1.) Bob Peck - 12/19/2013

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I've asked the editor of one of the magazines I write for (Whitetail Times) for permission to post articles that have already run. I'm hoping my motive will be clear and please trust me on this one. This is not self aggrandizement. This is an attempt to inject some hopefully useful content. If my contributions devolve into pissing matches and juvenile behavior, I'll just stop posting.
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Stick and String: Yeah, Whatever Happened to That?

Way back in the day (and I do mean way back) archery seemed so simple. You had a shaved piece of wood all smoothed out with notches on either end and a string. You shot off the shelf. You shot instinctive. You absolutely HAD to practice or forget about accuracy.

Now? If you were new to our sport you would need a degree in physics and chemistry to understand the marketing hooey let alone being able to separate the actual advantages from the bunk. Here’s a few words I picked off some of the top 5 bow company websites … “balanced synergistic system”, “geo-grid lock riser”, “reverse assist”, “fulcrum pocket system”, “airshox system”, “perfect balance stabilization system”, “RKT cam”, “AST cam”, “AMP cam”, “Planar Flex riser”, “elastomeric polymer”.

Good heavens! Are we going bowhunting or taking a ride with Space X to the moon? How did we get from the stick and string to where we are now? I’ll tell you and you might want to sit down. Greed in the disguise of building a better mousetrap. Sticks and strings don’t have much to hype. Think about it. A piece of cheese and a bent wire slamming down on your head is just as effective (albeit less humane) than one of the newer sticky traps that captures mice alive but at the end of the experience there’s a dead mouse. One has a crushed skull, the other suffocates in a garbage can.

An arrow passing through the vitals of a whitetail whether it’s lobbed by a $1,200 bow with swanky high tech babble hooey or an arrow sprung from a stick and string has the same effect, a dead whitetail. I never truly understood the traditionalist in our sport but the older I get, the more I see. Well hang on, maybe the older I get the more I’m willing to see. It’s not about being a rebel and bucking a technology trend, it’s about simplifying the experience and getting back to basics. I would often ask my traditional friends “Why are you making it harder on yourselves than you need to?” Now I think I’ve answered my own question. They’re not making it harder, they’re choosing a different path and there’s nothing wrong with that. Am I ready to head back to the stick and string? Heck no. The heads up display I use instead of a peep is a brilliant addition to my rig. I don’t have to deal with a dominant eye or low light concerns. The red dot in the heads up display is always there for me and he’s my friend. Like most friends once in a while they’ll let you down but by and large some technologies are tried and true. Think Gore-Tex. Where would we be without that? But I digress …

Technology that has a genuine connection to a better bowhunting experience is subjective. It always was and it likely always will be. Even traditional bowhunters debate whether cherry, Osage orange, black walnut, maple or combinations thereof make the best long bow. My traditional friends recoil in horror at the thought of being dependent on a battery operated optical display to create a sight window. In their world the sight window is the arrow shaft, their eyes and muscle memory. What could be simpler? Well, for me it’s the click of switch (with 7 different brightness settings) and knowing my arrow follows where I place the dot. Place it a little low for a shorter shot, a little higher for longer. Let’s get back to a “geo grid lock riser”. Does it have a tangibly felt and legitimate value in the hands of any Joe Average bowhunter. I doubt it. Does a “geo gridlock riser” have a scientifically proven value? Possibly and hopefully but how would any of us Joe Average’s really know. Maybe it’s the ultimate placebo effect where it has no value whatsoever but yet somehow, someway our brains process a difference. I guess at this point I’m tempted to throw my hands up in the air and scream “To each his own!” but I smell some deceit and bamboozling going on. It is my opinion bow and archery accessory manufacturers want to gloss over, dumb things down and create language that sounds unfamiliar and sexy but may be of the same value as say a lettuce only salad with no dressing. If it takes too long to explain something you may lose the attention of the listener. If you say polyvinyl chloride at Lowe’s you get the deer in the headlights look. If you say PVC the light bulb goes off. If you say “geo gridlock riser” you’re either gonna get the deer in the headlights look combined with the “tell me more” look or your consumer is just going to skip to the “I don’t know what that is but it must be good because no one else has it” Ah. It is the latter wherein some deceit and bamboozling may be happening. The claim is the engineering behind the “gridlock riser” in combination with other vibration dampening devices “…absorbs 75 % of residual vibration”. Sounds impressive but if you have no base line by which to judge, no prior bowhunting experience or you can’t feel it, I have to ask “What good is it?”. The answer is almost always in the marketing which has been my point all along. If you feel it, if it has value to you and it makes your bowhunting experience better, then by all means go for it. Never, never extract money from your wallet until the feature, the patent pending thing-a-ma-bob or the hooey resonates and makes sense. I believe the game that’s played in our bowhunting circles is a bet that you won’t question the acronym or the technology claims. The bet is you’ll just go with the flow and be romanced by bigger, better, lighter, faster.

