A superlative interview! A most informative session where one can really learn a lot about wool in general and merino wool in particular. An excellent illustration of the adage "It costs no more to go First Class."
Great interview Robert, thanks for taking the time to do it. Ralph, you make a great line of wool clothing, I have the Mouton hat which is the warmest most comfortable hat I have ever owned and I have the AL's Anorak, equally warm and comfortable. My next purchase is going to be the Mouton Vest. I have no problem spending my hard earned money on quality gear made in the U.S.A.
Hi Dave! --- I just saw your comment. THANK YOU Very Much for the encouragement and for working with us. Hope you wear your WeatherWool in great health for many years to come. Sorry for late reply! --- Ralph
My Favorite American Company!!! Ralph and his crew will do exactly they say! Every thing I have purchased from this company is quality and every time I'm asked about them my wife cringes because she's going to have to here my testimony again😀
Love the video especially on the explination on wool. Know that merino wool is a hollow stand wool but merino sheep are a warm-weather breed native to Portigual and Spain which today are still the best merinos. My experience is that merino is not very warm but soft making it popular...not warm as compaired to a good grade norse sheep's wool such as a shetland or Icelandic sheep"s wool. I am not mentioning weight per square meter, weave or spin density, etc. Merino is popular because it is a soft wool. However the shetland is much lighter, hollow, longer, and little to no lanolin, and soft since the sheep have no outer hairs. Icelandic sheep's wool is of a very long hollow wool that is extermly warm not to mention its vacuna-soft inner hairs used to make underwear that I sleep in. I wear Icelandic wool socks that the cold does not penetrate that walks over my cold wearing merino mountineering Smartwools.
Thanks. I know I’ll never be able to afford any of this fancy wool that they’re selling. But living in northern Minnesota, I just really NEED to know what will keep me the warmest for the least amount of money. Well I shouldn’t say “least” because I do understand that I’ll have to spend good money for anything well made etc. but I won’t/can’t pay an excessive amount. I’m not apposed to wearing “secondhand”, so knowing the best and warmest wool is the main thing I really have to know, lol. Thanks again.
Thank you for arming me with a ton of information regarding wool! I watched the video all the way through. No material quite beats wool. I own the Lester River Bushcraft Anorak and have been interested in an upgrade because it isn't quite as versatile as would be ideal for a $350+ garment (poor ventilation, rough-wool)... I am with you on your philosophy that you'd rather pay a bit more and gain a lot more versatility. Your videos are always very good. Keep up the good work!
thank you sir. appreciate that greatly. I gained more haters by pushing this product. but I knew that people that really enjoy buying the best they can get, would appreciate weatherwool. made it all worth it.
WOW ... yes, great observation. This is one of the reasons we have always offered No-Risk Field Testing ... if people are open-minded and interested enough to do a serious field-test but find they are not happy, or that they like something else better, we'll give them a full refund. So it's no risk for the customer ... and very little risk for us, either, because virtually nobody ever wants the refund. THANKS ---- Ralph
this is fascinating and helpful . I'm not a survivalist but I hate being cold when it can get to 20F to -20F with wind chill 37F 50% humidity and wanted to know more about the company and what makes them worth it. I bought second hand wool and wool yarn that feels soft in hand but scratches and makes me itch even through a base layer . If only they had woman's coats !
In the oriental carpet world, "virgin wool" refers to the first shearing in the spring before the animal sweats in the hot summer. Additionally, the "nicest" wool can be seen in museums (e.g., look at the Jaf Kurdish colours of their antique rugs and weavings!!!) I would like to see WeatherWool introduce "botanical" dyes into some of their garments (vests) such as indigo, madder root, weld, walnut etc.) Then let the abrash begin! I enjoyed Harold Bohmer's book "Koekboya: Natural Dyes and Textiles - A Colour Journey From Turkey, India and Beyond." Cheers from this Saskatchewan boy living on the Gold Coast of Australia.
As i get older, the hair on my head, in other words, each individual hair seems to be thinner....is this the case for sheep? Do older sheep have better wool for making clothing, or, maybe, younger ones have better wool? Less scratchy?Also, you talked about poly-something getting in the wool and weakening it? I imagine that that poly-stuff gets into the wool after purchasing the garment, as well? Therefore, that will always be a problem with wool clothing? Thanks.
Lucky me! I've been wearing military surplus whool for 2 years now and I never found it itchy not even a little bit. Being it felt, mil. blankets or just simple whool. I guess my skin is whool unsensitive^^
Went with a Lynx mid weight shirt jac. Talked with Ralph on the phone. He’s a super nice guy, chatted with me for 40 minutes and is obviously knowledgeable and passionate about wool in general. Can’t wait to try WeatherWool out for myself!
Ralphs a standup fella and everyone dogging on the price might as well go to the Ferrarri dealership and complain that Fords Cost Far Less ..My All Around Jacket is worth its weight in gold and its the only wool ive ever worn i can wear with just a T-Shirt and that cant be said with 95% of other wools ive owned. Cheers Rob i love the Moulton Vest ! ,;,;, ! ,;,;;, Spook
bro. this mouton vest is AMAZING! It's seriously the nicest piece of clothing I've ever put on my body. I'm thinking about doing a video called The World's Most Expensive Vest, lol. Its freaking worth the money though. Its way warmer than any other product they have.
