A lot of the sporting goods stuff was branded as "Ted Williams". The shotgun my uncle had was made by Hi-Standard. Of course, JC Higgins was the other brand name commonly used on sporting goods. Craftsman lathes were made by Atlas. I re-built engines using kits from both Sears and Montgomery Wards.
In Canada, Simpson-Sears, Woodwards, Eatons, and Hudsons Bay stores have all gone the same way; source from China and try to compete with Walmart. All failed or are failing. Of course, the sad thing is that nobody wants to sell quality because nobody wants to buy quality. The market place and infrastructure have changed drastically over the last fifty years and this is what we have. I struggle to find air and oil filters for my vehicles which are not made in China. To me, the companies which have exported those jobs are treasonous and don't deserve my business. It is one thing to deliberately buy something made in China and quite another to buy and pay for a good American brand only to find "Made in China" stamped on it. As I pointed out to the guy in the Snap On van, I can buy all sorts of Chinese tools with lifetime warranties but when I pay a premium for Snap-On or Blue Point, I expect to not be buying Chinese. When I buy Echlin electronics, it burns my butt to see that they are sourced from China. GD
