I appreciate you! ✪ The Dean Oxfords: www.beckettsimonon.com/products/dean-oxford?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d& ✪ The Cohen Loafers: www.beckettsimonon.com/products/cohen-loafers?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d& ✪ Anything from Beckett Simonon: www.beckettsimonon.com/?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d&
This is probably the best shoe reviewer on Internet. You can see the details and length he goes through in making videos. My only gripe is I need more videos!! Keep up great work. Thank you.
My closet was once exclsuively AE shoes. Now it is brands like TLB, Carmina, Yearn, Altan, J Fitzpatrick, Winson, Michael Darren, Ichicgo Ichie and Carlos Santos.
I had already bought a pair of Jhodpur boots from Beckett Simonon before I saw your video. But this just confirms that I made the right choice. I would love to see you evaluate Thursday boots as well because I was considering buying those before I settled on the Beckett Sinomon
Excellent video, especially the thorough breakdown of the cross-section. This is the most detailed and honest review I've seen of this brand. I have a pair of their Austerity Oxfords in the same finish. This review made me appreciate them more despite have many of the same minor flaws you pointed out. Mine have some of that frayed welt stitching on the outboard side of one of the shoes where they clearly got a little rough trying to correct some of the finishing on the upper. Like you pointed out though its one of those things that 99% of people will not notice while I'm wearing them but it still bothered me when I first received them.
I prefer a Goodyear welt-built shoe and switched entirely to Allen Edmonds a few years ago, but you assembled an objective comparison video. I may try a pair of Beckett Simonon one day, though. Thank you.
Just curious what you think about wearing derbies with a suit. I have a fairly high instep and oxfords are painful to wear. I currently have the Beckett Dunham derby.
TLB Mallorca lasts tend to have a higher instep, though if those don't work or you want to stick with BS, I think a Derby is totally fine. If you wanted to be similarly formal to an Oxford, maybe stick with darker colors and more slim outsoles. I think the Norman would be my if-I-couldn't-wear-an-oxford derby. www.beckettsimonon.com/products/norman-cap-toe-derbies?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d&
Sorry but the Beckets leather looks cheap compared to the Edmonds. Also the Edmond is hand sticked, not machine stiched. The reason the Edmond shoe has some small flaws and bulkier stitching is because it’s all hand stitched by hand not by a machine in Korea. Their handmade in the USA.
For my wide feet nothing beats AE in comfort. Having said that BS has incredible quality and value. My Blkbrds, Bridlen, and CNES all have bad creasing on the vamp after only a few wears… so lower quality leather. Waiting 3 plus months and all the upselling with BS are a bummer IMO… bought 3 so-so belts and pretty good sneakers from BS during my wait. BS cust service is pretty good though.
I was under the impression that creasing on the BS would look the worst out of those so this is good to know. I was highly considering Bridlen but was also looking at Meermin and Blkbird.
You should have returned those AEs. I'd heard that the build quality had dropped, but I have never gotten anything close to that. They would have exchanged those, no questions asked.
Great video as always! The quality of your content is unmatched my friend! I understand why you use Allen Edmonds, given its popularity in the US, but at some point Americans need to realise this really isn’t the staple of craftsmanship and finesse they think it is.
As always, is a pleasure to watch your videos. Your analysis is impeccable and the information is delivered in a clear and witty manner. For all that I have seen and learned Allen Edmonds is (for me) a mediocre, overrated and overpriced shoe. I have watched other videos from reputable experts and connoisseurs who gave me that impression and now, thanks to you, it has been confirmed. Having said this, I am convinced (again, thanks to you) that TLB is the BEST shoe available under U$S 500. I wish you an excellent weekend. Regards.
I love these in depth reviews. Excellent work as always. I would love to see reviews of the affordable Indian shoemakers like Bridlen, BLKBRD, etc. BLKBRD in particular has a unique value proposition with their true seamless wholecut oxfords.
Your statement on cork being more for marketing than reality got you a thumbs down. First video of yours I’ve watched. Last as well. I can see you don’t have proper experience and have basically just regurgitated what you’ve read on other sites.
Nice review! I just purchased two pairs (Valencia Oxfords and Roy Loafers) for college, just watching reviews while awaiting them as they go through lasting
Interesting. My first pair of shoes was Allen Edmonds because I heard that they were the bee's knees. Now I am finally looking to really star my collection and Bekett Simonon constantly comes up in ads for me. Always turned away becuase of the predatory advertising, where they always have a "sale" year around...i'm surprised though. Very! And i'm glad that you actually showed as in-detail as you did. I certainly think i'll have to take a shot at them.
I hear you and empathize with that. I would not typically suggest anyone buys anything from a company that markets on Instagram - and that is referring to marketing through paid IG ads, not just having a brand account. Most of it is garbage. That is just a heuristic, though, and not a rule by any means. As far as predatory/disingenuous advertising, there is an extended discussion that could be had around that - a discussion that may ultimately just conclude with some version of "pick your poison". I would not personally go as far as to say BS advertising is predatory, though I understand where you are coming from. For me, the line between ethical/unethical marketing is rather hard to distinguish beyond obvious examples. I tend to draw it at "Is the product actually priced fairly?" (which, itself, is not always a particularly straightforward question). If it is, I am more forgiving. I don't follow BS's exact sale schedule, though imo it's a fair price at their base $220 a pair. If they run frequent sales for less than that, I find it difficult to say that is unethical even if one could argue there is something misleading about it. That's just my personal opinion, though.
I'm looking at getting a pair of these Dean Oxfords. I love the color of the one in the video, but just wanted to confirm that the color is brown? When I go to Beckett's website, it looks more like the tan color. I'll use your link - thanks!