Sigma 3 Survival School i want one bro ! One of the first items they have i fell in love with ! Do the Video on it !!! Its great you got to hang with these awesome people Ralph knows his wool and im honored to call him a friend !
I really want the Trail Poncho designed by Will Cooke, that thing will be amazing. I was going to buy a Helikon-Tex Swagman Poncho Liner in the next few weeks, but I might wait for the Trail Poncho instead now 🤔 Normally I can’t wear any wool except merino thermals as almost all other wool garments and blankets make me itch severely, but if it’s made of the best quality Merino then that fixes that problem and also around the fire it is safer than synthetics in case of sparks, and the safety of using it around fire means fire becomes part of my heatng shelter, while in the warmer months the mid weight wool is plenty warm at night anyway, also the hood that detached from the poncho is great, that way when wearing the wool poncho as a poncho liner under a poncho in the rain I can keep the hood dry and not getting wet through the face hole of the rainwear and keep it dry for use at night when using trail poncho as sleeping bag. I would probably use this with my Snugpak SF bivvy in winter, my winters have never gone below 23F (-5C) on the coldest night in history
This is a year old, I wonder what you bought? Don’t know this Will Cooke, but I have a Swagman, it’s great but holy SH*T I just looked up the price…$160 now! I thought it was extreme when I bought mine a few years ago for $125. It’s barely worth that and I wouldn’t pay a penny more.
he is like me. he wears it all the time. We sit on our computers doing work and wear it. Hell I wear it when I'm editing these videos. In a 75 degree house. I stayed with them for two weeks on my homeless travels. And I would say that the both of us was wearing weatherwool 90% of the time. In the house or out of it.
Sorry for late reply ... Just saw your question!! Yes, I wear it a lot. BUT ... I'm not photographed in it very much because we don't want anyone to think WeatherWool will make them look like me! --- Had a new experience today. I was hunting in rain that changed to freezing rain. Didn't see a trace of a deer but was surprised by ice on the outside of my All-Around Jacket when I got back to the truck. Thank You --- Ralph
Please, there is no comparison between mouton to caribu or reindeer skin clothing which is absoultly the warmest clothing in the wool category - and then there is eider down and vacuna. But I am going to put an order in for one of those wool coats since I can no afford either. Thanks for the great video.
Rob, what size is your Mouton Vest? I think I'm similar in size to you. I'm looking at getting one, and I'm about 6'0'' 180lbs and wanted to make sure I ordered the right size..
You can hardly get a shirt from Filson for that price much less a jacket lol. Their pants are $200. You have to pay for quality and filson wool doesn't hold a candle to this wool.I've owned both.
@@sigma3survivalschool yes you are right....new. But I purchased a green and black Mackinaw for less than 200 each. Used. All over eBay But I agree he has the best wool. But it's just out of my price range unfortunately. Just received my green one back from filson to replace all the snaps. They didn't charge me a dime though I offered to pay.
You can get plenty of quality wool outdoor garments that don't massively increase their markup by presenting the qualities of wool as the qualities of their brand. All these reviews on youtube are sponsored. Unless it's budget clothes, superfine merino wool is the industry standard, not something extraordinary. This video is an hour-long paid advertisement.
@@makkkermak8208 I would not say it’s a paid advertisement, you’re learning about how the product is made and what’s the difference between other brands. He’s not coming across as a schill or degrading other makers out there either. I’m glad to see there’s other options out there. Having said that I’ll never own one because it’s just not in my price range, nor do I spend that much time in the field. However if I did it would be a while worth investment. The same argument can be made for having a custom 1911 vs a standard 1911 pistol,
I see everyone talking about the price. Yes we know a good wool jacket is expensive. Just look at Filson's wool clothing. Yet, when you look at the weatherwool site, there's an option to buy an anorak for someone in the military for $350 which they say "the Anorak can be purchased for $350, which is a basically break-even price for us." So right on their website they say it costs a little less than $350 to make an anorak that they are selling for $575. That mean's they marked their jacket up $225! That's huge. Having a $225 profit on one anorak seems like an awful lot to ask. I think what we are all saying is there's certainly a market for this, but not at this price. If you weren't asking for so much profit for each shirt you sell, then you'd sell more and probably end up making more in the long run. Having said that, keep charging $575 for a fancy sweatshirt if you'd like, your just not going to sell nearly as much as you could be.
So let me first explain how retail works. A manufacturer produces a product and then doubles the price. They then sell that product to a dealer and the dealer doubles the price again. These are very low margins for a manufacturer. Between 30-40% on the anorak, when everyone else in the same market is at 50% margins or better. And the price of the anorak is because of supply and demand. You can buy a hoodie or shirt jacket for $425 that has relatively the same amount of material. But everyone wants an anorak because they are amazing. So they are little pricier, due to low supply and high demand. Of all the companies I've worked for in the past, these guys probably have some of the smallest margins I've ever seen. For instance, the Mouton Wool Vest is around $1200. There is $300 in just pelts un-processed in the jacket and that is just raw material. Not including wool or tailoring. So after all the expenses, they might make $200 on a $1200 item. Those are rock bottom margins. In retail, your best sellers make you all your money, and the other items tend to break even. If you went to another company such as sleeping indian for instance. There wool is much cheaper. But their prices are the same. So they have much higher margins. Same as with Filson. Woolrich. Lester River. Weatherwool uses the absolute most expensive wool on the market by a landslide. And they are the only ones doing it.
