on my North Face trainers started deteriorating, the first pair of inov8 I had were great.
Since then, they've been very variable, they're nowhere near what they used to be. Had one pair replaced under warranty when they just fell apart within 6 months. Stitching and gluing was near non-existent.
Nikon SLRs
Original Aldi (Crane) from 20 years ago or so is still going strong. New Crane has gone down hill 🙁
Ditto for Lidl.
3 year warranties have always been faultless.
Hatter I agree but when brands that have a reputation for quality are selling stuff of dubious quality for a £100 when you can get the same crap elsewhere for £30! I find that a bit much. A branded t-shirt I wouldn’t where now days on recent inspection was £90 and the quality was on par with primark.
Nobody’s mentioned UCI yet?
Well the downhill coverage has certainly gone downhill since WBD took it over.
I had a post written about Riley Snooker tables. Retracted.
I have a 1910 slate table and it's amazing.
But it seems there is a Riley (cheap) crap from Ashley type outlets.
But there is still a Riley who makes championship tables and active. Local to me in Caldicott it seems.
I would like some faster cushions and cloth. Must swerve in and see what they can do.
It seems even brands get muddled and even tarnished by crap China remakes.
Merrell for me but it could just be the style I buy, the laces outlive the soles now
So true. My first ever approach shoes were Merrell, but we’ve had a few pairs which have worn silly quick. One pair managed a fortnight holiday and were warrantied for chunks falling off the soles….
The complaint with Merrell shoes always used to be that the soles were too hard and didn't grip well until worn in. Maybe Vibram went too far the other way.
My issue is more with certain brands stopping making things that I use. I've bought Endura stuff recently that's really good, but I'd rather have the kit they made previously. Just before they were sold Karrimor were selling some amazing kit, I still have a jacket that's like new - not something I use every day but perfect for harsh conditions.
Helly Hansen, from kit for artic explorers and round the world sailors to cheap non waterproof cagoules and vests that fall apart after 2 washes. Lifa used to be the go-to for thermal underwear despite the unique smell after living in them for several days, now their outlet shops in centres in the middle of nowhere sell predominantly cheap tat.
I started making a mental list ( Alpkit, Rab, VW, Solomon etc), and then thought Jeez, it's just about everything, and then thought, has this been started by Botski? Is this thread designed to make us feel like things used to be better? Are we sounding like the far right nutters harking back to the 40's and 50's? I think we've been done again. Damn them Bots!
I have a Karrimor rucksack that I bought in 1990 to go travelling. I still have it and it's still in one piece however, it is unfortunately unusable as all the plastic coating on the inside of the fabric has crumbled away so everything comes out covered in 'dandruff'.
Ray Bans - found a pair of modern Wayfarers in the street at a carnival about 5 years ago, and was convinced that they were not genuine until getting them checked out. Not a patch on the free ones with proper Bausch and Lomb lenses that Marlboro were literally giving away 35 years ago.
U2
I'm amazed RaceFace hasn't been mentioned yet. OK, it's a little more than 20 years, but when I started MTBing the square taper Turbine and Next SL cranks, XY seatpost and SYStem were to me some of the most desirable components.
Then came ISIS.
Then the tiny bearings in their X-Type BBs.
Then came 30mm BB axles.
Then came the carbon cranks and their terrible pedal inserts.
Surprised at the mention of the UCI - twenty years ago they were embroiled in massive scandal after massive scandal, to the point where I think even the general public had begun to notice. The Verbruggen and MacQuaid eras where just rife with corruption.
Enjoying the Karrimor love on here. I have a holdall style rucksack that my mum bought to go travelling almost 40-years ago. I stole it off her in my late teens to go travelling round the world and I still use it for a few trips a year thirty years later. The only that has broken is the tabs on the zips (has had key split rings with gaffer tape instead for the last 20 years).
Wouldn't touch them now of course.
My 2023 Brasher shoes are way better than my 1995 Brasher boots were.
U2 have always been bad in my humble opinion.
Kate Beckinsale - latest film Canary Black is very bad. Not sure if they had overlaid an AI image over her face, as she could only summon one neutral expression throughout the film. Kind of a bored WFH look that I adopt for Teams. And she was strangely sexless and amorphic. Top tip: don't watch it.
Nobody’s mentioned UCI yet?
Surprised at the mention of the UCI – twenty years ago they were embroiled in massive scandal after massive scandal, to the point where I think even the general public had begun to notice. The Verbruggen and MacQuaid eras where just rife with corruption.
TBH, they've dipped lately, but even if they continue on this track for the next decade, they'll *still* never plumb the depths of the 80s and 90s. Much like the BCF/BC. (and on that note, i didn't realise Tony Doyle had died!)
Just before they were sold Karrimor were selling some amazing kit, I still have a jacket that’s like new
Not completely convinced by it but I think there is something to the argument kit can be too good. If it lasts forever then you wont be buying a replacement in 10 years.
Sadly though many companies seem to have extended this idea to "replacement in 2 years".
Hatter I agree but when brands that have a reputation for quality are selling stuff of dubious quality for a £100 when you can get the same crap elsewhere for £30! I find that a bit much.
Nail - head. The product changes, materials and assembly are shifted to the lowest bidder with minimal oversight but the marketing remains the same, trading on the legacy built when they did things properly, that's where I feel most of us take issue.
Sadly the market rewards firms who do this, looks at Shein's estimated value vs some of the old school legacy brands that still manufacture in house. If consumers cared where and how their stuff was made and were willing to pay for quality then we would be living in a very different world.
Much like politicians,we get the market our actions incentivize, even if it's not the one we claim to 'want.'
So basically, pretty much everything we buy these days is shittier than it was before, and twice as expensive. As good a reason as any to just stop buying stuff and use what we have until its truly dead and beyond...
Enshittification applies to real world goods, not just digital services.
T'internet.
The Classifieds...
Runs and hides...
The Classifieds…
Runs and hides…
You don't think removing the ability to message sellers is an improvement?
Volkswagen. Nowhere near as reliable as they used to be.
Came here to say the same thing.
it’s allowed me to remap the Shazam trigger to it, ...................................... there’s nothing, absolutely nothing that an Android phone could offer me that my iPhone does, and I’ve yet to see any other phone that makes me feel I’d like to have one.
I mean, the Pixel* just has whatever is playing scrolling across the lock screen constantly. But if you want to have it hidden in buttons then you do you :-p
It could be worse though, it could be the Bixby button on Galaxy's which wasn't mappable.
*apart form a few of Googles cool party tricks, the Galaxy is a much better OS and phone.
Helly Hansen, .......................... now their outlet shops in centres in the middle of nowhere sell predominantly cheap tat.
They were adopted by Chavs when Chavs were a thing long before Gorpcore. They still make proper sailing gear and the thermals are available at a very reasonable price from Screwfix.
Original Aldi (Crane) from 20 years ago or so is still going strong. New Crane has gone down hill ?
Ditto for Lidl.
My commuting jacket is a Crane softshell from about 2006! Discovered recently the shoulders have started to wear through 🙁 God knows how many gallons of nikwax it's absorbed!
And Aldi / Cane waterpoof socks are still the best out there IME (and cheap).
I also really like the Crivit (lidl) STVZO bike lights. They're not as good as the Moonshine 1700, but they're usually only a tenner.
Karrimor Rucksacks. I'm heartened to see they feature heavily here.
I had 2, a Hot Ice and a Hot Rock. Both bought in the 80's and made out of KS100E. Indestructible and really well made packs. Still got the Hot Ice.