[SIZE=4][U]Words of Advice:[/U][/SIZE]

1.\t[B]You have to know what you know before you can decide. [/B]
Put another way, if you have no experience then think with a budget not with an open mind. Start with a $200 bow and learn your way around. Starting with the biggest and bestest $1,200 bow that you can “grow into” is wasteful, dumb and like handing the keys to a Ferrari to your teenager.

2.\t[B]Skepticism is your best friend. [/B]
Listening skills are a close second. My favorite question, whether I ask it to myself while reading an article or talking to a salesperson in the local pro shop is, “So what’s that mean to me sitting in a tree or a ground blind waiting on a whitetail?” The answer you get is important especially if the article, the salesperson or the bowhunter relates it to how it carries into your field experience. A warning sign that the technology you’re considering has little value is “It’s hard to describe.” If it’s that hard to describe it’s either a high level nuance or crap.

3.\t[B]Bigger, Better, Lighter, Faster, Quieter[/B]
Than what? Bigger may refer to the size of the company doing the manufacturing or to an idler cam. Does the size of the company matter to you when you’re at full draw? Remember the phrase “Too big to fail”? The diameter of an idler cam? Now that’s something that directly impacts your bowhunt from the get go.

Better? Can’t be proven in a showroom or a pro shop so forget it. Go online and read all you can read about what faceless peers say then see if it’s true.

Lighter? Makes total sense if you’re backpacking or hiking in for miles where every ounce matters. Does it matter so much on a 300 yard walk from your truck to your stand? Not so much.

Faster? Sure on an antelope shot at 60 yards, fast matters for lots of important reasons relating to trajectory and jumping the string. On a typical 18 yard treestand shot? Not so much.

Quieter? Matters all the time, every time but (you knew it was coming) there is no standard, no decibel level statistic to compare. The only way you can know if one bow is quieter over another is to use your subjective ears while someone else shoots the bow. Don’t try to do it yourself. Your ears are too close to the commotion of an arrow launching to be much good to you.

[SIZE=4][U]Useful Bow:[/U][/SIZE]

1.\t[B]Fiber Optic Pin Sights[/B] - Tritium has a place at the table with firearms but it’s old school in bowhunting. Fiber optic pins are a must have and frankly, the more strands in a light collecting device, the better. Don’t be tempted by aftermarket lights that screw into the frame of your pin guard. Even a rheostat that controls the LED light floods the pins with too much light and obscures the down range target.

2.\t[B]Detachable Quivers[/B] – You may be the type that has never had a need to detach the quiver but there’s lot of advantages. Less vibration to worry about, better quiver placement for a potential second shot, less weight to hold out in front at full draw

3.\t[B]High Quality Aftermarket Bowstrings & Cables[/B] – For some odd reason few bowhunters ever give this a second thought. They usually run with whatever was on their bow when they bought it. Not only can you regain speed but the geometry of your bow comes back to original specifications when everything that likely has stretched comes back and stays back.