They are in the business to make "The BEST" that exists. The BEST is not for everyone. The Best should be the most expensive, or the maker is cheating their company and workers. So please check you business advise, and possibly entitlement, at the keyboard, please.
yes. but what I'm saying is that their margin is way lower than the typical manufacturer. And some items have less than 20% margin. they are trying to compete with other makers using a wool that is five times cheaper than what weatherwool is using. They pay a higher rate for wool than anyone in the industry. Because it is suit grade material, that is durable enough for any outdoorsman. They are wearing these things in Afghanistan and LOVING THEM. Talk about a radical climate.
Hi Everyone, and THANKS for the interest and the input. It's very much appreciated. One of the reasons we founded WeatherWool was that we felt it wasn't right that our Military was wearing wool that was not the best that could be made. But also, we were unhappy our Military was buying kit with their own money. So WeatherWool has always been the best (pure-American) we can come up with, AND we always intended to offer WarriorWool to Active Duty Military (and now, Disabled Vets too) at our cost of delivering the product. After having made huge investments of time, effort and money in development of our Fabric and then the design and testing of our Anorak, the additional cost of production of an Anorak is a little north of $300. Add in the costs of processing a credit card, free shipping, and that people will often ask to exchange for a different size, we have about $350 into each WarriorWool Anorak. Some might think that means we have a $225 profit on each Anorak sold for $575. If only! And actually, $225 profit over the $350 delivered cost is low, and retailers generally cannot stay in business with such a low margin because of the many other expenses incurred in business. As mentioned previously, our up-front costs, prior to even having any clothing to sell, have been considerable. Three years of R&D before we were satisfied with our Fabric. Then many other steps of prototyping and testing before finalizing the design (which is never really finalized). And then there is the age-old problem of what you make vs what people will buy. For some reason, people buying the Anorak have been smaller than we expected. So we ran out of SMALLS pretty quickly. Similarly, even though we always expect XLarge to be a popular size, XLarge in Lynx Pattern sold out right away. So retailers fairly quickly get to a point where they have holes in their inventory. You don't want to disappoint customers, so you make as many pieces as you can. But the more you make, the more money you have tied up in inventory and up-front expense, meaning your risks are bigger, storage costs increase, etc. And by the time we are ready to make the next production run, we will have made some design changes based upon feedback from our customers. And once we do that, whatever inventory is left will need to be sold at a reduced price. There are lots of non-performance garments around that cost far more than WeatherWool, and they don't do much except look nice and go out of style in a couple of years. For whatever reason, people often are surprised that there is a high-end to performance outerwear. Partly that's because nobody else, near as we can tell, is doing what we are doing. We talk to people with $500 (even $2500) knives, $3500 binoculars, etc., etc. Personally, I can't bring myself to use some of the fishing lures that are on the market now. Tie $10 onto the end of my line and hope it doesn't get lost somehow? And I hear there are people using lures that cost way more than $10. These days, there are people shooting $100 arrows. So I guess it is all what you are used to and what your priorities are. We are thrilled that people are recognizing our quality, and that our reputation among true outdoor professionals is growing. In order for us to actually have a viable business with WeatherWool ... to recoup our expenses, climb into the black and make a living with this passion of ours, we will have to raise our prices. If you are thinking about some WeatherWool, now is a good time. So that's a long response to Joe Shmoe's note! Thanks Again to Joe and everyone else who has looked into WeatherWool. You can always phone me directly at 973-761-1776. Best Regards --- Ralph
their stuff looks interesting, i've known about it pretty much since they started doing it because i used to buy other stuff from them. but the price is so out of this world even compared to other wool items i've bought i haven't been able to justify it. also i mainly use down coats anyways with wool for accessories and base layer. it is just way too heavy to me to wear as an outer layer. a 4 lb down jacket will keep you warm at -60F but a 4 lb wool sweater won't. also the designs could use improvement. they may be using high quality materials but they are ultimately n00bs at this. and yet charging higher prices than the pros.
Good video, i believe in wool, i find the average person/hunter know little about it. I have minus 33 base and if i can aford it will soon have a set of this stuff........ love the snap at ur baby girl, and this is the pimpest thing i have ever wore, i get excited at stuff like this too
haha. my kid always wants to be on camera lol. She is a total ham. I plan to put her on some videos soon. She keeps begging me to have her own channel. Minus 33 is good stuff. I like my new Kora base layers. And level 4 under armour cold weather gear.
God gave me two girls and i plan on showing them the little i know about the woods and plants, maybe we will come to one of your class, if u still have a place in Arkansas since Louisiana is not much different in vegetation. take care!!
You guys live in what's commonly call Nothern Climbs. Cotton is no good for you. However, cotton is unbeatable if you happen to be in the Tropics and Sub Tropics, especially in summer.
I love alpaca wool. But it has durability issues. You wouldn't get the same kind of longevity with alpaca. And the finish would be rougher on the skin.
Interesting. I didn't know that about the durability. But rougher on the skin? I've always heard that was one of the selling points of alpaca, their wool wasn't as itchy. However I have no first hand experience with it, just hearsay.
