Last week I happened to be talking to someone at 3M about hunting gloves, and the topic turned to counterfeit components.

Turns out, this supplier had caught a particular manufacturer using counterfeit Thinsulate while producing branded gloves. It seemed like an important story to share.

Here’s an unpleasant truth: there are disreputable factories promising brand name textiles, but what you see isn’t always what you get.

Here’s how to make sure that you get the glove — and the components — that you and your customers have paid for. more

Your Reputation Is On the Line

It goes without saying that your reputation is on the line with every pair of gloves you sell.

People expect the real deal – anything less will not perform as promised. Imagine that YOU sold gear your customer rightly assumed would keep them warm and dry … and it failed in use. Who will be getting that angry letter, phone call or email?

Testing Finds Hunting Gloves with Phony Components

In this particular case, routine third party testing came back with alarming results: the hunting gloves in question had been manufactured with counterfeit Thinsulate.

It’s a good thing that this turned up in testing — but the fact of the matter is that not everyone tests their gloves. That’s an added expense that not everyone is willing to assume.  

So if testing is not part of your QA process, make sure that you buy gloves from reputable glove manufacturers — that is to say, manufacturers who can prove that they buy their branded components from authorized suppliers who have a positive & proven track record.

Sad, But Not A Shock

What can we say? In a world of bogus Superbowl tickets and counterfeit designer everything, it’s sad truth, but not a shock.

There have been reports of counterfeit Thinsulate, Gore-Tex, Kevlar, and more in our industry.  Several other industries have been rocked by similar scandals.  For instance, housing materials (sub-par insulation), toys (lead in paint), pet food (lethal food additives) … and the list goes on.

We all know the phrase ‘Buyer Beware’. Hopefully, this will serve as a good reminder that dealing with a reputable glove supplier is in both your and your customers best interest.

Have your brands ever been hit by copycats?

We hope the answer to that question is a resounding “NO”. 

As a reminder: if you are looking for a consultation with glove experts from a reputable glove manufacturer, it is easily arranged.