Just for once it would be nice to see a post on gear that didn't have any brand bagging or implied premiums for some labels etc. (many of us have been guilty of this, including myself - often it's unintentioned and just the way things can appear in print - not always what the poster intended)
Some brands may have some sort of label premium built in though if they are established it's hard to see that people would keep buying gear that is obviously no better than another brand but has some flashy label, that simply does not make sense. This has been discussed at length and is still dragging on elsewhere.
Likewise PirateJaffa I think we are all well aware of your opinion of Quasi's gear, maybe it's time to let that rest and just vote with your wallet elsewhere. he seems to have plenty of support for his product from a large number of others on this forum, so again it can't be too bad. I can only assume there has been some miscommunication on one or other side of your case that leads you to the point that you are at now? From what I gather (I may well be wrong) you don't seem to have actually returned the faulty pants to him, maybe you should give him the chance to put things right - if you still get no joy then the disputes tribunal is a better place to sort your issue out IMHO. (Hey, if I've got this wrong please put me right)
I think many people seem to lose sight of some basic facts - all gear regardless of brand is prone to faults whether they be manufacturing or material faults - it happens, period. When this happens its the making it right that really shows the companys involved (I'm including retailer back through to manufacturer here, no matter how many hands it may or may not pass through).
In my experience (over 25 years in the motorcycle industry, plus a good wedge in the car industry) often the people that make the most noise are guilty of either damaging their own gear and trying to lodge blame elsewhere or they simply haven't handled the warranty procedure properly - the very first step of which is to give the shop/wholesaler/manufacturer the chance to remedy the situation. If dealing with a retailer and getting no joy then it's well worth contacting the next part of the supply chain (in order) as often a retailer will let you down and not even contact the wholesaler, assuming for themselves that there isn't a problem.
You'd be surprised at how many items get returned to shops with the statement 'I've only used these twice' or similar, when it's patently obvious that the goods in question have been thrashed within an inch of their life over a considerably longer period. Also, the amount of stuff that is returned that has obviously been damaged by the user - in this case a little honesty goes a long way, often the guy that admits to doing something silly that's damaged his 1 day old item is surprised to find how helpful a shop/wholesaler can be - after all noone wants to lose a customer, and most people tend to look at the bigger picture.
Some people that say they've had X problem and taken so and so to court or some such story often haven't at all, this is the internet after all so everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt - including this post!
These are generalisations not intended to get at anybody in particular, hopefully therse some info in here that might be of use to someone.
The best advice IMO is to get out and try some different products on, find a few you like the feel and fit of, plus of course the features etc and then ask people that you see using that gear for their opinions.
On the whole Grub's advice is good - excluding of course any brand references. After all you can't say in one breath to stay away from brand name stuff and then a short time later in the same post start quoting brand names like Motoline and Rev-It are both brand names exactly like Quasi's gear, Spidi, Spyke, Ixon, Alpinestars, Dainese, Icon, Shift and a heap of others.
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