No, we didn't really consider anything but wool from sheep. We needed to buy tons of wool that would meet our specs of extreme performance and comfort, plus be pure-American. It did not occur to us that alpaca might be a possibility. Like Sigma 3 mentions, we thought alpaca is a lot less durable.
I have some alpaca gloves and an alpaca hat. I’ve had both for ten years and under the kind of use WeatherWool is designed to endure they would be ribbons by now. The WeatherWool fabric is ridiculously tough for wool. It’s probably going to hold up better than Filson Mackinaw under hard use while having the feel of Merino.
Never heard of AARON WOOL ... I did find ARAN WOOL on the web ... from Ireland ... seems like they make a lot of knits from it. I did not see any woven products, but there might be some ... All-Purpose Outerwear, which is what we make, needs to be woven because knits get hung up too much on brush, etc.
Historically, people interested in serious outdoor performance have not worried about the feel. But if the wool doesn't feel good, people are likely to wear it only when they feel they really need it ... BUT ... it is the unexpected that usually causes problems. Plus of course, if the wool doesn't feel good, then the manufacturers will put a (usually synthetic) liner inside the garment. And anything but wool detracts from performance. (And I bet you know all this already, Chris!) ---- Thanks --- Ralph
That’s okay. Check out thrift stores and army surplus for good prices on wool. They always have stuff that’s closer to your budget. Old European wool army surplus is the best
yes sir, that's exactly what i do. surplus israel army blankets from internet suppliers too. like you say, they work great for me. but i'm not young and living out there anymore, just playing around and having fun. the old stuff, in my case, is good enough.
nunofyer fingbizness absolutely sir. You don’t have to have high performance gear to get outdoors. As long as your covered in wool, you’re good to go. I just like stand out from the low priced pack, and let people know what the best of the best is.
There are good deals out there. Costco offers a merino undershirt for just $20 that is super soft. Throw on a heavy military surplus shirt jacket for another $20 and your torso is covered. You can spend ten times that amount for WeatherWool but you are only getting a marginal improvement in performance.
@@SuperFlatrock Unfortunately 9 times out of 10 the Costco "merino" is only about 10% merino wool. The other 90% is usually polyester or some other shitty plastic.
People ask what's the price......if your shopping for price you need to get off this channel because this is the highest quality product out there anywhere on the web so who cares what the price is .....its WORTH it. Being in the service industry myself when client's ask me what's the PRICE for my service or product I always ask , don't you mean what's the COST. People say what's the difference aren't they the same ? I say NO when you buy the highest product available you only pay that Price once. When you buy an inferior product and you have to replace it many times over...... it's going to Cost you much more $$$ in the long-term. And No , I'm not being paid for this rant just my professional opinion. Daryl
Trouble with wool is when it gets wet it weighs a lot heavier and the drying time is very long , Wool is a great product, Marino and Synthetic blends are a better option, You talk about down but it is crazy to compare down Vs Wool Vs Synthetic etc, Synthetic is the better option where there is chance of rain and for extreme cold where there is little chance of rain Down is better so it does not need to be waterproof, Wool is more of a mix temp material from 15*c down to -10/-15*c Ish,, , Wool is no good in extreme cold as when used for outer layers Unless it is over an inch thick and then it becomes to heavy and stiff, To keep warm wearing this gear in this video you would need you would need a Deuce and half to haul it all, and wool is not easily Stowed or compressed in to a pack makes this gear a bad choice and the Moths Love to chew holes in it, No Thanks.
Synthetics go to Everest as final layers, base layer 1. and 2. layers are choosen from merino wool from climbers and mountaineers. Merino sweaters and base layers go to North pole:] Synthetics are still used and even combined with wool that is true, but merino as base and mid layers are still best..
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
A superlative interview! A most informative session where one can really learn a lot about wool in general and merino wool in particular. An excellent illustration of the adage "It costs no more to go First Class."
Great interview Robert, thanks for taking the time to do it. Ralph, you make a great line of wool clothing, I have the Mouton hat which is the warmest most comfortable hat I have ever owned and I have the AL's Anorak, equally warm and comfortable. My next purchase is going to be the Mouton Vest. I have no problem spending my hard earned money on quality gear made in the U.S.A.
Dave King the mouton vest is the best thing I’ve ever worn. Unreal quality.
Hi Dave! --- I just saw your comment. THANK YOU Very Much for the encouragement and for working with us. Hope you wear your WeatherWool in great health for many years to come. Sorry for late reply! --- Ralph
My Favorite American Company!!! Ralph and his crew will do exactly they say! Every thing I have purchased from this company is quality and every time I'm asked about them my wife cringes because she's going to have to here my testimony again😀
Love the video especially on the explination on wool. Know that merino wool is a hollow stand wool but merino sheep are a warm-weather breed native to Portigual and Spain which today are still the best merinos. My experience is that merino is not very warm but soft making it popular...not warm as compaired to a good grade norse sheep's wool such as a shetland or Icelandic sheep"s wool. I am not mentioning weight per square meter, weave or spin density, etc. Merino is popular because it is a soft wool. However the shetland is much lighter, hollow, longer, and little to no lanolin, and soft since the sheep have no outer hairs. Icelandic sheep's wool is of a very long hollow wool that is extermly warm not to mention its vacuna-soft inner hairs used to make underwear that I sleep in. I wear Icelandic wool socks that the cold does not penetrate that walks over my cold wearing merino mountineering Smartwools.
