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Reputable Brands

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roccopeterbilt
Posts: 101 - Karma: 9
Let's make a thread of Reputable Ski Brands that people can check to see if a 'deal' they found is just that, or actually a fly-by-night or department-store-hero company.  The old BMOC are obvious to most, but since some might be new to the sport we can include them anyways.  If you see a name on the list you disagree with, voice you concerns WITH REASONS.

To start off, we'll go with some big old companies:
Atomic
Black Diamond
Blizzard
Dynastar
Elan
Fischer
Head
K2
Rossignol
Salomon
Völkl

I'm sure I've left off a few, but these are the ones that come to mind when I think of companies that have been around since I was a kid.  Unfortunately companies do fall to retail chain pressure and the allure of low margin/high volume sales at the expense of quality, a la Mongoose for those who mountain bike.  If you see a name that resembles this idea, again please flag it with reasons why.
Sep 20 2012 11:02PM
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TChronic
Posts: 287 - Karma: 82
The only one i really disagree with is Elan. A bunch of my cousins bought their skis this past year and they fell apart and they are 9 and 10. Their quality has gone way down over the past few years.
Sep 21 2012 9:46AM
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ILLinoisance
Posts: 3527 - Karma: 5,398
4FRNT
Alpina
Armada
Atomic
Black Diamond
Blizzard
CoreUPT
DPS
Dynastar
Elan
Fatypus
Fischer
Head
Icelantic
K2
Kastle
Lib Tech
Liberty
Line
Moment
Ninthward
Nordica
ON3P
Palmer
Rossignol
ROXY
RMU
Salomon
Scott
Surface
Volkl
Sep 21 2012 1:16PM
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ILLinoisance
Posts: 3527 - Karma: 5,398
I was hesitant to add "5th Element" to the list because they are so cheap, but they do get some good reviews on skis.com.
Sep 21 2012 1:21PM
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roccopeterbilt
Posts: 101 - Karma: 9
Am I seeing this right, 5th Element makes skis (boards only)and snowboard bindings only?
Sep 21 2012 4:44PM
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TChronic
Posts: 287 - Karma: 82
you do realize coreUPT is still having financial troubles and is struggling to sell there skis to pay off debts. Also they haven't even been around long enough to be reputable
Sep 21 2012 5:10PM
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ILLinoisance
Posts: 3527 - Karma: 5,398
They may be having financial troubles, but their skis are still reputable and they have good customer service from what I've gathered through my experiences with them. I would not hesitate on buying another pair of planks from them.
Sep 21 2012 5:19PM
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Skiingsnow
Posts: 1567 - Karma: 797
pretty sure he wants to know reputable brands, not just all the ones you know
Sep 21 2012 7:08PM
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ILLinoisance
Posts: 3527 - Karma: 5,398
They're all reputable. They've all built reputations for constructing skis. If this thread is going to be all about why some brand sucks because they fell apart because you rode them hard on rails, then this thread will suck.
Sep 21 2012 7:36PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7160 - Karma: 17,588

But unless you have personally owned a number of differnt skis from all those brands, dealt with reps and customer service from all those brands you cant really say that they are reputable.

I certainly would not ski quite a few of the brands in that list, from experiences working in the industry.

So if this thread is going to be usefull it needs insightfull information from peoples experience of the brand as a whole.

Sep 21 2012 7:39PM
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Skiingsnow
Posts: 1567 - Karma: 797
yerp.
Sep 22 2012 1:20AM
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Dirty.Harry.
Posts: 1779 - Karma: 351
So anything made in China is no longer necessarily reputable in my book. That means: BD, K2, Karhu, Line, Volkl, and Roxy at the very least. I'm not sure who else has outsourced, but there's definitely a reason why my last 2 ski purchases have come from ON3P.
Sep 22 2012 1:21AM
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ILLinoisance
Posts: 3527 - Karma: 5,398
My bad, I was unaware that one positive transaction from self experience is more important than the reputation that the brand built through multiple positive transactions with others.....
Sep 22 2012 1:31AM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7160 - Karma: 17,588
^dont worry about it, easy mistake.

What we are saying though is, this thread will only be useful with peoples personal experiences. Just because you have heard that a brand may be good does not mean in reality they are. Its all marketing.

Take full tilt for example there boots wont stop shin bang but you ask half the kids on this site and there will swear blind that you cant get shin bang in FT. Its great marketing and nothing else.
Sep 22 2012 1:37AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 10,972
Handmade in the Austrian Alps with tons of love

Click for larger image

Click for larger image
Sep 22 2012 6:27AM
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SKI.ING
Posts: 2695 - Karma: 2,535
Love seeing that "Made in Austria" stamped on my Armada skis.
Sep 22 2012 3:10PM
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maxwell666
Posts: 554 - Karma: 20
no one is asking about specifics like wheather the boots stop shin bang on your specific feet. The idea is that a reputable company is a company dedicated to making quality ski gear that isn't likely to scam you. I have personally never bought a pair of 4FNT skis, I can tell you now based on every thread, video picture and review that they are an actual ski brand and not a sport mart special.
Sep 22 2012 3:22PM
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Stose
Posts: 7109 - Karma: 4,123
no
Sep 22 2012 3:26PM
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Parks.
Posts: 5612 - Karma: 1,093
hahhah this!
Sep 22 2012 4:01PM
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Kreech
Posts: 4178 - Karma: 3,024
Add dynafit, plum, la sportiva, dalbello, technica, dps, praxis, pmgear, binding freedom, moment, movement, icelantic, and many many others that I can't think of because I'm on mobile
Sep 22 2012 6:15PM
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SKI.ING
Posts: 2695 - Karma: 2,535
Just because your friend said so. I would think you guys would want a Reno/Tahoe brand to thrive.
Sep 22 2012 8:41PM
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northeast
Posts: 2119 - Karma: 254
Goodwill
Salvation Army
Tag Sales
They have all the biggest clothes.
Sep 23 2012 1:04PM
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