Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

[both-teams-played-hard]

I collect jerseys from the 50s, 60s and 70s, so my list may differ from most. I would like to hear from the vintage collectors as well as the modern collectors. You may not have a "Top 5"...it may just be 1 or 2.

1) Rawlings
2) Wilson
3) Sand Knit
4) Spanjian
5) Powers

All materials and fabrics.
All sports.
All eras.

[TNTtoys]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manufacturers!

Mine is fairly similar --

1. Rawlings
2. Wilson
3. Majestic
4. AIS
5. Sand Knit

I'd like to add a "bottom of the list" category to this question, where forum members can comment on the worst of the bunch in their opinion. Honorable mention in this category goes to Russell for finding a way to make authentics look and feel cheaper than all of their counterparts, and (tied) Nike & Starter for basically everything they have ever done in the baseball category.

[ChuckFoPrez]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

Since I only deal in Football and Basketball...my top 5 may differ:

5. Nike
4. Champion
3. Wilson
2. Starter
1. Sand Knit

Honorable Mention:

Puma, 1990s Reebok, Apex One, Rawlings, 1980s and earlier Russell Athletic

[34swtns]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

For vintage NFL jerseys:

1. Wilson
2. King O'Shea
3. Rawlings
4. Sand Knit
5. Russell

[mchmaj]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

top 5 best old school brand (into college sports,and pro teams)
1. Wilson
2. Rawlings
3. Goodman and sons
4. Champion
5. Sand knit

top 5 best new school brand (into college sports and pro teams)
1. NIKE
2. Ripon
3. Reebok
4. Majestic
5. Adidas

WORST REPLICA ever ?? they would be apex, russell, and logo athletic

WORST BRAND to make uniforms, still making today or out of business....
#1. Sports belle
#2. Fab Knit
#3. Speedline
#4. Delong
#5. Russell

NIKE is leading for the BEST uniform styles

marcus chmaj

[island_style]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

As a former Los Angeles area resident (Santa Clarita, CA), I am one of the few, but proud, fans of Clippers Nation (compared to the Lakers' following). However, I have to give it up out of respect to the Tiernan (Glendale, CA) jerseys that the Showtime-era Lakers used to wear.

For baseball, it would be Goodman & Sons. They made the Dodger jerseys back in the Garvey/Fernando days. On a Jerry Reuss Goodman jersey that I once owned, there was a mesh-type lining inside the jersey. I was just a kid back then, but I remember going into the Goodman & Sons factory in Downtown LA and seeing a lot Dodger jerseys (including Fernando). Not having been bit with the game used bug yet, I can't help but wonder if those were team-issued. Heck, even if they were retail, I wouldn't mind owning one of those.

Kind Regards,

Ron.

Rsamiano@aol.com

[RJB44]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

I collect knits from 1970's through 1980's. My choices are as follows:

1. McAuliffe Uniform Corp (Tim McAuliffe).
2. Wilson
3. Rawlings
4. Goodman & Sons
5. Medalist

[cohibasmoker]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

I collect jerseys from the 50s, 60s and 70s, so my list may differ from most. I would like to hear from the vintage collectors as well as the modern collectors. You may not have a "Top 5"...it may just be 1 or 2.

1) Rawlings
2) Wilson
3) Sand Knit
4) Spanjian
5) Powers

All materials and fabrics.
All sports.
All eras.

BTPH,

I just picked up this durene jersey with a Spanjian "pasadena" tag. Heavy durene, rounded neck and double-ply shoulders. The numbers are sewn on and the unusual font used for the numbers matches a few professional teams. But to narrow my search down, could you possibly date the Spanjian tag? The tag is sewn onto the inside back portion of the jersey.

Jim flaa1a@comcast.net

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manufacturers!

BTPH,

I just picked up this durene jersey with a Spanjian "pasadena" tag. Heavy durene, rounded neck and double-ply shoulders. The numbers are sewn on and the unusual font used for the numbers matches a few professional teams. But to narrow my search down, could you possibly date the Spanjian tag? The tag is sewn onto the inside back portion of the jersey.

Jim flaa1a@comcast.net

1950s to very early 1960s Spanjian tags. Nice shirt! Numbers on shoulders date it to the mid 50s or later. Sorry I could not pinpoint the year exactly. I have always thought shoulder numerals (TV numbers) were not introduced til the mid 50s.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

Also, don't let the "Pasadena" tag fool you. Spanjian was located in Pasadena until 1970, but they supplied jerseys to teams nationwide. The team may not have anything to do with Southern California. I have sold 100s of durene football and could not identify the teams. GOOD LUCK!

[both-teams-played-hard]

Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manufacturers!

I collect jerseys from the 50s, 60s and 70s, so my list may differ from most. I would like to hear from the vintage collectors as well as the modern collectors. You may not have a "Top 5"...it may just be 1 or 2.

1) Rawlings
2) Wilson
3) Sand Knit
4) Spanjian
5) Powers

All materials and fabrics.
All sports.
All eras.

Refresh....My top 5 still hasn't changed. "King O'Shea" is a strong number "6". "MacGregor is number "7". They could easily make the Top 5 by August.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

I can't get excited about any of the cuurent companies, mainly due to the availability of authentic retail jerseys, so I'll go with the following:

1) Wilson
2) Rawlings
3) Sand-Knit
4) MacGregor
5) Spalding

Dave Miedema

[solarlottry]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

I could wipe my sons ass (i dont!) with my 1989 Russell Joe Montana gamer it is so soft. I think that their is nothing quite like the smell and the softness of the mid to late 80s Russell 49ers shirts!

My favorite jersey is the 1994 Wilson 49ers throwback

Paul
garciajones@yahoo.com

Always buying ANY 1994 49ers shirt (YES ANY PLAYER!) and paying whatever it takes to get the deal done.

[warheel]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

I could wipe my sons ass (i dont!) with my 1989 Russell Joe Montana gamer it is so soft. I think that their is nothing quite like the smell and the softness of the mid to late 80s Russell 49ers shirts!

Ahh, that smell..I loved to smell it walking into the factory store in Alabama. I remember seeing racks of early/mid 49er Russell game shirts on sale for under $15..NNOB..this was before the real authentics craze so maybe they were overruns. As a 16 year old I could only afford one so I got a #13 Dolphins that hangs down to my mid thigh. I still have it. Yes they are thin and soft..I wondered how they could take the abuse of an NFL game.

[Jayworld]

Re: Rank your Top 5 Jersey Manafacturers!

Top 5:
1. Sand-Knit - fantastic quality for several MLB teams, and I wore this brand in high school (dating myself...)
2. Wilson - great jerseys for many MLB teams; excellent quality, sewing, etc.
3. Rawlings
4. Russell - Lots of SWC football team wore these and they were very rugged
5. Champion - I also wore this brand in high school (baseball and basketball). While not as good as the above, I feel Champion was better than Majestic, of which I have been disappointed since they became the sole supplier for MLB.

Bottom of the List:
Majestic - I just have never really cared for the quality (craftsmanship, sewing, etc.) of this brand since it became the sole supplier for MLB. Would love to see Wilson or Rawlings come back into the mix.
Mitchell and Ness - while the quality of materials seem to be good, I am constantly amazed that a company that makes its "bread and butter" on throwbacks for the leagues consistently has errors (wrong fonts, wrong stripes, etc.). In many cases, just a little research would help. The 1978 San Diego Padres gold alternates that M&N produced a few years back (Gaylord Perry and Dave Winfield) were so very wrong and were never corrected. When I pointed this out to M&N, they actually sent me a jersey of my choice for free and promised to correct the mistakes with a future release (Winfield, which they never did).