Thanks. I know I’ll never be able to afford any of this fancy wool that they’re selling. But living in northern Minnesota, I just really NEED to know what will keep me the warmest for the least amount of money. Well I shouldn’t say “least” because I do understand that I’ll have to spend good money for anything well made etc. but I won’t/can’t pay an excessive amount. I’m not apposed to wearing “secondhand”, so knowing the best and warmest wool is the main thing I really have to know, lol. Thanks again.
What does "hollow stand wool" mean
What a wealth of knowledge!
Awesome upload!
Thank You!!!
Thank you for arming me with a ton of information regarding wool! I watched the video all the way through. No material quite beats wool. I own the Lester River Bushcraft Anorak and have been interested in an upgrade because it isn't quite as versatile as would be ideal for a $350+ garment (poor ventilation, rough-wool)... I am with you on your philosophy that you'd rather pay a bit more and gain a lot more versatility. Your videos are always very good. Keep up the good work!
thank you sir. appreciate that greatly. I gained more haters by pushing this product. but I knew that people that really enjoy buying the best they can get, would appreciate weatherwool. made it all worth it.
WOW ... sad to read we've gotten haters on you!! I hope they'll come around after a bit ... !! Thanks for your support, Rob!!
Humans are strange. From politics to video game consoles, seems like people can't help but root for 'their' side.
WOW ... yes, great observation. This is one of the reasons we have always offered No-Risk Field Testing ... if people are open-minded and interested enough to do a serious field-test but find they are not happy, or that they like something else better, we'll give them a full refund. So it's no risk for the customer ... and very little risk for us, either, because virtually nobody ever wants the refund. THANKS ---- Ralph
this is fascinating and helpful . I'm not a survivalist but I hate being cold when it can get to 20F to -20F with wind chill 37F 50% humidity and wanted to know more about the company and what makes them worth it. I bought second hand wool and wool yarn that feels soft in hand but scratches and makes me itch even through a base layer . If only they had woman's coats !
In the oriental carpet world, "virgin wool" refers to the first shearing in the spring before the animal sweats in the hot summer. Additionally, the "nicest" wool can be seen in museums (e.g., look at the Jaf Kurdish colours of their antique rugs and weavings!!!) I would like to see WeatherWool introduce "botanical" dyes into some of their garments (vests) such as indigo, madder root, weld, walnut etc.) Then let the abrash begin! I enjoyed Harold Bohmer's book "Koekboya: Natural Dyes and Textiles - A Colour Journey From Turkey, India and Beyond."
Cheers from this Saskatchewan boy living on the Gold Coast of Australia.
Excellent product and company. Nice interview.
Worth the time . Good interview and review . I’m going check it out . Thanks
I just want to say that his shirt jacket looks like the coziest thing on the planet
Actually a great interview, very interesting
This is one of my goal this year!
Need a thick wool blanket, just to break my fall seeing there prices. I just stick with my swanndri
Buy once, cry once. Finest garment I own.
@@TopsCustomKydex my old man always said, buy quality and the only time you'll cry is at the cash register
@Steven 00 How so?
Its biblical not to mix some fibers.. good work sir
So where do I buy one of these super soft wool anoraks? I went to the links in the description and all I found was a tomahawk and survival classes!
As i get older, the hair on my head, in other words, each individual hair seems to be thinner....is this the case for sheep? Do older sheep have better wool for making clothing, or, maybe, younger ones have better wool? Less scratchy?Also, you talked about poly-something getting in the wool and weakening it? I imagine that that poly-stuff gets into the wool after purchasing the garment, as well? Therefore, that will always be a problem with wool clothing? Thanks.
Lucky me! I've been wearing military surplus whool for 2 years now and I never found it itchy not even a little bit. Being it felt, mil. blankets or just simple whool. I guess my skin is whool unsensitive^^
Hi Robert.
How tall are you? What size anorak did you get?
I’m trying to decide between a Lynx Anorak or a Lynx Hoodie.
Went with a Lynx mid weight shirt jac. Talked with Ralph on the phone. He’s a super nice guy, chatted with me for 40 minutes and is obviously knowledgeable and passionate about wool in general. Can’t wait to try WeatherWool out for myself!
Ralphs a standup fella and everyone dogging on the price might as well go to the Ferrarri dealership and complain that Fords Cost Far Less ..My All Around Jacket is worth its weight in gold and its the only wool ive ever worn i can wear with just a T-Shirt and that cant be said with 95% of other wools ive owned. Cheers Rob i love the Moulton Vest ! ,;,;, ! ,;,;;, Spook
bro. this mouton vest is AMAZING! It's seriously the nicest piece of clothing I've ever put on my body. I'm thinking about doing a video called The World's Most Expensive Vest, lol. Its freaking worth the money though. Its way warmer than any other product they have.
Sigma 3 Survival School i want one bro ! One of the first items they have i fell in love with ! Do the Video on it !!! Its great you got to hang with these awesome people Ralph knows his wool and im honored to call him a friend !
Thanks Guys! --- We won't let you down!!
WeatherWool i wont let u guys down!
Sigma 3 Survival School hey bro what is the vest your wearing in this video?thanks!
I really want the Trail Poncho designed by Will Cooke, that thing will be amazing.
