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Zippy8
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Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:02 pm

I can only invite to edit/add numbers people who let me know their GMail addy. Otherwise just PM me the numbers and I shall carry out the arduous task for you. :-)

Mike.
 
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Zippy8
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Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:29 pm

Numbers happily flying in, so many thanks for that.

As of writing three makers have been mentioned more than once as the best made currently available:-
Blue Moon
Benson
Jest of Eve.

And three other makers have been given repeatedly 4-or-less scores:-
New Tech
Spirit of Air
Air Oeuvre.

I only report the results.

Mike.
Last edited by Zippy8 on Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Michel
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Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:38 pm

You could add :

- DrĂ´le d'Oiseau (Canard, Canardo, Kiwi) / France

- Drachenkiste Siebert (Itrix, Ying Yang, Sweety) / Germany

- Flying Wings (Beetle, Silver Fox) / USA
 
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kitegem
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Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:13 pm

I am rather surprised Flexi is taking such a beating.

Perhaps a bit heavy handed at times, but the worst?

Hmmm..

Are we breaking this down in any way or just throwing out a list of our picks for best made brand overall?
 
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Dave A
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:05 am

I would have thought Skyburner would have been near the top.
I've seen a mates Widowmaker, and its as near to perfection as can be.

No problem with NTK being near the bottom though.
 
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Zippy8
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:24 am

Michel wrote:
You could add :

No... you could add. Any other names people feel like throwing in, just drop me some numbers (and Drachenkiste was in there but no-one has given them numbers yet so they are off the chart).

Flexi. wasn't there to begin with. I just threw out some names that came to me. There are others.

kitegem wrote:
Are we breaking this down in any way or just throwing out a list of our picks for best made brand overall?

10 = best made currently
0 = handle with gloves
Scale accordingly to suit.

Some brands have only 1 or 2 ratings so far.

It's hardly science but you can see certain brands positioning themselves in certain areas.

Mike.
 
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kitegem
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:30 am

I'd agree with that. Very well made kites.

Dave A wrote:
I would have thought Skyburner would have been near the top.
I've seen a mates Widowmaker, and its as near to perfection as can be.

No problem with NTK being near the bottom though.
 
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Zippy8
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:04 am

<adopts Deep Thought's tone>
If I may make an observation at this point.

Or indeed more than one :-)

Skyburner (actually aren't they sewn by Head Up still ?) make a very clean kite. It's very traditional kite making and extremely well done. But it's not exactly innovative, from what I've seen. Nothing wrong with it at all but... not for me the best available. I'd say the same about Betancourt too.

When I first saw a Windfactory kite I was impressed that they were allying the traditional with the innovative. They've not just gone "this is how everyone's doing it" but come up with some new solutions that both work and are elegant. For me that's at least closer to being the best available.

I think we should all be impressed that Jest Of Eve have got such uniformly high marks for such a young company. That Mark is thought of as highly as such luminaries as Benson and Blue Moon is a great achievement.

As we see from the current version of the chart single or few values can seriously distort the results :wink:

Five brands get a wide range of scores (span of 4):-
New Tech, Air Oeuvre, HQ, R-Sky, Skyburner.

I do wonder exactly how so many people in the UK (predominantly) have come to see an Air Oeuvre kite (and not be too happy with the way it's made it seems). Just how many kites are involved I wonder ?

Mike.
 
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Jest_of_EVE
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:20 am

I think some of the feeling on Air Oeuvre comes from early Mohawks when Rob was still finding his direction with materials and techniques.

Newer AO kites look, at least from photos, considerably tidier.

Mark
 
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Zippy8
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:01 am

Well ladies and gentlemen, we have our first zero. Someone out there thinks that a certain kite maker should have their products come with a health and safety warning.

I'm not disagreeing you understand.... just passing along the information.

Mike.
Last edited by Zippy8 on Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
Fiction
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:06 am

Jest_of_EVE wrote:
I think some of the feeling on Air Oeuvre comes from early Mohawks when Rob was still finding his direction with materials and techniques.

Newer AO kites look, at least from photos, considerably tidier.


I think it might be the opposite, the earlier kites seemed to be better made than any of the newer ones I've seen.
Rob
6Fivers aria del sud
 
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audiorob
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:39 am

Fiction wrote:
Jest_of_EVE wrote:
I think some of the feeling on Air Oeuvre comes from early Mohawks when Rob was still finding his direction with materials and techniques.

Newer AO kites look, at least from photos, considerably tidier.


I think it might be the opposite, the earlier kites seemed to be better made than any of the newer ones I've seen.


I have to wonder where you saw this 'newer' kite?

edit: newer kites (plural) no less.
Anyway this cake is great.
It's so delicious and moist
 
Fiction
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:50 am

Afraid so...it's a small country


///pm'd
Last edited by Fiction on Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Rob
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audiorob
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:55 am

Was that a response to me? I'm honestly curious as to where you saw these newer kites.
Anyway this cake is great.

It's so delicious and moist
 
Fiction
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Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:52 pm

I haven't seen any of the XS kites, so maybe my comment was unfair.
Rob
6Fivers aria del sud