# Brand names that have a reputation for long lasting goods
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 14, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047 "2022-03-14T18:46:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/41 "2022-03-15T18:25:05Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> I’ve always hear good things about KitchenAid stand mixers lasting forever, at least until recently.
My parents gave me their professional line KitchenAid mixer about 20 years ago. The thing is a beast and weighs a ton. I have no doubt that it will last forever.
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/42 "2022-03-15T18:26:10Z")
Many Duluth Trading Company clothes item will last a very long time. They are fairly expensive though.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/43 "2022-03-15T18:27:38Z")
Filson clothing
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/44 "2022-03-15T18:29:09Z")
I had other calculators before I got the HP. When I was reading the directions and got introduced to how it worked, it seemed really weird to me. But once I got used to it, it was fantastic. For any slightly complicated equations, like figuring out the hypotenuse of a right triangle, it’s a godsend.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/45 "2022-03-15T19:11:39Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#):
>
> He loved it and I’m sure I would have too if I had ever bothered to learn RPN.
So learn RPN already. It’s not at all difficult or arcane.
I had an early introduction to “Polish (not reverse) Notation”, a.k.a. Prefix Notation. When I was quite young, I got a [WFF-n-Proof](https://www.si.edu/object/nmah_694594) game, which is supposed to teach children symbolic logic. The game is to arrange some lettered dice into patterns according to seemingly arbitrary rules, but are in fact the rules of sentential logic as expressed in Prefix form. I grokked that immediately.
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### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/46 "2022-03-15T19:14:11Z")
> [@erysichthon](#):
>
> Tupperware has a reputation for lasting forever.
They also have a reputation o orthe lids breaking (especially the tab that makes it easy to open) but not selling replacement lids; you have to buy a whole new set.
> [@lobotomyboy63](#):
>
> Levi’s? I always preferred other brands for jeans but I had a really good coat by them. AFAICT they’re still putting out the quality.
I don’t have any old ones to compare them to but I swear the modern ones are are thinner fabric & therefore wearout faster. I know someone who does thrifting (buys stuff from thrift stores & resells it at a nice markup); there are whole group(s) devoted to Levi’s. One can tell they’re old Levi’s by looking at certain features (I _believe_ one is the font on the little red tag) & if it’s the old style they’ll actually sell for more than a brand new pair so I don’t think I’m the only one with that opinion.
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### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/47 "2022-03-15T19:20:18Z")
Carhartt tends to be known for very durable workwear, especially in trades where garments really take a beating.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/48 "2022-03-15T19:25:03Z")
My husband (electrician who mostly works on construction sites) is a serious Carhartt fan. He’s also quite fond of Dewalt power tools.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/49 "2022-03-15T19:27:35Z")
My gf has Carhartt coveralls that she wears in the barn daily, unless it’s very hot out. She’s had the same pair 20 years and they are in excellent shape.
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### Author:  [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/50 "2022-03-15T19:29:03Z")
> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> The original model Swingline Tot 50 mini-stapler. I still have, and still routinely use, the same one I had as a young tadpole, at least 50 years ago and probably more than 55 years ago!
Holy cow, I have one of those too! It’s _at least_ 50 years old. It’s odd that I didn’t immediately think of it when I saw the OP.
[ ](https://i.imgur.com/removed.png)
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### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/51 "2022-03-15T19:44:34Z")
Along similar lines of made-in-America-and-last-forever branding, in a smaller company, there’s Tough Traveler brand luggage/packs/carriers etc.
I still use the Tough Traveler bicycle-seat toolbag that I bought over 35 years ago, which has been in constant service for three-season bike commuting, day trips, and touring ever since. Still as good as new (though admittedly dirtier, but that’s on me for not cleaning it).
Speaking of which, my 40-year-old Trek touring bike frame is also still doing fine. But it dates from the days when Trek made “American Handbuilt Bicycles”, and I’m not sure the current incarnation of the brand offers similar longevity. (I’m also not sure whether Trek was ever actually known or marketed specifically for longevity.)
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/52 "2022-03-15T19:47:16Z")
> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> Oh, and Singer sewing machines were traditionally known for their longevity.