I was going to buy a Helikon-Tex Swagman Poncho Liner in the next few weeks, but I might wait for the Trail Poncho instead now 🤔
Normally I can’t wear any wool except merino thermals as almost all other wool garments and blankets make me itch severely, but if it’s made of the best quality Merino then that fixes that problem and also around the fire it is safer than synthetics in case of sparks, and the safety of using it around fire means fire becomes part of my heatng shelter, while in the warmer months the mid weight wool is plenty warm at night anyway, also the hood that detached from the poncho is great, that way when wearing the wool poncho as a poncho liner under a poncho in the rain I can keep the hood dry and not getting wet through the face hole of the rainwear and keep it dry for use at night when using trail poncho as sleeping bag.
I would probably use this with my Snugpak SF bivvy in winter, my winters have never gone below 23F (-5C) on the coldest night in history
This is a year old, I wonder what you bought? Don’t know this Will Cooke, but I have a Swagman, it’s great but holy SH*T I just looked up the price…$160 now! I thought it was extreme when I bought mine a few years ago for $125. It’s barely worth that and I wouldn’t pay a penny more.
How much of his own weatherwool does he wear ?
he is like me. he wears it all the time. We sit on our computers doing work and wear it. Hell I wear it when I'm editing these videos. In a 75 degree house. I stayed with them for two weeks on my homeless travels. And I would say that the both of us was wearing weatherwool 90% of the time. In the house or out of it.
Sorry for late reply ... Just saw your question!! Yes, I wear it a lot. BUT ... I'm not photographed in it very much because we don't want anyone to think WeatherWool will make them look like me! --- Had a new experience today. I was hunting in rain that changed to freezing rain. Didn't see a trace of a deer but was surprised by ice on the outside of my All-Around Jacket when I got back to the truck. Thank You --- Ralph
I love how both of you have demenstrated how to lay in a creek in the dead of winter. We're all going to try that , aren't we men???
Please, there is no comparison between mouton to caribu or reindeer skin clothing which is absoultly the warmest clothing in the wool category - and then there is eider down and vacuna. But I am going to put an order in for one of those wool coats since I can no afford either. Thanks for the great video.
Rob, what size is your Mouton Vest? I think I'm similar in size to you. I'm looking at getting one, and I'm about 6'0'' 180lbs and wanted to make sure I ordered the right size..
Jake Pappuleas I’m 6’1” and 205. That’s the baddest vest in the world. In my closet right now 😁
He makes a great jacket but I can get a Filson double mackinaw that does not itch at all for 200.00.
You can hardly get a shirt from Filson for that price much less a jacket lol. Their pants are $200. You have to pay for quality and filson wool doesn't hold a candle to this wool.I've owned both.
@@sigma3survivalschool yes you are right....new. But I purchased a green and black Mackinaw for less than 200 each. Used. All over eBay But I agree he has the best wool. But it's just out of my price range unfortunately. Just received my green one back from filson to replace all the snaps. They didn't charge me a dime though I offered to pay.
The Anorak is $625 now, as of 8-2021. And it’s $655 for a size 3X
This is a dream but maybe someday
You can get plenty of quality wool outdoor garments that don't massively increase their markup by presenting the qualities of wool as the qualities of their brand. All these reviews on youtube are sponsored. Unless it's budget clothes, superfine merino wool is the industry standard, not something extraordinary.
This video is an hour-long paid advertisement.
@@makkkermak8208 I would not say it’s a paid advertisement, you’re learning about how the product is made and what’s the difference between other brands. He’s not coming across as a schill or degrading other makers out there either. I’m glad to see there’s other options out there. Having said that I’ll never own one because it’s just not in my price range, nor do I spend that much time in the field. However if I did it would be a while worth investment. The same argument can be made for having a custom 1911 vs a standard 1911 pistol,
Epic clothing 👍💨
Expect my order after welding school.
Did you get a piece
I see everyone talking about the price. Yes we know a good wool jacket is expensive. Just look at Filson's wool clothing. Yet, when you look at the weatherwool site, there's an option to buy an anorak for someone in the military for $350 which they say "the Anorak can be purchased for $350, which is a basically break-even price for us." So right on their website they say it costs a little less than $350 to make an anorak that they are selling for $575. That mean's they marked their jacket up $225! That's huge. Having a $225 profit on one anorak seems like an awful lot to ask. I think what we are all saying is there's certainly a market for this, but not at this price. If you weren't asking for so much profit for each shirt you sell, then you'd sell more and probably end up making more in the long run. Having said that, keep charging $575 for a fancy sweatshirt if you'd like, your just not going to sell nearly as much as you could be.
So let me first explain how retail works. A manufacturer produces a product and then doubles the price. They then sell that product to a dealer and the dealer doubles the price again. These are very low margins for a manufacturer. Between 30-40% on the anorak, when everyone else in the same market is at 50% margins or better. And the price of the anorak is because of supply and demand. You can buy a hoodie or shirt jacket for $425 that has relatively the same amount of material. But everyone wants an anorak because they are amazing. So they are little pricier, due to low supply and high demand. Of all the companies I've worked for in the past, these guys probably have some of the smallest margins I've ever seen. For instance, the Mouton Wool Vest is around $1200. There is $300 in just pelts un-processed in the jacket and that is just raw material. Not including wool or tailoring. So after all the expenses, they might make $200 on a $1200 item. Those are rock bottom margins. In retail, your best sellers make you all your money, and the other items tend to break even. If you went to another company such as sleeping indian for instance. There wool is much cheaper. But their prices are the same. So they have much higher margins. Same as with Filson. Woolrich. Lester River. Weatherwool uses the absolute most expensive wool on the market by a landslide. And they are the only ones doing it.