4.\t[B]Limb Pocket Design[/B] – Doesn’t sound high tech and it isn’t really but consider the force it takes to anchor the business end of a bow limb at full draw and then consider the fury of kinetic energy that’s unleashed when you release an arrow. A bow limb that simply rests in an open pocket with a traditional big ‘ol limb bolt bolt and washer is old technology. At the bare minimum you want vibration dampening material in the pocket and a full clamping action that surrounds the limb in the pocket. Movement in the limb pocket is lost kinetic energy, dangerous and very, very noisy.

5.\t[B]Cams[/B] – We can talk about cam design for hours and days but let’s not. Most tangible recent advancements in the last 10 years have come from computer modeling a variety of cam designs. A cam “profile” determines much of what you feel during the draw and after the release. Rather than go swimming in the technology pool just keep it simple. How did it feel drawing the bow? Forget about words like valley, back wall and power stroke. Just shoot the dang prospective bow, visualize what your body would feel with hundreds of shots through it and most importantly, drawing it in 15 degree weather. If the answer is “Yeah, I could do that.” then you’ve found the perfect bow for your body.

6.\t[B]Reflex vs Deflex Riser Design[/B] –If the throat of the grip is in front of the pivot point line it is considered deflex, if it is behind the pivot point line it is considered reflex. Bottom line is you want a Deflex riser design. The geometry of the deflex approach creates a larger brace height and makes the bow more forgiving to shoot. When in doubt Google-it out.
[SIZE=4]
[U]Useless Bow[/U][/SIZE]

1.\t[B]Camo[/B] – Unless you’re one of those who likes everything to match (bad idea from a concealment perspective) forget about what pattern is most aesthetic.

2.\t[B]Stabilizer[/B] – If your bow was made in the last 5 years you don’t need one. If you do there are tuning issues you should address first and vibration isolation you should do second. Stabilizers are needed in competitive shooting primarily for balance. Do they hurt your set up? Nope. Do they help? Yes but they usually cloak more serious problems.

3.\t[B]Bow sling[/B] – I know I’ll catch some flak on this one but a bow sling is useless. It’s kind of like a baby binky. The child doesn’t really need it but feels better with it. Slings help people with poor form or a poorly tuned bow that jumps out of your hand feel better.

4.\t[B]Brand[/B] – I’ll be brief. The Chevy vs. Ford debate rages for a reason. So it goes with everything including bows. If you’re buying from Mathews, PSE, Hoyt, Parker, Bowtech or Bear you can rest assured the arrow coming out of a tuned bow from these manufacturers won’t matter much to the whitetail. It only matters to you and your buds.

Last but definitely not least is practice. If it isn’t fun, you won’t do it. If you’re not motivated to succeed, you won’t do it. If the words humane kill are foreign to you, you won’t care about practice. If you want to truly relax in the deer woods or on the archery range and breathe confidence the only way for a bowhunter to get there is to practice. So, do it.

Last month emails came fast and furious. There was some controversy but that’s O.K hopefully we can agree to disagree. If you’ve got something to say, I’m listening. Email me. If you’ve got some bowhunting legacy, pass it on to a young one and for the love of those that love you, put on the dang safety harness!

2.) Ventilator - 12/19/2013

Nicely written with some great points Bob. :tu:

3.) Ventilator - 12/19/2013

Ill add that stabilizers, while not needed for vibe on new bows, do help tremendously in the balance aspect. I have started using sidebar stabs on my hunting rigs. The extra weight is a fair trade for increased accuracy on longer shots. I do a lot of western hunting where 35-60 yds is the normal shot distance.

4.) Swamp Fox - 12/19/2013

First of all, Bob, thanks for posting. A good read, and we really, really like you despite the I’ll-take-my-ball-and-go-home-if-I-don’t-like-what-I-see-here attitude. :wink

I have a few nits to pick, though.

