"Pressure Toward Mediocrity"

[The Frisco Kid]

a few mfgr's always buck the trend by staying quality (think Snap-on, or Tiffany)

The problem in today's market is the demand for profitability rather than innovation. Innovation and improvement can drive profitability (look at Ford's current line up vs the market now and then 10 years ago, and I'm a GM guy!) or profitability can be manipulated by reducing cost of manufacturing. This can be sometimes good (lean manufacturing etc.) Or this can be bad (cheaper steel, plastic instead of aluminum). Even Snap On is cutting corners these days :-(

 

[jmm]

Hi jmm.
Thanks for the heads up on Sennets book. I have it and it is a good one.

The mother lode in this vein is, to me, still Pirsig " Zen Buddism and the art of motorcycle maintenance" . I have used that book as required reading for anybody who wanted to become shop general foreman or application design senior engineer in heavy electrical engineering mfr. ( read BIG power plants).

Best regards

Ola

Wow, cool! MB, if you didn't live half the world away, I'd buy you a beer.

As many times as I've had 'Zen...' in front of me, I've never even cracked it. Maybe I'll dig it out for a weekend read. Take care!

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

67 Galaxie is right Big Lots gets some sweet deals IF you know your products. I would go just to see the failed product lines that end up there I.E; Heidi Klum hard candy, Larry the cable guy fish fry coating, Giant plastic guitar full of Elvis endorsed popcorn...

Wow...a dig at a three and a half year old post of mine.

Guess that's some good staying power.

I've saved lots of money there and bought a lot of high quality stuff. It always makes me laugh when people turn up their noses at certain stores, then boast about how they spent 5-10 times as much for the same thing somewhere else.

 

[Steevo]

Hi jmm.
Thanks for the heads up on Sennets book. I have it and it is a good one.

The mother lode in this vein is, to me, still Pirsig " Zen Buddism and the art of motorcycle maintenance" . I have used that book as required reading for anybody who wanted to become shop general foreman or application design senior engineer in heavy electrical engineering mfr. ( read BIG power plants).

Best regards

Ola

It is actually "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance".

 

[William Payne]

I have a hard time buying cheap just because I honestly keep asking myself "If its so good why is it so cheap". I guess its that stigma that cheap isnt good but in saying that sometimes the cheap one is good for example I have tools by snap-on and stahlwille and other up there brands yet as far tape measures go I love the cheap leverlock stanley tape measure, who ever designed those is a genius.