View Full Version : 5.11 is feeling the heat.
ready for this , 5.11 is strong arming their dealers and preventing them from carrying the competition? a dealer told me about the new contract and how they are being forced to carry only 5.11 products. and has shown me a contract copy from 5.11 stating that they can only carry there brand and named the others
Nice
At one time I really liked their stuff. Then they decided to get a little greedy with the overall fit! Today there are better options and I assume this is a last ditch effort to get some market share back however they need to be careful this doesn’t totally back fire.
All I know is if I am not given a choice then I will shop somewhere else! It’s that simple, so retailers beware.
Dump their ass and pick something else. Were they treating you that good to begin with? Seems they were always on back order around here. Haven’t heard a dealer say a good thing about them in a long time.
AMF!
GLOCKMASTER
08-07-09, 14:51
So far I have found the Eotac line to be of better quality than 5.11. I used to think 5.11 was the heat until Eotac came along.
The EoTAC is less then an hours drive from me, I'll get all the tactical clothing I need from them. Trying to convince the purchasing people to go to them also.
As for their other gear, ATS, Eagle, DBT, etc. are only a UPS truck away.
Bob
What they most likely hate... is folks exactly like me that can not afford thier prices. I buy the LAPoliceGear.com branded pants from the close-out section. When they arrive my wife cuts the buttons off and resews them. Good to go. I've been wearing them every day as work pants for a few months, and for $15-$20 they are great! Just be carefull opening tha shipping box, some of the buttons will have fallen off in shipping!!! :) It is actually funny to try and open the box and get the pants out of the bag... and you accidentally knock 3 or 4 buttons off the fly or pockets. Easy fix.
I have always wanted some 5.11 pants, but I wont pay $40-$60 for a pair of pants. Ever.
Yep, I am on a fixed income and have a family to feed and clothe. I can not be wearing designer BDU pants.
I ordered a 5.11 watch with the ballistic calculator for a customer and it came with dead batteries. I finally got around to sending it back to them and they charged me $20 for a new set of batteries. This was when they had shipped it to me (through a distributor) with dead batteries.
That is when they lost me and I no longer will order their stuff or recommend it to my customers.
Seems most all their stuff is made in China anyway, that I can see. Don't know if it all is.
I have a few pairs of their pants I paid $10 each for in the desert digital camo that I got on a close out.
Seems like this sort of contract is begging for a restraint of trade suit.
Chad
Thanks folks for mentioning Eotac. I have been a die hard 5.11 fan since they were Royal Robbins & part of that has been that they are sold with a 36" inseam. It has always been hard to find pants that fit lengthwise and even the BDU "longs" at 35 1/2" were always one wash away from highwaters it seemed. I just scanned through Eotac's product line and it looks like they carry everything in 36". I've been a little miffed with 5.11 for bringing out new products only up to 34" inseams, so it is nice to have another option.
How do you feel Eotacs hold up in comparison to 5.11s durability-wise?
I'am really rough on gear and clothes I live in the Eotach line up as of the past year plus much more roomy and better durablity and better comfort and freedom of movement
ready for this , 5.11 is strong arming their dealers and preventing them from carrying the competition? a dealer told me about the new contract and how they are being forced to carry only 5.11 products. and has shown me a contract copy from 5.11 stating that they can only carry there brand and named the others Nice
Not a new practice by 5.11. Not limited to them, either. Also seen in a variety of other industries.
Vendors can still carry what they like, but certain buying and pricing benefits they had enjoyed won't be continued.
5.11 is mediocre gear in general, and has been on the decline. There are bright spots, but little is lost for most of us if the supply gets limited or the price creeps up a bit.
Not a new practice by 5.11. Not limited to them, either. Also seen in a variety of other industries.
Vendors can still carry what they like, but certain buying and pricing benefits they had enjoyed won't be continued.
5.11 is mediocre gear in general, and has been on the decline. There are bright spots, but little is lost for most of us if the supply gets limited or the price creeps up a bit.
Yea, I had a diesel performance store for a while, and if you wanted to carry the biggest name in Diesel fuel systems... and be a full supported dealer... you could not carry any competing products. There were other brands that did this type of thing to a lesser degree, but for this one in particular... you got the big ass-shaft if you wanted to carry 2 or more brands. I went ahead and did that painfull shaft thing.... I wanted to give options at various price points.
5.11 can't hold a candle to eotac. eotac stuff is much better by along shot.
Heavy Metal
08-07-09, 18:06
Don't think because you might see me at a class wearing 5.11 trousers that I am a fanboy.
I wear them becasue I get them free. Their sizing varies from piece to piece, it is not consistant.
Their Khaki Cotton uniform shirts make me feel like I am wearing a GP Small Tent.
Heavy and easily wrinkled fabric and it breathes almost as bad as the hated polyester uniform shirts I only wear in the cold seasons.
