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Quote:

Originally Posted by nancia (Post 5083600)

that's a serious charge against jo-ann's. you're accusing the company of fraud. as big as they are i sincerely doubt they would use a trademarked name if they were not selling that exact product. the lack of kaufmans name doesn't mean it's counterfeit . i 'm sure we would have heard of the lawsuit against j-a's and a change of name to the kaufman company, as they would own jo-ann's at the end of the lawsuit.

I agree with you, I doubt that Joann's would do anything illegal like fraud. I know my Joann's has a limited amount of Kona solids, but I have bought them on two different occasions, and while both are slightly different (the weave is a bit different on each, which was explained by the official letter received on this board by the R.K. Company as resulting in different fabric weaving machines used), both are of good quality, and not thin. I say again, if there are any "doubting Thomases" thinking what they bought as Kona Cottons is fake, or not good quality, just send in a 3" square to the company and they will have it tested and send you a detailed report. I would also write down the numbers/details on the end of the bolt and send that in as well. I will be the first to admit Joann's carries a variety of qualities in their fabrics to appeal to a variety of sewers/quilters, and in this case, buyer beware- but I seriously doubt they would risk selling "fake" lines.

I also love kona for solides, no there not all the same .

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostrider (Post 5079046)

The JoAnn's in my area sell faux Kona solids...in other words, they are NOT Kaufman Kona Cottons and the Kaufman name/logo is NOT on the bolt end. They're using 'Kona' the way many of us use 'Kleenex'...as a product description, not a brand. Be very careful and be sure to read the bolt.

I was reading this topic with interest. I purchase Kona Black from my source and it is great quality. One of my guild members purchased Kona Black at JoAnn's $7.99/yard. The stuff she purchased from JoAnns was thin and it raveled like crazy. Apparently our JoAnns is selling a Kona-wanta-be.

Thanks for the heads up.

Just an FYI , I went to the Kaufman web site a did a bit of a search there are several distictly different fabrics that all carry Kona as part of the name . Kona is a registered trade mark of Robert Kaufman. There are 11 listings for fabrics that have Kona as part of the name.
If you go to the web site , link below , and click on the select a collection menu , scroll down to Kona you will see all the fabrics that are part of what is known as "Kona". As a consumer you need to know which one ( the specfic Kona line, not just color) you like so you can find the same one again. Read more of the bolt than just "Kona".
http://www.robertkaufman.com/

And to expand on what Lori just said, if you do a trademark search, you'll find 43 trademarks of the word 'Kona' held in the US alone...not all by the Robert Kaufman company. There's the US Soap Corp, AJA Video Systems Inc, even the Kona Corporation, along with many, many others.

Kona is a Hawaiian word that means leeward (the windy side). There's Kona Coffee, Kona Brewing Company, Kona Grill, Kona State Park, Kona Mountain Bikes, and on and on. The mere use of the word does not relate it to Kaufman Fabrics in any way, shape or form.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcrow (Post 5078907)

Oh how I wish I had a JoAnn's near me. I hear about the prices and the coupons and wish I lived close to one.

If I'm not mistaken you can order from JoAnn's on line and they, very frequently, have discount coupons to use or free shipping.

Question to those who are complaining about quality of Kona at JoAnne's - are you SURE you bought from a bolt labeled Kona? Because JA has all their solids together - my experience has been that things are mis-shelved, with bolts of much cheaper, thinner solids mixed in with the Konas.

Check with the manager of your JoAnn's store about the "Faux" Kona solids. It is illegal to use that name for another product. Our JoAnn's has their own label on the end of the bolts, mainly for their inventory control, but it is the real Kona solid. Another way to verify whether it is the real Kona is to email the manufacturer, Robert Kaufman, and ask them if they are selling the solids to JoAnn's and tell them about the labels on the bolts. They should respond with the correct information. Then we will all know for sure.

Alot of good deals on the internet. I buy most all of my fabric online especially when it is on sale and they offer free shipping. Fabric.com is one of my favorites with free shipping on purchases everyday of $35.00 or more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewteach (Post 5084452)

This has been my experience, also.

almond,
Our Hobby Lobby has a permanent 30% markdown on all fabrics and coupons are not permitted additionally. This is a new store which opened in November and I'm so enjoying it!

My LQS told me that you may find fabric from the same guy Hoffman, same colors, but the stuff they sell to theLQS is higher quality greige (I think that is the undyed fabric). So you may get the same print, from the same mfg. but the quality of both would be different.

I almost always buy my Kona fabric from Hobby Lobby with their 40% coupon. Love the fabric!