Which Singer? There’s been a few bankruptcies and restructurings over the years. Generally, the “good” Singer machines are from “Old Singer” previous to 1999. Now, they’re a piece of international conglomerate SVP Worldwide, which owns the brand names Singer, Viking, and Pfaff. The machines you can buy off the shelf at a fabric store or Walmart are almost all junk now - 44% of Singer-branded machines are made for Singer by unspecified manufacturers. Grandma’s black iron Singer just needs an oiling, but the new ones usually need exorcism.
HP laser (not their inkjets!) printers from before getting tangled up with Compaq and the Agilent spinout were unstoppable beasts.
Western Electric telephones - short of physical destruction, they just keep working. When they were built, the phone company was responsible for their maintenance, so they were built tough so they rarely broke.
Someone mentioned Maytag. They’re a Whirlpool brand now, along with KitchenAid, Amana, and Jenn-Air.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/53 "2022-03-15T20:05:12Z")
> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> I had an early introduction to “Polish (not reverse) Notation”, a.k.a. Prefix Notation. When I was quite young, I got a [WFF-n-Proof](https://www.si.edu/object/nmah_694594) game, which is supposed to teach children symbolic logic. The game is to arrange some lettered dice into patterns according to seemingly arbitrary rules, but are in fact the rules of sentential logic as expressed in Prefix form. I grokked that immediately.
I had some geeky toys when I was a kid (anyone else remember the Soma cube), and I still do, but I’ve never heard of WFF-n-Proof. Now I kinda want one, and I did find a site still selling it.
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### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/54 "2022-03-15T20:09:10Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> News to me that Weber makes cheap grills. Are you sure it was really a Weber and not some cheap knock-off?
It is most definitely a Weber. My guess is, like @lobotomyboy63 said, is that they have a cheaper model that they sell at WalMart, Target, etc. It is the classic kettle style charcoal grill, but it seems the legs, handles, and the like are more cheaply made than the nicer version.
> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> The original model Swingline Tot 50 mini-stapler.
I have one of those! It was actually my parents’, and I took it when I went off to college. I’m not completely sure how old it is, but I’m sure it’s older than I am. I so rarely need to staple things at home I still haven’t used up the box of replacement staples I also took from my parents. It sounds like the thing that might finally make me have to replace it won’t be it breaking, but replacement staples becoming unobtanium.
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### Author:  [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/55 "2022-03-15T20:11:44Z")
Hmm… No one’s mentioned Zippo lighters. Not that I’ve ever owned one, but they had (have?) a very good reputation.
Of what I have owned, my Sharp Carousel microwave is around 35 years old and still works just fine. A couple of the elements of the tens digit on the digital display don’t light up right, but that’s the only thing that’s gone wrong with it. And I use it most days.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/56 "2022-03-15T20:12:03Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> It sounds like the thing that might finally make me have to replace it won’t be it breaking, but replacement staples becoming unobtanium.
When you find a product you like, buy a lifetime supply, because they will stop making it!
As I noted, I bought a few boxes of staples a few years ago, which should last me forever.
Hie thee to your local office supply store(s) as fast as you can, and see if you can find some, while you still can (if you still can)!
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### Author:  [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/57 "2022-03-15T20:14:30Z")
Dremel tools. I have one I bought at a Sears surplus store well over 50 years ago. I still use it and it just works like it always has.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/58 "2022-03-15T20:14:36Z")
> [@dtilque](#):
>
> Hmm… No one’s mentioned Zippo lighters. Not that I’ve ever owned one, but they had (have?) a very good reputation.
Yes, Zippo! My gf has done ad work for the company. A great group of people, who honestly love their product.
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### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/59 "2022-03-15T20:17:27Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> My guess is, like @lobotomyboy63 said, is that they have a cheaper model that they sell at WalMart, Target, etc. It is the classic kettle style charcoal grill, but it seems the legs, handles, and the like are more cheaply made than the nicer version.
Ah, OK, I was thinking of gas grills, which have a lot more costly components and are much pricier. Even here in Canada, original quality Weber charcoal grills start at just CAD $159 MSRP.
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### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-have-a-reputation-for-long-lasting-goods/961047/60 "2022-03-15T20:28:59Z")
> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Hie thee to your local office supply store(s) as fast as you can, and see if you can find some, while you still can (if you still can)!
I am finding multiple listings on Amazon for “No. 10 mini staples”, which I _think_ are the right kind – many reviewers are saying they fit their old Swingline Tot 50 (And one reviewer saying they don’t). And one seller on eBay selling six boxes of “vintage” Swingline Tot staples.
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