Thumbs up! for Luke's Ultralite

[Cadenza]

After seeing the hatchet job on Luke I feel compelled to respond.
I have ordered multiple items from him several times and never had a problem, except once.
And when I did,.....he immediately corrected it.

A couple weeks before Christmas (2014) I placed an order for a custom cuben fiber stuff sack which was to be used for a specific purpose as a protective cover for my Ridgerest SOLite pad.

I gave him exact measurements. Round bottom, 8 inch diameter, 29 inches long.
When it arrived, the diameter was right, but it was only 26 inches long.

I sent him an email.
He immediately responded that he would make me a new one and he told me to just keep the first one.
I had the new one in my hands two days later. And it was exactly right.

I know cuben fiber material is not cheap. He no doubt lost money on this.
But his integrity is intact with me. I will recommend him to others and I will order from him again.

[Connie]

I have nearly $300 involved.

Nice about your cuben fiber stuff sack.

[Cadenza]

I stayed out of your thread.

[rickb]

I stayed out of your thread.

Your choice to reference that thread, and call it a "hatchet job" kind of invites a comment from its creator, no?

[Sirsnappy09]

Like said-- he stayed out of her thread. I don't think that's an invitation at all. Just another outlet for her to bash on lul. I've heard great things about his gear and service.

[Cadenza]

I don't know Luke personally. My only contact has been through ordering both down and cuben products.
I have the sleeves and hood, as well as half dozen cuben items, some of which are custom.

Starting, building, and running a small business is not easy. The deck is stacked against them.
Luke is not some fly-by-night, here today gone tomorrow con man. He's been at this for a few years now.
He started out working for another cottage maker who also enjoys a stellar reputation. Chances are, if you've ordered a cuben tarp from that guy it was actually made by this guy.

In this day of the internet one disgruntled customer can perhaps unfairly smear a reputation. And one negative experience can carry more weight than a hundred positive and satisfied customers. It's not a stretch to say I think he is my FAVORITE cottage industry gear guy. I hope he survives and prospers.

.....Just another outlet for her to bash on lul.....

Maybe if we give her enough rope things may be a little more clear?

[Sirsnappy09]

Well said....

[Sarcasm the elf]

I have no horse in this race, but is the manufacturer aware that these discussions about his business are going on in a public forum?

[HooKooDooKu]

I have no horse in this race, but is the manufacturer aware that these discussions about his business are going on in a public forum?

He does now. He has apparently responded in the other forum.

Manufacturer's Response

[Cadenza]

Looks like he just registered. And only has one post.
(So much for the previous claim that he was a member.)

Based on my experience with him I'll bet he would bend over backwards to resolve this. Not only THIS, but any other customer.
I know on my order there wasn't even the slightest hesitation.

[SteelCut]

I too have ordered from Luke and have been pleased with the jacket, the quick fulfillment of my order, and his promptness at answering a couple of post-sale follow-up emails. I would order from Luke again.

[Frye]

Cad, you didn't stay out of her thread, you made a whole new one just to respond to it. You also are making claims of said thread being a hatchet job, I would remind you that evidence seems to show otherwise. Unless Connie fabricated those emails, which I doubt, then you are wrong. If your intentions were just to let the folks here know you have had good experiences with Luke then that would have been completely kosher, I've known plenty who have had great experiences also, but that wasn't your intention. You went out of your way to make it appear as if the comments concerning Luke's business were unfounded, I take exception to that. I'd like to hear your justification for saying the other thread was a hatchet job, but somehow I'm expecting it to lack any sound reasoning.

[Don H]

I'm looking for a top quality breathable rain jacket. Anyone have experience with LUL's E-vent jacket?

[mankind117]

I couldn't quite follow the other thread but I've bought 2 jackets from Luke, a gore-tex rain jacket and a wind jacket. I got them with custom with extra sleeve and body length as I'm tall. They were shipped reasonably quickly and were excellent quality, no complaints. I would do business with Luke again.

[SteelCut]

I'm looking for a top quality breathable rain jacket. Anyone have experience with LUL's E-vent jacket?

I have that jacket and I am pleased with it. It is a very minimal jacket with no pockets but very light weight and seems like high quality.

One thing to note is that the seams on the shoulders and hood are sealed but the seams on the inside of the arms and on the sides of the chest are not sealed. I asked Luke about that and he said that they found that seams only leak where water accumulates and the water doesn't accumulate on the seams in those places. He did mention that he could seal those for me if I wished at a small additional charge. I've been fine with those seams being like that so I did not send the jacket back for that modification. Something to consider before you order.

[Don H]

I guess the only thing that concerns me, and this isn't towards Luke but buying online in general, is how do you know what size to buy since you can't try it on?

[mtntopper]

Don't think I'll be ordering from Luke. I do order from cottage companies just not this one. If it were my business I would have settled this along time ago. The last thing that I would want is a dissatisfied customer airing these kinds of things out in public on a website that could produce many new customers. This type of thing can't be good for business.

[Toolshed]

It doesn't appear that this Luke fella blew her off. He didn't take her money and run. In fact, I think he has tried to help her out. It seems like he is still working on a resolution and f or the love of God, I have been trying to follow her issues and I got to a point where I gave up reading her thread - It's convoluted.
I say give the guy a break. he has and seems to still be working toward resolution.

[TNhiker]

I say give the guy a break. he has and seems to still be working toward resolution.

thats the way i see it as well......

and me thinks whatever happens, connie wont be happy.......

[Franco]

Well I wasn't all that comfortable with the insinuations that Luke is just a reseller of products made by Borah Gear and or that both just sell stuff made overseas anyway.I thought that it was odd nobody else seemed to be taken by those comments given that both Luke and Borah Gear have many comments about their custom work in various forums.