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Hardy & Greys now part of Pure Fishing Inc

14K views 83 replies 38 participants last post by  petevicar  
#1 ·
According to Fly Fishing & Fly Tying magazine, Hardy & Greys have been bought by the Amercian group, Pure Fishing Inc. I hope they bring more production back to Alnwick.
 
#2 ·
"Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, Sebile®, SevenStrand®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®."

"With operations in 19 countries and a dedicated workforce conversant in 28 languages, Pure Fishing, Inc. is part of Jarden Outdoor Solutions, a leader in outdoor and recreational lifestyle products and a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation."
 
#19 ·
I noticed recently they set up the "Hardy Bros." brand, specifically for the rods actually still made in England and presumably because of the flack they were getting about Hardy rods being made in the Far East. So unless they're going to scrap the new Hardy Bros made in England concept then presumably those ones will still be made at Alnwick. How long that continues will depend on how well they sell though I imagine.

Pure also own Vision, nowt wrong with Vision. I had some Vision waders recently which developed a problem of some of the seam tape coming adrift in the stocking foot, although not leaking. I was advised to ring Pure, spoke to a very knowledgeable and helpful chap, was asked to send the old ones back and received a new replacement pair a couple of days later.

It may seem a shame to see these big outfits owning so many brands, but thats how it is is these days - cars, white goods, sporting goods, electronics, watches, most things really, even beer :eek:mg: It gets even more confusing as some old "brands" are now just labels - eg Sports Direct now own loads of familiar old brand names - Dunlop, Slazenger, Karrimor, Kangol, Lonsdale....
 
#21 ·
Jarden Corporation (Pure Fishing) I don't think they own Vision

A couple of high profile American Brands the Jarden Corporation do own that anglers in the UK will have seen used.

Coleman (flasks, camping gear etc)
Fenwick
Hodgman (Waders etc)
 
#22 ·
When it comes to Hardy, I'm a nostalgic fool :eek:mg:

Though I buy all of my rods used and from the times when the rods were 'made in england'. Now that's Hardy, not this korean stuff.

If Hardy is to survive as a brand, it should go back to it's roots. Hardy, superior tackle made in England. Let Greys and the rest of Pure Fishing create revenue to build the Hardy's of yester year.

What I get sickened over is that Sage, G Loomis, etc are USD brands made in USA. Now that's pride. Hardy's needs to look at the American model and get a grip.

Rant over :rolleyes:
 
#25 · (Edited)
When it comes to Hardy, I'm a nostalgic fool
Trouble with all this is, when it comes to Fenwick I'm a nostalgic fool.... :confused:

From the late '60s to the late '70s Fenwick was what Loomis and Sage are right now, one of the very best makers of blanks and rods. If you look in Ollie Kite's book "A Fisherman's Diary", apparently now a collectors item, at the full page photo entitled "Reaching Out", you can just about make out that OK is using a rod built on Fenwick blanks at Two Lakes. My own very first trout on a fly, Blagdon in April 1972 (I was a young lad :whistle:) was caught on an Edgar Sealy Fenwick Feralite 9' 3" #7 rod built on "superb" - per Brian Harris - Fenwick maroon hollow glass blanks. And the wheel has come full circle because I picked up a Fenwick Iron Hawk carbon 9' 6" #7 rod at half price from Mullarkeys in 2007, and it remains my go to rod on small waters and for the lighter end of floating line work on reservoirs.

All this is great as far as it goes, but Fenwick was one of the first manufacturers to source blanks in the far east, while at the same time still promoting themselves as an all American supplier. The brand is now a sad shadow of what it once was. In some ways heritage anglers like me could say the same about ABU....

So I'll be watching Hardy's future over the next few years with interest.
 
#28 ·
This news could be great for Hardy's. Sometimes a new approach is needed for a business to move forward in a fast changing world.
I work for Jaguar cars in Birmingham, under Ford ownership it looked like the end of the road and another great British company going to the wall :eek:mg:
Tata an Indian company took over and against all the odds including a world wide recession have done a fantastic job with the brand :thumbs: Sales are up over 20% this year, also the cars and their quality are better than ever, and all still made here :)
Who would have predicted that.
Sure there will have to be changes, but let's hope that a similar outcome can be possible with Hardy's.