Most importantly, you confuse capitalism with greed. Unfortunately, this is all-too-common. Since the concept has now seeped down to the level of good Americans who mean no harm but who are dangerously misguided nonetheless, it’s past time to call it out.

Wanting to sell a boatload of bows is not greed. Greed is a character flaw, a personal failing. Unless we know the greedy individual and can point to examples of his greed, we should tone down the rhetoric. You might not like all the marketing games and the other things that go into selling products or services, but as you surely know, “Stuff doesn’t just sell itself.”

Just because someone hawks or hypes something he’d like you to buy does not make him greedy. It’s the way business gets done. And this fact of life surely doesn’t make a [I]corporation[/I] greedy. That’s a particularly obnoxious piece of nonsense, but in the era of Occupy Wall Street especially, we hear it all the time.

“Nothing happens until somebody sells something.” It’s an old saying, and true. It’s not a symptom of greed.

None of this is to refute your points about marketing hype and tactics. I tend to agree with you on those. I’d like to flesh out one of them, though. You say you smell some deceit and bamboozling going on. If your nose knows, and there really is deceit and bamboozling rife in a marketing campaign, that could be a sign of greed in its most expansive definition.

However, calling a compound bow a “space-age arrow-launching device” and everything involved with it a “system” does not deceit and bamboozling make. Deceit and bamboozling are dishonest, and imply some harm actively and intentionally done to a second party. Calling things fancy, fanciful or creative names is merely imaginative. Caveat emptor.

I disagree with you about the usefulness of stabilizers and bowslings on hunting bows, but rather than put our huge audience to sleep, I’ll let those go.

5.) Go Bucks - 12/19/2013

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;13789]
I have a few nits to pick, though.

[/QUOTE]

EEEEKS! Thanks for sharing that info.... Doesn't Kinny shower? You need to choose your partners more carefully.

6.) Ventilator - 12/19/2013

lol, me and swampy actually hunt.

If all we did was stay on the soccer fields and golf courses in Indiana, we would probably smell more "jersey shorish" .

:-)

7.) Swamp Fox - 12/19/2013

Hunting partner....hunting partner...

I feel the need to clarify. :p

8.) Bob Peck - 12/19/2013

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;13789]First of all, Bob, thanks for posting. A good read, and we really, really like you despite the I’ll-take-my-ball-and-go-home-if-I-don’t-like-what-I-see-here attitude. :wink[/QUOTE]

I've been here since the beginning of time and I could care less if you like me. If I choose not to participate it is only because a. I am hunting b. it's the usual cast talking about the usual non-hunting related gibberish or c. because any point I might make has already been made.


[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;13789]I have a few nits to pick, though. [/QUOTE]

When you've held one single hunting industry position in any capacity I'll pay attention otherwise you are a spectator and not in a position to lecture anyone on what is capitalism and what is greed.

I've worked as a VP of Sales and a Director of Marketing in the archery industry and have operated a market research company for 20+ years that caters to outdoor industry product manufacturers (apparel, gear, firearms, fishing). I have truly fought in the trenches at the highest possible level. It's been a blessing and a curse but one thing is for certain, my eyes couldn't be more wide open.

I've been in meetings where the agenda was specifically to address how to run competitors out of business. I'm talking unfair, unethical and in some discussions unlawful strategies. Alex has also witnessed some of these discussions. Other strategy sessions dedicated specifically to figure out how to create the appearance of technological "innovation" that everyone knew was smoke & mirrors.

Greed? Hell yeah! You betcha! "Capitalism" and "marketing savvy" are the nice words layered on top of what is one of the most brutal industries I've ever worked in. Is every single company this way? Of course not but when it comes to the itsy bitsy teeny tiny market segment called archery it's by and large a UFC octagon.

9.) Go Bucks - 12/19/2013

on the stabilizer thing.. my take is the short ones don't do much and are no longer needed for vibration dampening if the bow is tuned up.. e.g. S-Coil, but the longer ones do help for accuracy and balance. I use a 10" blade on the hunting rig and a nocked arrow sticks out way beyond the stab.

