Beware of imitations! – How one company tried and failed to copy the JCS hose clamp

Created almost 100 years ago, the world’s first worm-drive hose clamps were trademarked under the name Jubilee.

Original catchphrase

The company’s name became synonymous with hose clamps – so much so that the firm’s strapline for years was – ‘beware of imitations!’

Of course, other manufacturers, such as JCS, have established themselves as global players in the intervening years, but that original catchphrase remains well-known in our industry.

Trying to rip off the JCS brand

We had to allow ourselves a wry laugh, then, when recently we were alerted to a hose clamp manufacturer who was trying to rip off the JCS brand.

The company in question, called KJB – we couldn’t find a website for them – had meticulously copied the artwork style of some of our old packaging, and tried to mimic the look and feel of our clips, right down to putting a heart-shape where our BSI Kitemark is displayed – an important distinction the casual viewer might not notice.

We take our brand and reputation seriously

Now, here at JCS we take our brand and reputation very seriously. It is something we have developed over years of hard work and dedication to ensure our customers receive products of the highest specification and quality.

But it became apparent after tests that the poor quality of the KJB clips bore so little resemblance to JCS’s superior products, as to make getting annoyed a pointless exercise.

For starters, the breaking Torque of the KJB clips is very low, breaking at less than 3.0 Nm where JCS perform beyond 6 Nm (far more than the British Standard requirements).  What’s more, the KJB crimping was substandard and the electro-plating so far below what we expect from our clips as to make comparison farcical.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Looks can be deceiving and these clips do not match the JCS clip in any way other than distant appearance.

This blog, therefore, serves as a warning to our customers to ‘beware of imitations!’ while for us here at JCS another well-known saying seems appropriate….something about ‘imitation being the sincerest form of flattery’.

 

If you would like to know how the JCS range can benefit you, then please contact us on +44 (0)1787 376212 or email sales@jcshi-torque.co.uk

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