Don't they sell directly on their website? Isn't the manufacturer and dealer the same person?
They are in the business to make "The BEST" that exists. The BEST is not for everyone. The Best should be the most expensive, or the maker is cheating their company and workers. So please check you business advise, and possibly entitlement, at the keyboard, please.
yes. but what I'm saying is that their margin is way lower than the typical manufacturer. And some items have less than 20% margin. they are trying to compete with other makers using a wool that is five times cheaper than what weatherwool is using. They pay a higher rate for wool than anyone in the industry. Because it is suit grade material, that is durable enough for any outdoorsman. They are wearing these things in Afghanistan and LOVING THEM. Talk about a radical climate.
Hi Everyone, and THANKS for the interest and the input. It's very much appreciated.
One of the reasons we founded WeatherWool was that we felt it wasn't right that our Military was wearing wool that was not the best that could be made. But also, we were unhappy our Military was buying kit with their own money. So WeatherWool has always been the best (pure-American) we can come up with, AND we always intended to offer WarriorWool to Active Duty Military (and now, Disabled Vets too) at our cost of delivering the product.
After having made huge investments of time, effort and money in development of our Fabric and then the design and testing of our Anorak, the additional cost of production of an Anorak is a little north of $300. Add in the costs of processing a credit card, free shipping, and that people will often ask to exchange for a different size, we have about $350 into each WarriorWool Anorak.
Some might think that means we have a $225 profit on each Anorak sold for $575. If only! And actually, $225 profit over the $350 delivered cost is low, and retailers generally cannot stay in business with such a low margin because of the many other expenses incurred in business. As mentioned previously, our up-front costs, prior to even having any clothing to sell, have been considerable. Three years of R&D before we were satisfied with our Fabric. Then many other steps of prototyping and testing before finalizing the design (which is never really finalized). And then there is the age-old problem of what you make vs what people will buy. For some reason, people buying the Anorak have been smaller than we expected. So we ran out of SMALLS pretty quickly. Similarly, even though we always expect XLarge to be a popular size, XLarge in Lynx Pattern sold out right away. So retailers fairly quickly get to a point where they have holes in their inventory. You don't want to disappoint customers, so you make as many pieces as you can. But the more you make, the more money you have tied up in inventory and up-front expense, meaning your risks are bigger, storage costs increase, etc. And by the time we are ready to make the next production run, we will have made some design changes based upon feedback from our customers. And once we do that, whatever inventory is left will need to be sold at a reduced price.
There are lots of non-performance garments around that cost far more than WeatherWool, and they don't do much except look nice and go out of style in a couple of years. For whatever reason, people often are surprised that there is a high-end to performance outerwear. Partly that's because nobody else, near as we can tell, is doing what we are doing. We talk to people with $500 (even $2500) knives, $3500 binoculars, etc., etc. Personally, I can't bring myself to use some of the fishing lures that are on the market now. Tie $10 onto the end of my line and hope it doesn't get lost somehow? And I hear there are people using lures that cost way more than $10. These days, there are people shooting $100 arrows. So I guess it is all what you are used to and what your priorities are.
We are thrilled that people are recognizing our quality, and that our reputation among true outdoor professionals is growing.
In order for us to actually have a viable business with WeatherWool ... to recoup our expenses, climb into the black and make a living with this passion of ours, we will have to raise our prices. If you are thinking about some WeatherWool, now is a good time.
So that's a long response to Joe Shmoe's note! Thanks Again to Joe and everyone else who has looked into WeatherWool. You can always phone me directly at 973-761-1776. Best Regards --- Ralph
I’m sure I’m missing something but you paid $3.65 per pound. What goes into the manufacturing to make the jacket $1000? I’m genuinely curious
several hours of professional labor and marketing and sales infrastructure
so nothing basically
their stuff looks interesting, i've known about it pretty much since they started doing it because i used to buy other stuff from them. but the price is so out of this world even compared to other wool items i've bought i haven't been able to justify it. also i mainly use down coats anyways with wool for accessories and base layer. it is just way too heavy to me to wear as an outer layer. a 4 lb down jacket will keep you warm at -60F but a 4 lb wool sweater won't.
also the designs could use improvement. they may be using high quality materials but they are ultimately n00bs at this. and yet charging higher prices than the pros.
what about mid-weight Anorak vs heavy weight and climate considerations with layering
thanks
Good video, i believe in wool, i find the average person/hunter know little about it. I have minus 33 base and if i can aford it will soon have a set of this stuff........ love the snap at ur baby girl, and this is the pimpest thing i have ever wore, i get excited at stuff like this too
haha. my kid always wants to be on camera lol. She is a total ham. I plan to put her on some videos soon. She keeps begging me to have her own channel. Minus 33 is good stuff. I like my new Kora base layers. And level 4 under armour cold weather gear.
God gave me two girls and i plan on showing them the little i know about the woods and plants, maybe we will come to one of your class, if u still have a place in Arkansas since Louisiana is not much different in vegetation. take care!!