Steve
 
#30 ·
Hardy was THE BRAND when I was growing up. There was no such thing as Sage, GLoomis and Orvis, or if there was nobody knew about them. Everyone dreamed of owning Hardy tackle and some were rich enough to afford them.
Those times have long gone. Those HRH certificates proudly displayed in the Hardy museum are in the right place as far as I am concerned. Heaven knows what will happen at Alnwick now.
 
#32 ·
IANM what planet do you come from with a statement like that ,you need to get out a bit and try a few rods:thumbs:
Why buy a Hardy when the same rod, branded as a Shakespeare, will be identical all except for the name on the transfer next to the cork handle. (Although, since all carbon fly rods are virtually identical these days anyway, why even discuss it?).
Why even post this rubbish:confused:
 
#34 ·
Is it true what has been said and the sintrix rods are made in the Far East? If this is the case and they are charging £500 plus for these rods then the company deserves to go under or be bought out by a larger company no matter how long they have been around.

When the directors of hardys sat around and discussed the fact that we can save a lot of money by sending our rods out to be made in the Far East and still charge our customers a fortune for a rod that has been traditionally made in England, did no one go wait a minute we might lose some sales when everyone finds out about this...

The fly rod market is far to flooded with really good rods at every single level these days to get away with something like that.

That's my two pence worth anyway.
 
#56 · (Edited)
Is it true what has been said and the sintrix rods are made in the Far East? If this is the case and they are charging £500 plus for these rods then the company deserves to go under or be bought out by a larger company no matter how long they have been around.

When the directors of hardys sat around and discussed the fact that we can save a lot of money by sending our rods out to be made in the Far East and still charge our customers a fortune for a rod that has been traditionally made in England, did no one go wait a minute we might lose some sales when everyone finds out about this...

The fly rod market is far to flooded with really good rods at every single level these days to get away with something like that.

That's my two pence worth anyway.
One of my first Board room meetings in a company 'we' had taken over and they were doing 'We're the best' high fives. Four of the six were cleaning out their desk in less than an hour. Next few months everyone else was 'heads down' working.

'Mr. Evans, may I ask you a question?'

'Sure, what's the question?'

'What do you think is wrong here?'

'What do you think is wrong here?'

Guy in his late '20's, : What was his job at that point? He worked in the Mail Room! Fellow was a AVP in less than an hour.:thumbs

Edit: My office had three glass walls, anyone wanted to see me just look. Some times I was making kids Christmas Toys, or tieing flees in Cheno Pants and a LL Bean striped shirt.

I covered their' "Six" and they covered mine. Found out years later I had a 'Nick-name;' someone let it slip and I damned near burst into tears in Joy. The People understood.

Always had a Summer Company picnic; one year (doing very well) every one put their name in a hat for a drawing. First year no one knew. First five got an all expense trip to Hawaii. The next five to Disnyland. Brain dead where the next five familes went.

But they were all in and pre-loaded credit cards for 'extras.' When 'they' got there they were given little gold hammer like things to pin on their shirts. He/she/they want don't even ask about the 'tab.'

The young fellow? His job was to walk around, sit in a chair or on the floor and 'How can we make this better.' People would talk to him; some times good, some times bad. but talk.
 
#35 ·
It's been a long time since the best carbon blanks were built in Britain.

I have been carp fishing for 32 years and always used British built rods until about four years ago when I changed to Jap blanks custom made here. In my view these are the best carp rods on the market by a long shot. Most of my fly rods are Hardy and I have to say that although they were built in Korea they're fantastic in the way they perform and in their build quality. Last year when I was in the US I tried rods made there by top manufacturers and the build quality was nowhere near as good as my Hardy rods and they certainly didn't feel any better.

My point is you can buy good and poor quality carbon blanks here or in the Far East.

As long as Hardy use high quality carbon in their rods there shouldn't be any problems.
 
#37 ·
Unless I'm wrong you said the best carp rods and poles have been built in Japan over the last few years. I know nothing about this type of rod but have they been traditionally built in the uk? and have been advertised as uk built rods for over 100 years?

Then being built in a Korean rod shop the same as ever other company that charges a lot less than Hardys.

The main thing to focus on is not Japan but Korea.
 
#38 ·
Well I am very proud of my Land Rover socks !!!!

Dear Santa , I have been a very good boy this year ...... Can I have a Hardy Realtreen Camo Onsie for Chrismas this year please ? I have seen them on Amazon .............................................................................................................................................................................................. ;)