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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kevin Purcell" data-source="post: 1487785" data-attributes="member: 68323">The Stokes brand had been on the way out for a while (we've been seeing the Sandpiper and the DLS at reduced prices). And the Sandpiper is the only Stokes branded product at Eagle Optics right now.<a href="http://www.eagleoptics.com/?query=stokes" target="_blank">http://www.eagleoptics.com/?query=stokes</a><a href="http://www.vortexoptics.com/" target="_blank">http://www.vortexoptics.com/</a>That rebranding of the site has only happened in the past week. I was there checking on a (not yet shipped) 36mm spec earlier in the week. It looks very Leupold now. Down to excessive use of Flash. I guess that must be their main perceived competitor.It goes slightly deeper than the look too. If you select a "quicklink" from the pull down menu say for Diamondback you get dropped into the DIAMONDBACK 10X42 ROOF PRISM BINOCULAR. 10x is most popular with hunters.They're also selling direct too. So you have the amusing fiction of an MSRP $50 higher than the price (the MAP, I suspect) they actually sell them to you <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />I can't imagine the "We can't imagine a life without hunting" would go down well with many birders.<a href="http://www.vortexoptics.com/content/about_us" target="_blank">http://www.vortexoptics.com/content/about_us</a>Family. USA. USA. USA.But then again they avoid any mention of where most of their bins are made (The Commie Peoples Republic of Red China) too so as not to annoy those Rifle carryin', USA First, Rugged Individual Pickup Drivin' Huntin' types. No sirree, Bob. That would get some of them wound around their own F350 solid rear axle. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />No mention of China anywhere on the site using a site specific Google search (on May 22 2009).<a href="http://www.google.com/search?&q=site%3avortexoptics.com%2520China" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/search?&q=site:vortexoptics.com%20China</a></blockquote>

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