[dataway]

While installing Noico at 3am in the morning I started wondering where it's made ... turns out .. Russia. For some reason I'd rather give them my money than China.

Anyway... Russia also produces some other interesting things. Like some of the best vacuum tubes in the world, and some of the hardest to find tubes. Evidently since USSR technology was a bit behind they continued using vacuum tubes in lots of military and industrial equipment a couple decades beyond the US. So by the time they stopped using vacuum tubes there was a market around the world for people maintaining vintage electronics and the factories just switched to supply that market.

They have quite a business going now providing numerous types of vintage electronics, electro-mechanical devices, vintage military sort of hardware, even some old Soviet era looking light fixtures, clothing, boots etc. A lot of it very ... well, I guess durable is the right word. Fine quality might be a bit lacking, along with wonderful fit and finish, but most of it is built with that 50's sort of durability in mind.