Donovan

I have read the previous pages and have enjoyed in throughly I have thought about why people manufacture goods in China, Vietnam etc...economics! Cutting cost in order to focus on brand management and marketing (I do not believe that everyone does it for that reason but certainly most do). The quality may be as good as items made in Europe or North America but I would rather my money be invested into the product itself rather than go into the pockets of the marketing director I'm not sure about North America but here in Europe some of the better companies process their down in Europe. I know for sure that Joutsen, Valandre, Rab, Yeti-Exner and PHD all use European "grown" and processed down. Perhaps it makes more sense for Europe since the down in locally available and it would make more sense to process here rather than ship to China to be processed. However I do have to admit that my WM bag looks and lofts better than any Rab bags I've seen or owned.

Are there more than TWO Allied companies because a quick check on the internet shows that Allied Feather and Down is a Chinese company. Are you saying that FF and WM both use Chinese down? I always thought that European down was the only down that gave fill power 750+ and beyond. From everything that I read, European down is superior (lofts higher, more durable etc) as they rear the geese till they're older (so bigger plumes). If North Face, Integral Designs, MH, Mountainsmith, Moonstone and Marmot (Polish and Hungarian) all use European down, it would strike me as rather odd that FF and WM (both synonymous with quality) use a supposedly inferior down.

For some really good information on down and how it's processed, tested etc, the technical brief at www.phdesigns.co.uk is really good. He has been making down products even before WM and feathered friends and I think he knows what he is talking about. Along with Rab and Mountain Equipment (the company he founded and then sold once it got too profit orientated), they are the best in the UK