Bow slings.. I don't use one, but sometimes have to think about not dropping bow on severe downhill tree stand shots. I can see why people keep them.

Quiver.. mine always stays mounted to keep movement minimal for a follow up shot. Having to turn around and wrestle the second arrow out would also force me to take my eyes off the deer. I think I am mostly alone with this thought. Kinny's mention of a side bar would help offset the balance issue.

Nice job. Its a solid article and covers the issues.

10.) Wild Bob - 12/19/2013

Very useful. Thank you for putting the common sense, back into something that, too many folks have run amuck on. In my opinion, too many bow hunters have turned the pursuit into some thing that makes the marketing specialists salivate over. Then to top it off...we beat each other up over my equipment is better than your equipment, and play right into taking the fun out of the pursuit.

I was helping out at our local Wild Turkey Federation / Ducks Unlimited 'Kids Outdoor Program' (a once a year deal to introduce kids to the outdoor pursuits) at the archery station. We had a mix match of youth bows and the archery station is a popular spot at each event. There were a number of younger mothers that brought their boys to the event. The kids always have a ball shooting at the number of 3-D targets that we set up for them. I watched as my co-helper (a pleasant young woman, whose husband is an avid bow hunter) explained to a mother how to get a bow for her son. She gave this mother a great sales pitch for the local bow shop, then capped it off with, "and you want to make sure to get him a good quality bow, like a Mathews, not some piece of poorly made junk."

Inevitably, the conversation on the Mom's end came around to, "I'd really love to get him involved in archery, so how much will something like your describing cost?" As my co-helper told her a price range, I could see by the shock on her face that the damage had been done. Later in the evening while I was taking a break and walking around all the different event stations, I ran into the boy and his mother waiting in the line to try out trap & skeet shooting. I took advantage of their wait time, and discussed with the mother what my co-helper had said to her regarding getting her son into archery. She gave me an earful about how ridiculous the cost would be for her, a single mother to even dream about spending on something like that.

It really irks me that so many of our own run (fellow bow hunters) around thinking and spewing out bad information such as that. She (co-helper) almost ruined that poor kid's chance at being introduced to something that he may end up sticking with the rest of his life. All in the name of commercialism and I honestly don't think she had a clue what she was peddling and the implications of such bad advice.

11.) Go Bucks - 12/19/2013

As soon as someone has to list their resume to bolster the stance, the argument is lost. There is little different in the archery business that doesn't translate to virtually every other for-profit entity, and to demean someone based on that doesn't strengthen any argument. As soon as someone tells me their experience is greater than mine and therefore they are right, when my experience dictates differently, my immediate thought is, "then you have been wrong for a long time."

At any rate... I saw Wall Street last night and Gordon is right, greed is good in an open market environment. Its up to the competition to keep greed in check.

12.) Swamp Fox - 12/19/2013

[QUOTE=Bob Peck;13801]I've been here since the beginning of time and I could care less if you like me. If I choose not to participate it is only because a. I am hunting b. it's the usual cast talking about the usual non-hunting related gibberish or c. because any point I might make has already been made. [/QUOTE]

I’m sorry you’re having a bad day. I hope it gets better. Merry Christmas to you, too.




[QUOTE=Bob Peck;13801]When you've held one single hunting industry position in any capacity I'll pay attention otherwise you are a spectator and not in a position to lecture anyone on what is capitalism and what is greed. [/QUOTE]

Untrue on its face. You don’t need to be anyone in any industry to know the difference between capitalism and greed. Or to talk about it.