I have 2 of their rifle cases, which I like, and a plate carrier, which I like as well, but I haven't put to any hard use. I don't like that their stuff is made in Vietnam either. I've never liked their pants, because the legs have always been too narrow for me. On the other hand, I have one of EoTac's Algerian field jackets, and I love it. The quality is great.
Parabellum9x19mm
08-07-09, 18:31
When they arrive my wife cuts the buttons off and resews them. Good to go.
[snip]
I have always wanted some 5.11 pants, but I wont pay $40-$60 for a pair of pants. Ever.
Yep, I am on a fixed income and have a family to feed and clothe. I can not be wearing designer BDU pants.
i know you've heard this way too often on this site, but your wife is AWESOME!
we'll know things are getting bad when we start seeing designer BDU pants with Larry Vickers' or Travis Haley's signature written on the back pocket across the ass. :D
Just so we are tracking, much of EOTAC is also imported, China, IIRC. Its a fact of life. It sux, but what are ya gonna do.
FWIW, Both LAV and Pat, are wearin' EOTAC these days.
Bob
SeriousStudent
08-07-09, 19:56
Another plus one for EOTAC. I have a pair of pants, and two shirts from them. Fernando puts out high-quality gear, and is a sponsor of this site, which allows us to yap here for free.
Skintop911 did a nice, in-depth review of their pants a while back. That sold me.
Voodoochild
08-07-09, 20:10
Not to mention they sell a ripped off version of the TIS Sling.
Just so we are tracking, much of EOTAC is also imported, China, IIRC. Its a fact of life. It sux, but what are ya gonna do.
Yup. I prefer US-made gear whenever possible. Being an import isn't a deal breaker, though. And as you well know, it's the QC imposed by the importer that matters most. EOTAC has it, 5.11 has...less.
I prefer the Woolrich line of BDU type pants. The waist is lower than BDU's and has elastic and after a few washings are as comfortable as pajamas. I also like the pants from L.A. Police Gear. you can't beat 16.99 and 19.99 a pair as you tear through them.
I use the Blackhawk pants for both daily work (tons of small tools) and I love them, in over two years of hard use, I had one pair fail, with a ripped crotch. Other than that they've been great.
The_War_Wagon
08-08-09, 07:48
Sounds like a case of 'Surefireitis.' I wonder if they'll be SUING their competition out of business before long. :rolleyes:
Like someone said, picking up their stuff on the cheap from LAPG closeouts is nice, but that's the ONLY way I can afford it.
CarlosDJackal
08-08-09, 10:54
As much as I have supported 5.11 in the past and still use some of their products; I stopped doing so because their Customer Service sucks. I had purchased one of their gloves and the stitching fell apart after the first use.
5.11's "customer service" told me that I would have to deal with the original dealer. I have no use for a company that won't stand behind its products. JM2CW.
Sounds like a surefire way to lose customers though i can see where they are coming from initially. average joe goes into his favorite local shop. sees large assortment of 5.11 gear. assumes it is the best as there is a variety and selection of "must haves" and nothing else. yada yada yada, sale made
however int he long run this strategy will likely not work if quality is substandard. average joe finds out that pants do not last, shirts dont work as advertised or finds that customer service sucks
Joe seeks out other brand in a more circuitous route (internet, swap-meet, surplus store etc)
that being said, i am not a "tactical" clothes wearer. i have quite a collection of carharts that i amassed from the farm supply store while i lived in colorado. there its more for fashion than function but the fact is that they make durable stuff that i also find comfortable to wear.
my only experience with 5.11 was a wilderness type belt at a local shop. i wanted to see how it well it worked with my carry holster (plus it was on sale). well, the thing wont stay cinched well. did some home made mods to no avail. a call to 5.11 resulted in them sending me another belt. i felt satisfied
When I can afford it ( and when I can get a hold of it!) , I buy T.A.D gear.good stuff and the pants are still made in the good ole U.S of A!
As for 5.11 trying to strongarm their dealer's,are they crazy? If they are losing business,the least logical/business savvy course of action to take is to sour a relationship that brings money into your company.They are shooting themselves in the foot.If I were a 5.11 dealer who was hearing any type of shit like that,I'd laugh into the phone as it was getting hung up on them mid-sentance.Seeee-Yaaaaa! Eo-tach fits the bill quite nicely as does woolrich elite.
Outlander Systems
08-09-09, 22:31
FWIW, Carhartt and Dickies canvas pants are the only pants that "sticker briar" won't go through.
I am NOT a fan of 5.11's clothes whatsoever. The pouches and nylon stuff isn't too shabby. The assortment is good. I've used it and abused it at work, and it's held up very well.
This thread explains why my favourite store only carries 5.11 now. The plot thickens...
:rolleyes:
Does 5.11 scam LE agencies too?
Our uniform pants switched from several options including proper to 5.11. I kept my propers as you can't really tell the difference at a glance. But all the peckerwoods immediately ran out and bought the nylon 5.11 pants.
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