Budget Knock Offs!!!

[TheFull9]

2 hours ago, CARBr6 said:

Ok.

So I'm still a bit confused. I am now settled on a 6094 style plate carrier. The one I currently have is a just not the right size or shape.

But I have been told to avoid Condor (see above, they are described as a chinese knock off) however, a google search kicks up an absolute ton of positive reviews, not from Airsoft, but from real steel users, they are also (or at least claim to be) NTOA tested and reccomended which is the same standard as the Warrior Assault Systems DCS, but the Condor is much cheaper?

 

Whilst I like the idea of the DCS I think my wallet would be much happier with the Condor MOPC

 

A duck is not a duck is not a duck; brands vary substantially across their range.  Condor have made some stuff in the US to higher spec, most of it is made in China to a very low spec.  Every metric you could feasibly measure about this stuff puts the quality way lower than Warrior (or similar) for the majority of Condors' product line.  The MOPC isn't really a 6094 either but we're getting in to the weeds if we go down that route; it'd take me ages to type it all out and most people (rightly) wouldn't care.  If something 'claims' to be something, but the price doesn't match the claims... well if it's too good to be true, it usually is.

 

Around the entire globe, the fabric, thread, webbing and velcro costs what it costs; skilled sewing labour hours is what varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.  Lots of TMC stuff on EBA made of real cordura, but it costs less than Warrior made of the same 500D, which costs less than a Crye JPC made of that same fabric, because Crye spend a ton of money employing highly skilled American workers to take a lot of time on each piece.  Warrior's made in China but the sewing is done by decently skilled people and it is quality-checked pretty thoroughly, so it's bumping up there with the big boys.

 

I disagree your wallet will be happier with cheaper gear in the long term and this is coming from well over a decade of using and buying every type of gear out there in pretty stupid quantities, however your money is your money, it's not like you're making the worst decision ever.  I just want everyone who comes here and takes the time to read to go in to any purchase with their eyes fully open and with a little bit more information to hand; I still fully stand behind what I said in my first post in this thread.  Knowledge is power.  As is, to speak generally, patience and saving up.

 

2 hours ago, djben9 said:

my brother wears a £17 8fields PC, has done for 18 months and not had any issues

 

Except exceptions don't prove rules.  Every discussion board ever is absolutely chock full of "I/this one guy I know uses an XYZ and it's fine" but a sample size of <5 (to be very generous) is honestly irrelevant in the scheme of things, certainly when discussing products from inconsistent manufacturers.  Certainly not denying you've seen what you've seen and the experience is a valid one, as I said above, some of the budget stuff holds up fine.  But betting on zero is still long odds on a roulette wheel.

 

Despite the way this all probably reads I'm not here to tell people what to do, but I've learned a few things over the years and I think there's a little bit of misleading stuff floating around here, to some extent.  Then again I probably have a really skewed opinion so.. f*ck it, ha.