Replogle Globes Commander II, Antique

This is beautiful and was just as described. Good quality and my family loved it.

Well made, easy to read, and very sturdy. Perfect height if you are sitting in a chair. We refer to this often when talking about world events. Bought it as a gift for my husband for our library and makes a nice addition.

We own a Christmas photo studio and the globe was for Santa to show the kids how he travels around the world! The globe falls apart! Had it repaired a number of times and still the screws do not hold! VERY DISAPPOINTE IN THE QUALITY OF THE GLOBE!

This globe arrived in a mangled box, and the globe was crushed in at both poles. It had been fulfilled by Amazon, so the return was with them too. The Amazon returns process was so slow and riddled with errors I felt I was dealing with the Keystone Kops. But when I called, they figured it all out and put it right.Eventually the return process completed and the money was returned so I could order another one.The second one arrived in a perfect box, but: -- The globe was so stiff it barely turned, and the little plastic time wheel at the top wouldn't turn at all. The instructions say the time wheel should spin, and on the 9-inch Replogle globe I've had for 20 years, both globe and time wheel spin freely. -- The two halves of the globe were so ill-fitting that the 1/4-inch equator tape couldn't even reach one side in places. -- The assembly instructions were missing on this one.I thought about just keeping it but decided to try again. This time though, I had bought it through a seller on Amazon (Amazon Marketplace) rather than directly from Amazon, and the seller contacted Replogle. Replogle told them they'd send me a new globe, without the stand, and that I could dispose of the defective globe as I pleased.The third globe arrived surprisingly quickly compared to my experience with the first two. Removing the old globe from the stand and putting this new one on was no problem.This third globe still doesn't really spin freely, but it does spin a lot better than globe #2. And the time wheel does move, though not easily. And the halves are fitted together very well. It would be nice if the globe spun as freely as my 9" Replogle globe does, but I can live with this.Where my 20-year old 9-inch globe has a big fancy frame surrounding text saying "Replogle Globes", with the names of the cartographers, this one in the same fancy frame says "Herff Jones, Inc.". Who?? A little googling revealed that Herff Jones, a company best known for making items such as class rings, yearbooks and caps and gowns, bought Replogle in 2010. Of the 84 employees that had been working for Replogle at the time (down from 225 as recently as 2004), all were let go except for 10 salespeople who moved to Herff Jones. The clowns who made my globe with its ill-fitting halves are not the same people who made my beautiful 9-inch globe 20 years ago; instead they are makers of cheap trinkets who perhaps just don't have the skills to put a nice globe together right.Besides the poor quality control, Herff Jones would do well to consider putting Replogle and the cartographers' names back in that fancy frame. It has so much more cachet. The Herff Jones name makes it seem cheap -- even before I knew what Herff Jones was, and then all the more so once I'd looked them up. Alternatively, a prettier font could be a big improvement.Also, apparently Herff Jones did not hire any cartographers from Replogle, and I doubt a manufacturer of class rings etc. had any already. Does Herff Jones plan to update these globes as national borders and country names change over time? It's only been 4 years, so it isn't very important yet, but eventually it will be. The Replogle website, still active and updated by Herff Jones, shows no changes since 2006; at the ReplogleGlobes website go to "About Globes", then to "How Old Is Your Globe?".But for all that, I'm very glad to have this nice big globe. The kids, now 5, 7, & 10, enjoy looking at my old 9-inch globe and talking about it, and it will be much easier and more fun for them to see the smaller places on this much larger globe.The stand is very nice considering that this is by a considerable margin the cheapest 16" floor globe on the market. It's solid wood, with a very thick heavy base, and nicely stained. The round metal brackets in which the globe is mounted and spins are simple but very strong and sturdy, and nicely finished. It looks and feels like a well-made, high quality product.Regarding the reviews that say it tips over easily, I think Replogle may have made the base bigger since then. I don't see that it has a stability problem, even on carpet. Sure you could shove it over if you wanted to, and I might keep it out of the way of a crawling baby or a toddler, but in general I think it's adequately stable.The base is 12 and 3/8" diameter. If that isn't enough, you could pay a lot more for the same globe with a wider base, like the Replogle Regency or Queen Anne for $400, or the Garrison for $500. Or you could buy a 18" or 24" unfinished round wood panel by "Kimberly Bay" at Home Depot for about $20, finish it to match, and screw it into the Replogle's base from the bottom. The Replogle's base is nearly an inch thick, so there is plenty of room to work with. Three fat wood screws should do it (but I would probably use four or five); clamp it in place using rags to avoid damage to the finish, drill the holes, and screw it on. Since this is the cheapest 16" floor globe on the market, the options are to (a) pay a lot more for a sturdier base, (b) do a little work to make the base sturdier, (c) live with the 12 3/8" base (my choice), or (d) do without a 16" floor globe.Regarding the reviews complaining that the map parts don't all line up right -- folks, that's NORMAL. You're going to have to pay vastly more for a globe of this size if you want everything to line up just so. I've never seen a paper-covered globe that didn't have such misaligned sections, and the Replogle globes I've seen are better-aligned than other brands I've seen. I'm not sure you can get a very well-aligned globe in a 16" size at any price. I believe it would have to be hand-painted, not paper-covered. At small sizes I think they can be manufactured as a single piece. $180 for a dual-axis, 16" floor globe with a very nice real solid wood stand is very inexpensive. Try shopping around to see what you'd have to pay for something better -- and hold on to your hat!UPDATE:Although the Replogle web page that lists updates to their globes has no updates listed after 2006, this globe has an update that could not have happened before 2011. This globe shows South Sudan, which did not exist before 2011. So it seems Herff Jones is in fact keeping the globes updated; they're just not keeping the web page *about* their globe updates updated.UPDATE 2:There's an interesting new company history page at the Replogle website. In 2014 Herff Jones announced they were going to close Replogle. But instead, 4 employees bought it, moved it back near the original location, and rehired many of the old hands that Herff Jones had fired. "There were many hugs and high fives as the experienced group got back to work making some of the finest globes in the world."So I'd guess quality control is probably much better now!

We have always wanted one - why did we wait so long? This is a great globe for the price. Good size, and the stand is attractive. If we had the space, a fancier stand might be nice, but this is a great package at this price(you can even remove the spindle for a tabletop display). The colorful look of the globe is very appealing, and I appreciate the raised texture for the mountains. it adds an extra level of appreciation for their size.

Wow! Just received this globe and what a great globe for the price! It is attractive, sits at a perfect height to look at while sitting at a desk or chair, and easily moved from room to room. My 10-year-old is thrilled, and so am I. It is much better than the smaller 12" globes - more exciting, and easier to see for the aging eyes. Most highly recommended.And purchased directly from Amazon so it got here FAST!

I have just given this globe as a Christmas gift to someone and the recipient was very happy. It's classy and a pleasure to look at. Assembly was easy and the wooden foundation is very nice. All in all, a great, fun-looking, inexpensive globe!

The globe arrived and looks great. But the base was not in the box and the post was damaged. I contacted the seller and they said they would contact the distributor. No word yet, still waiting - the globe is useless without the parts, and it was expensive.

Disappointing. One of the plastic rings that secures the globe at each side was cracked on delivery. I developed a crude solution for that, but shortly after another securing pin snapped. They are quite flimsy plastic pieces that hold the globe onto its stand and within its frame. It's nice to look at but the build quality is poor, especially for the price - this was nearly £300!