You guys live in what's commonly call Nothern Climbs. Cotton is no good for you. However, cotton is unbeatable if you happen to be in the Tropics and Sub Tropics, especially in summer.
I wonder if they considered alpaca wool?
I love alpaca wool. But it has durability issues. You wouldn't get the same kind of longevity with alpaca. And the finish would be rougher on the skin.
Interesting. I didn't know that about the durability. But rougher on the skin? I've always heard that was one of the selling points of alpaca, their wool wasn't as itchy. However I have no first hand experience with it, just hearsay.
No, we didn't really consider anything but wool from sheep. We needed to buy tons of wool that would meet our specs of extreme performance and comfort, plus be pure-American. It did not occur to us that alpaca might be a possibility. Like Sigma 3 mentions, we thought alpaca is a lot less durable.
I have some alpaca gloves and an alpaca hat. I’ve had both for ten years and under the kind of use WeatherWool is designed to endure they would be ribbons by now. The WeatherWool fabric is ridiculously tough for wool. It’s probably going to hold up better than Filson Mackinaw under hard use while having the feel of Merino.
this is now officially a wool channel. lol
haha. yeah. well it is winter. tis the season for wool. we are almost done with wool videos for awhile. I promise lol
Sold
Some of these jackets are 1500 dollars lol huh?
instagram.com/p/BgCJe7kBzP3/ WeatherWool Hoodie in Lynx Pattern !
Wool under ware when it’s 100 out In August i think not
Si le lambe el ojo the boss will give you a free jacket 🧥 looks like you very good at it
aaron wool is the warmest wool on the planet nothing better it is scottish wool
Never heard of AARON WOOL ... I did find ARAN WOOL on the web ... from Ireland ... seems like they make a lot of knits from it. I did not see any woven products, but there might be some ... All-Purpose Outerwear, which is what we make, needs to be woven because knits get hung up too much on brush, etc.
Historically, people interested in serious outdoor performance have not worried about the feel. But if the wool doesn't feel good, people are likely to wear it only when they feel they really need it ... BUT ... it is the unexpected that usually causes problems. Plus of course, if the wool doesn't feel good, then the manufacturers will put a (usually synthetic) liner inside the garment. And anything but wool detracts from performance. (And I bet you know all this already, Chris!) ---- Thanks --- Ralph
I'm saving my money, Pleeeeaaaasee don't raise the prices for awhile!!!!!
still cant beat NZ Swanndri ,,,they have been making them over 120 yrs
To expensive any especial sale going on
whatever the rational for the price, i will never be able to justify ( or be able to ) spending that much out of a fixed budget.......oh well.
That’s okay. Check out thrift stores and army surplus for good prices on wool. They always have stuff that’s closer to your budget. Old European wool army surplus is the best
yes sir, that's exactly what i do. surplus israel army blankets from internet suppliers too. like you say, they work great for me. but i'm not young and living out there anymore, just playing around and having fun. the old stuff, in my case, is good enough.
nunofyer fingbizness absolutely sir. You don’t have to have high performance gear to get outdoors. As long as your covered in wool, you’re good to go. I just like stand out from the low priced pack, and let people know what the best of the best is.
There are good deals out there. Costco offers a merino undershirt for just $20 that is super soft. Throw on a heavy military surplus shirt jacket for another $20 and your torso is covered. You can spend ten times that amount for WeatherWool but you are only getting a marginal improvement in performance.
@@SuperFlatrock Unfortunately 9 times out of 10 the Costco "merino" is only about 10% merino wool. The other 90% is usually polyester or some other shitty plastic.
ifyouneedtoexplainit
People ask what's the price......if your shopping for price you need to get off this channel because this is the highest quality product out there anywhere on the web so who cares what the price is .....its WORTH it. Being in the service industry myself when client's ask me what's the PRICE for my service or product I always ask , don't you mean what's the COST. People say what's the difference aren't they the same ? I say NO when you buy the highest product available you only pay that Price once. When you buy an inferior product and you have to replace it many times over...... it's going to Cost you much more $$$ in the long-term. And No , I'm not being paid for this rant just my professional opinion. Daryl
Great perspective! --- Thanks! --- Ralph
Trouble with wool is when it gets wet it weighs a lot heavier and the drying time is very long , Wool is a great product, Marino and Synthetic blends are a better option, You talk about down but it is crazy to compare down Vs Wool Vs Synthetic etc, Synthetic is the better option where there is chance of rain and for extreme cold where there is little chance of rain Down is better so it does not need to be waterproof, Wool is more of a mix temp material from 15*c down to -10/-15*c Ish,, , Wool is no good in extreme cold as when used for outer layers Unless it is over an inch thick and then it becomes to heavy and stiff, To keep warm wearing this gear in this video you would need you would need a Deuce and half to haul it all, and wool is not easily Stowed or compressed in to a pack makes this gear a bad choice and the Moths Love to chew holes in it, No Thanks.
Synthetics go to Mt. Everest.. your grandfather wears wool.
stateniland KID
@@armandotorres2216 SMH... go to school.
Synthetics go to Everest as final layers, base layer 1. and 2. layers are choosen from merino wool from climbers and mountaineers. Merino sweaters and base layers go to North pole:] Synthetics are still used and even combined with wool that is true, but merino as base and mid layers are still best..
yep. wool outerwear is just too heavy. wool base layers and accessories are great though