You can’t count on Henckel’s knives unless you knwo which sub-brand to shop with.
Zwilling, with the twin logo on it, is the good stuff. JA Henckel’s International is their low-end. Still probably above a Cuisinart or HomeGoods knife, but a lot of them are micro-serrated and just not great quality.
Anyone have insights on appliance brands like GE, Kenmore, LG, etc?
Martin guitars.
And I agree about Maui Jim—a couple of years ago the temples snapped off of an eight-year-old pair, way out of warranty. They fixed them for some nominal fee (IIRC $8).
You may be somewhat confused. The company name is actually *Zwilling J. A. Henckels *, and they all bear the Henckels logo (invented by the founder). I use Henckels Five Star knives, and they sure don’t cost or perform like low-end knives, nor is there any serration. The Twin series of knives may be what you are thinking of. They have serrated blades, and are an inferior product, in my opinion. I bought a Twin paring knife and ground off the serrations after about six months’ use.
As with any appliance, you need to look for on-line reviews before buying. I loaded up our last kitchen with Kenmore appliances (except for the dishwasher), as they were all very highly rated and moderately priced. Stick with recommended model numbers, as appliance performance can vary wildly within a manufacturer’s line. We recently bought the Amana washer and dryer T7200 models, which are well-rated and priced in the $600-$700 range. They’re also stackable. I’ve never been a fan of GE products, and reviews usually support my opinion.
I will recommend Patagonia clothing and accessories to anyone who demands quality.
Sometimes it is worth paying more for a product that is built to last…
I broke the end off the knife, and twisted the screwdriver on my Leatherman Wave.
I was the one who broke the knife, and I called them and told them that I was happy to pay for repairs. They said “no, that’s covered by the lifetime warranty”, so I sent it to them.
What I got back was a note apologising that they couldn’t fix it, because they no longer make that model - so here was a brand new Leatherman Wave in the new style.
Unbelievably generous, and they have a customer for life now.
Not really. They’re mass market and sell to the common denominator. They’re good (which may qualify as “not junk”) but they’re not made with the same quality design or materials as something like a Mountain Hardware or Arcteryx jacket. Of course, they cost 1/3 the price so it’s all a matter of what you are looking for.
Columbia does sell some complete crap, but most of their stuff is quite serviceable.
I may be confused, but you’ve got some inacuracies here, as well. The comapny sells knives under two names:
Zwilling/Henckel’s
and
JA Henckel’s International
The International brand only has ONE of the twins on its logo, whereas the Zwilling brand will have both twins. For example, this Zwilling Four Star knife:
(you may have to click the “view larger image” link)
vs this JA Henckels International, with only one of the twins on the logo (again, use the “view larger image” link)
Also, the Twin Pro S is a superior line, I have never heard of the “Twin” line, but under the JA Henckel’s International brand, they offer several versions with serrated or micro-serrated blades, many of them stamped and not forged steel.
In my limited experience, Simple Human. I bought a Simple Human dish rack almost four years ago. I paid more for it than I ever thought I’d pay for a dish rack.
It is mostly stainless steel, but with some acrylic pieces that allow for customization of where I want to put the cup holders. Over time, the acrylic in the cup holders becomes crazed. I’ve needed replacement brackets twice. Always sent immediately, Priority Mail, no charge.
Now that we’ve moved to our new place, I need a new kitchen garbage can. Though the ones by Simple Human are pricey, I’m seriously considering laying out the $$ for one, just because I’ve been so impressed by the dish rack.
Yamaha ATV’s and Motorcycles
Shimano and SRAM bicycle parts
Panasonic, Technics and other Matshusta brands of consumer electronic products. Not necessarily high-end, but usually a couple of steps above the norm, and their products are remarkably durable.
NAD and Adcom for relatively affordable high-end audio gear.
Any clothing or shoes made in the United States is going to be quite durable, but I’ve had bad luck with American Apparel; seems like it’s hit or miss with the colorfastness of their shirts. Someone mentioned L.L. Bean; their old U.S. made clothing was far more durable than the imports they sell now, IMHO.
Suits: Joseph Abboud and Hart Schafner Marx are both made in the US, and very high-quality for the price.
Red Wing and Carolina boots and shoes, and Dexter shoes (those made in the US).
Buck knives, but those made in the US, not China.
Mag-Lite flashlights.
Craftsman tools, although I’m usually a bit wary of their newer gimmicky tool (self-adjusting wrenches and the like) until it’s been around for about five to ten years.
Taiyo Yuden blank CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs.
PC Power and Cooling computer power supplies.
I found that the European and Korean appliances cme with more bells and whistles, but they’re also more finicky and less reliable than the made-in-the-US/Canada brands.
Kenmore is hit-or-miss; it depends on the original manufacturer. Kenmore uses in-country outsourcing. Some of the low-end white goods brands (Gibson, Roper, etc) can be iffy. I have no idea about the Canada-only brands (Electrohome, Inglis).
I second the Sorel winter boots. I’ve had mine for ages, they are warm, comfy and durable.
I am not a cook, but when I do cook, I like Pampered Chef stuff. It all has a lifetime warranty and will be replaced if anything happens to it. My friend is a Pampered Chef rep and gave me a pie plate when I got married. A year later, I dropped it on the tile floor and it broke. I casually mentioned this to her and she told me to pack up the pieces and send it back. They replaced it, even though it was my fault it broke.
They make their money off people like me, I never break pocketknives, I lose them.
I’ve had excellent luck with almost everything from Sony.
However, their customer service, if there really is such a thing, is abysmal.
And Thermador appliances. Their c.s. is top notch.
L.L Bean makes products? I thought they merely sold them. 
Another vote for Maui Jim. Over the last 10 years or so I’ve had 5 pairs of their rose-tinted Typhoons. I only actually *bought *2 pairs, though–the rest were replaced under warranty for the cost of shipping and handling. They have raised the cost of lens replacement considerably, but since I’ve always gotten a brand new pair in return, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay the $60.
Victorinox Swiss Army Knives
Briggs and Reilly luggage
RedWing boots (unless they’ve gone downhill)
Estwing hammers
Yeah, the Wave was in fact my second Leatherman, because I lost the first. And I bought the Wave because the original one was so awesome. They didn’t even ask me for the receipt.
Compare this to Bose, who wouldn’t even look at my speakers for a paid repair - because I didn’t have the receipt from when I bought them in 2005. Still great speakers, of course, but… wankers