[QUOTE=Bob Peck;13801]I've been in meetings where the agenda was specifically to address how to run competitors out of business. I'm talking unfair, unethical and in some discussions unlawful strategies. Alex has also witnessed some of these discussions. Other strategy sessions dedicated specifically to figure out how to create the appearance of technological "innovation" that everyone knew was smoke & mirrors. [/QUOTE]

Had you mentioned anything about any of this in your piece, it would have made your statement about greed almost supported. On the other hand, hardball business is not necessarily equivalent to greed, either.



Take this in the spirit of a friendly letter to the editor.

13.) Bob Peck - 12/19/2013

[QUOTE=Go Bucks;13805]As soon as someone has to list their resume to bolster the stance, the argument is lost. [/QUOTE]

1. I listed my background to demonstrate I'm not a spectator. I am a participant and combatant in the things I speak of.
2. There is no stance.
2. There is no argument.


[QUOTE=Go Bucks;13805] There is little different in the archery business that doesn't translate to virtually every other for-profit entity[/QUOTE]

My experience proves otherwise. There are many things completely unique to the archery industry that I did not find in telecommunications and technology sectors.

[QUOTE=Go Bucks;13805] ...to demean someone based on that doesn't strengthen any argument. [/QUOTE]

Demean SF? I don't think that's possible. From my interactions with him over the years I'm pretty sure he has a thick hide.

[QUOTE=Go Bucks;13805]As soon as someone tells me their experience is greater than mine and therefore they are right, when my experience dictates differently, my immediate thought is, "then you have been wrong for a long time."[/QUOTE]

I believe it's possible to partially express one's background without it automatically interpreting or assuming that my experience is greater and oh yeah, I didn't say I was right. I provided first hand context based on my employment in the archery industry.

[QUOTE=Go Bucks;13805]At any rate... I saw Wall Street last night and Gordon is right, greed is good in an open market environment. Its up to the competition to keep greed in check.[/QUOTE] Many people think the common saying "Money is the root of all evil." is a correct quote. It's not.

1 Timothy 6:10
[I]"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

[/I]

14.) Bob Peck - 12/19/2013

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;13808]I’m sorry you’re having a bad day. I hope it gets better. Merry Christmas to you, too. [/QUOTE]

Aw. You're such a sweet and caring person Chris. Thanks! Merry Christmas to you.

15.) Ohbuckhunter - 12/19/2013

Bob check your pm.

16.) luv2bowhunt - 12/19/2013

Thanks for posting Bob. Very good thoughts.

I wanted you to have the ability to blog here, but your friend Alex was against it. In case you haven't noticed, he sucks the joy right out of life if you let him.

17.) Swamp Fox - 12/19/2013

[QUOTE=Bob Peck;13811]Aw. You're such a sweet and caring person Chris. Thanks! Merry Christmas to you.[/QUOTE]


Sweet and caring? LOL

Naw, not really.

More than some, maybe…Less than others.

I try, though.

:p

18.) Go Bucks - 12/19/2013

[QUOTE=Bob Peck;13809]

My experience proves otherwise. There are many things completely unique to the archery industry that I did not find in telecommunications and technology sectors.

[/QUOTE]

I too have a past of unrelated ventures. If I had a resume, that would be the opening line. I am talking about the fundamental building blocks of a company are identical, just weighed differently, yet the concepts are all remarkably similar. To mention a few, virtually all companies of all sizes and products have elements of R&D, manufacturing, purchasing, accounting, QC, marketing, sales, advertising, etc. The bigger the company, the more clearly defined the roles and titles must become.

19.) luv2bowhunt - 12/20/2013

I get paid to pretend to build highways. How sweet is that gig?

Bob needs to blog. Alex let's get cracking on the blog section. Give the man a platform. I thought you were friends.

Don't be a creep, help a brother out.

20.) Go Bucks - 12/20/2013

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;13825]I get paid to pretend to build highways. How sweet is that gig?

[/QUOTE]

Ahhhhhh... so you are the moron in PA who puts Stop signs at the end of major highway entrance ramps... stupidest thing I ever encountered.

21.) CHRIS - 12/20/2013

Good read Bob...thanks!

