doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT-Herter's

I purchased an old surplus VZ-24 mauser from Sears in the late 70's. I had Harry McGowan rebarrel it and do the metal work. Spoke with Harry last week. He has now retired and sold all the barrel equipment and the name "McGowan Barrels" to a guy in MT. I purchased the best piece of curly maple that Fajens had at the moment. I sent the rifle and wood to Herters. They did a great job putting it all together, 15 panels of checkering, etc. I think all together I spent $400 on that gun.

I used to wait for the Herters catalog every year. In the back they had full color plates of their latest fly patterns. It usually wasn't hard to figure out how to tie them myself based on the photos. I still have some fly tying gear from them, spools, scissors, etc. Some where in the closet is the "World Famous" Herters Goose call, next to the "Perfect" Herters Duck call.

I used to get a kick out of reading the hunting stories in the catalog. As I remember it, Junior never failed to drop 'em with 1 shot.

Yes, like many other great companies, they are a scaled down version of what used to be, Herters, Fajen, Marbles, etc.

Pete

George suffered from bipolar disorder for years, which decended into quite paranoid schizophrenia near the end. It was untreated his whole life, inspite of telltale symptoms (ever seen a photo of the man?) throughout same. There is a little more to the story than his kids didn't want the business.

I remember the ad copy from the catalogs-everything was "the finest of it's type". One of the older residents of the neighborhood had a Herter's snowmobile in his iron pile until the city made him clean it up, just a year or two ago. I can assure you, with a one lung Kohler, and a fiberglass hood that was near three inches thick in some spots, it was crude, even for the era.
We have a catalog about my folks house, somewhere. Some things in it were great deals, some fair, and some, pure snake oil.
Best,
Ted

The were actually Herter's stores in Beaver Dam at two different times. The first was run by the original Herter's and had a large moose on the roof. It was a must stop when transiting between Madison and my home in Neenah Wisconsin. I purchased a lot of fishing equipment from Herter's as the price were right and the gear well made. The second incarnation was indeed in the Mid 90's as the name had been purchased by a local business man who was making decoys I believe. That store could not compare to the original Herter's.
The catalog's were an endless source of reading enjoyment. Herter's sold a 'Bull Cook' knife that had a plain wood handle, carbon steel blade and leather sheath. If you kept the carbon steel sharpened and rust free, it was actually a good knife. I see them from time to time at Gun and Knife Shows for sale. I think that other than some flies, the only piece of Herter's gear I have left is a fly fishing vest that has shrunck, sort of!-Dick

If you likes reading his catalogs, try looking for one or two of the books he wrote. I have a copy of his Professional Guide Manual and his Professional Chefs Manual and they are GREAT reading. One of his ideas was this, if a bear or mountain lion has hold of you and is ready to eat you, spit in his mouth, as the bears and lions don't like human spit. I figure I'm gonna be pretty dry mouthed if a bear is about to eat me!! Might be able to crap on him though.

I had 2 Herters books- The Professional Guide and How To Get Out of The Rat race and Live On ten Dollars a Month. I blame the later on my limited success in life! Herters still owes me $36. for a dozen decoys I ordered from them when I was 15, I got a letter instead informing of their reorganization. Set my waterfowling career back several years saving up enough money to pay those shills and get my decoys from another company. I experienced my first drunk as result of one of their wine making kits too. Ah the innocence of youth! To bad things needed to change so much.

Herter's was wonderful. I remember looking at the huge stuffed wolf just inside their door in the 60s. They also had an outlet in Fairbault , Minn., called Ruhr American. Same merchandize and the catalogs are neat . World Best French Canadian Sourdough Pancake Mix etc. I still have their single stage shotshell loader.

All these comments really bring back memories. So I wasn't alone drooling over their catalogs. I or my dad ordered and used up several big boxes of their plastic shotshell wads and my dad built the first fiberglass canoe I ever saw from a kit of their "Chrome Fiberglass." Of course, it was advertised as the world's strongest material and indestructible. So I dropped a rock of about 20 pounds into it one day while it was floating at the dock. It cracked the bottom (of course) and my dad made me spend my own money to order a repair kit and then fix it. That's when I learned about working with fiberglass.

On a separate note, another firm that faded from its former self is Land's End in Chicago. In the mid-70's, I was rigging out a sailboat for racing. LI was the go-to place for ordering blocks, pulleys, cleats, etc. Their catalog listed just about everything needed. But when they sent me a catalog about 1979 or 1980, it was all clothes. I called to ask where the hardware was and was informed that they didn't carry it anymore.

Dave, same goes for Eddie Baur. Used to have a shop on Wells St I think(under the tracks). Was chock full of stuff for folks whose definition of the outdoors was not the back deck.

Best,
Mark

I grew up in MN and bought a lot of stuff from them. Still have a ton of their shotcups and a catalogue or two that are fun reading for their total BS!

Herter's, Eddie Bauer, Abercrombie and Fitch all were once great brands that truly catered to the outdoorsman. They have been replaced by Cabela's, Bass Pro, Sportsman's Warehouse and others; but a reminder of the frailty of poor management and failure to serve loyal customers.

Who is your favorite today?

Jim