22.) Ventilator - 12/20/2013

I see Bob hasnt returned since OHBH sent him a PM. Darn it!

Dave, stop running off the help! :tap::wave:

23.) Ohbuckhunter - 12/20/2013

I sent him a pm before this thread was put up.

24.) Ventilator - 12/20/2013

likely story. lol

25.) Ohbuckhunter - 12/20/2013

Very unlikely.

26.) Swamp Fox - 12/20/2013

OHBH has a lot of time to text and PM now that he shot their moo cow in the heart and doesn't have to do the milking anymore.

Big meanie...

27.) Ohbuckhunter - 12/20/2013

lol. I wish it's that easy. If I did something like that id be divorced.

28.) Alex - 12/20/2013

stop hijackin boys.
This is why he didnt put it in podunk.

29.) Bob Peck - 12/20/2013

[QUOTE=Go Bucks;13820] I am talking about the fundamental building blocks of a company are identical, just weighed differently, yet the concepts are all remarkably similar. To mention a few, virtually all companies of all sizes and products have elements of R&D, manufacturing, purchasing, accounting, QC, marketing, sales, advertising, etc. The bigger the company, the more clearly defined the roles and titles must become.[/QUOTE]

Let's agree to disagree.

Some of the largest companies in the hunting industry don't have *anything* resembling R&D, formal or informal. When perception meets reality it's a stunning nightmare. For giggles if I lumped all outdoor product market segments I've worked in, I would guesstimate 55% are "seat-of-the pants" R&D with senior mgmt taking pot shots at what they anecdotally think the next latest/greatest will be. Year-to-year adding mostly cosmetic changes and tweaks is the norm for "new" product roll-outs. They are banking that no one will see through this. By and large, consumers don't. That is not R&D to me.

"Manufacturing" for almost all hunting apparel companies is a factory in China, Viet Nam, Indonesia, India or Pakistan that the brand owner has tenuous control over. There is no shop floor, cap ex investments, amortizing equipment, etc., etc. Execs might visit "the factory" once a year to look things over but mostly they wait for their containers to arrive in the USA. The Chinese New Year (usually 15 days but stretches into a month long affair) is a real logistics concern as *ALL* manufacturing grinds to a screeching halt. Sad but true, most Chinese labor lives away from their families in factory cities. They take the Chinese New Year and 14 hour train rides to reconnect with family. Weather affecting oceanic travel plays havoc with supply/demand and the prices you pay at the retail level. One (the Chinese New Year) can be scheduled around. The other can tank a thinly funded enterprise.

Purchasing? Sure. Accounting? Sure. I'm with you.

QC? :laugh:

The factory workers I've met in Guangzhou don't get paid by the hour. They get paid for each piece part they move through their area of the factory floor. I've witnessed $400 (retail) knife blanks rolling off a stamping line side-by-side with $5 retail knife blanks that end up on your local convenience store counter. Blew my mind. Opened up my eyes to what I never knew as a retail consumer. But I digress ...

If you shift gears out of the archery industry and veer towards the firearms market segment much of what you say becomes more real because of liability issues and insurance costs. Downshift again into the fishing industry? Forgedda bout it. Fishing, as an industry, is bigger than archery by a factor of 10. There is such a large disparity between the offshore manufacturer, the guy with a dream making lures in his garage and a legitimate domestic manufacturer that there is very clear market segmentation. As such, there are literally thousands of interpretations of what we might debate are the "fundamental building blocks of a company". Because of this disparity I could never say they are "identical". Far from it.

Some brands are total and complete marketing fabrications in that the products are 100% manufactured by someone else. The brand owner/concept developer rakes in pure profit with practically zero overhead (i.e. no marketing, no R&D, no AP/AR, nuthin). In this scenario the brand holder sits back and leverages lucrative licensing agreements doing practically nothing to "earn" the revenue. Is that a bad thing? Heck no. It's brilliant.