The color in the video is not Brown, it is Oak! Oak is the medium brown you see in the video. Their Brown is more of a Dark Brown. Very nice color, but not the one in the video. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you so much!
This is unreal. I am so thankful I stumbled across it! I used your affiliate link! I just saw the brand Beckett Simonon and thought they were not a real company so thank you for this review and comparing to Allen Edmonds.
Just got into your videos and your channel. I'm big into classic menswear and I'm bit into the various menswear RUclips channels around - I think your content is excellently detailed, reveals great knowledge, and is in general a lovely addition to the scene! Do you happen to have any plans to visit the UK for the super trunk show in London?
I used to have expensive dress shoes to wear with suits and cheap sneakers fir everyday. Now, I have expensive sneakers and don't wear suits or dress shoes so much.
I'm starting to like this direction too. A high quality sneaker is really nice. I like the idea of having something a bit more sophisticated - equivalent to a high-end dress shoe - but for the tech/biz-casual workplace where suits/dress shoes are not the norm. There are not many makers of them. Carlos Santos has a really nice suede sneaker. Acme teased some sneakers on their Instagram a while back that I thought were just fantastic. I'd love to see more high-end dress shoe companies like TLBM or Yearn venture into sneaker territory.
I would love to do the Xsuit. I may at some point in the medium-term future. I think the 'discount'/'trendy' classic menswear market is interesting in alot of ways and I am willing to bet people are interested to see how they really hold up.
Got a pair of Deans a few years ago when I had just graduated college and needed my first real dress shoe for work, for the pricepoint they are honestly unbeatable, and have aged super well. I've since acquired some other pairs I wear as well, but I imagine without heavy use the Deans should be able to last at least a decade or so. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for their first pair of leather oxfords, but you do have to wait a few months to receive them so if time is of the essence there may be more suitable options.
Hi I'm new here. The quality of this video is phenomenal. There are a lot of Beckett Simonon reviews on youtube but none are as detailed as this. I love the way you explain each component of the shoe and it's value for the price point. Keep making these kind of reviews, especially for these popular brands that have mixed reviews like BS, Meermin, Thursday, etc. Definitely subbing right now. Also I appreciate the transparency at the end
i just wish turnaround time for Beckett Simonon was faster, like 4-6 weeks, rather than 12-14 weeks. But at the end of the day, i think they're one of the few brands offering tremendous value for their products. I also wish they offered more rubber-soled offerings as well.
I'd love to see your take on other "budget" or "great value" shoes like TLB or Beckett Simonon, for example I've heard great things about Bridlen and BLKBRD.
First thing I would do to those boots regardless if its BS or AE, is adding half soles. Neither of those boots will last long without that and fixing is so much cheaper if you are only replacing gloed on half sole.
Steel shanks can be a con when you are a frequent flyer and TSA precheck. As for wood or fiberglass shanks failing - according to the cobblers I have spoke with its not an issue. Many English made dress shoes use wood shanks. Also from what I hear from cobblers Blake stitching will not be as water resistant, nor can it be resoled as many times as GYW
Another great video! I own a pair of Durant Oxford in Bordeaux from Beckett S. and they are super comfortable. Just recently ordered a 32:37 pair of Dean Oxford in brown to complete my collection, although their last is not as sophisticated as higher cost shoes, they are worth it.
I have the Valencia wholecut oxfords from Beckett Simonon, and they're the best dress shoes I've owned. I've also got two pairs of boots, and several pairs of their sneakers. They're well worth the cost and the wait, especially at their frequent sale prices. Their customer service is also top-notch. Highly recommend.
Always a joy to see a new video from you! That brown looks amazing especially with the nice patina on the front. Definitely agree it is a perfect shoe for a comparison!
Excellent content as usual. However, may I suggest that you also use the metric system and not just the imperial system for measurements? Maybe you could put the measurements in centimeters as text while you are talking about inches?
I wound up getting some of their “Kent” wingtips - and then learned I didn’t really love the style (: (if anyone wants to buy them that would be rad) But truly a veryyy supple, well-fitting shoe that’s a steal for its price! I usually get good second hand oxfords and boots, but may hit them up for my next loafer😀
Cross cutting a shoe is the worst amateur talentless way to examine the quality of shoes. You tubers need to stop cutting expensive shoes in half. If you really want to know how well a shoe is made watch the RUclips cobblers rebuild them. You’re cutting shoes in half for shock value. You can barely see the welting, the blind stitching…. The best information you got is the leather heel composition. You rendered this craftsmanship useless.
I'm disappointed with your degrading the Allen Edmond shoe to sell your product. You are not being forthcoming. Oh by the way the cork and Goodyear welting is the industry standard for higher for higher quality shoes. 🤔
I agree. Anytime you need to knock a product as he does with several of his videos, you become suspect of being a schill, and/or sponsored, in other words PAID to knock someone's product.
Don’t blame the messenger, blame Allen Edmonds. My AE from 15 years ago wouldn’t even let these shoes appear a contender, yet the ones I bought in the past 5 years are truly that bad. And yes, anyone regularly buying AE shoes has experienced bad quality control on at least 50% of their purchases.
I appreciate you!
✪ The Dean Oxfords: www.beckettsimonon.com/products/dean-oxford?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d&
✪ The Cohen Loafers: www.beckettsimonon.com/products/cohen-loafers?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d&
✪ Anything from Beckett Simonon: www.beckettsimonon.com/?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d&
I can tell a LOT of research and work went into making this video.
This is probably the best shoe reviewer on Internet. You can see the details and length he goes through in making videos. My only gripe is I need more videos!! Keep up great work. Thank you.
Totally agree. This man is a treasure.
dude knows a lot about shoe construction
Damn, this dude is the sh*t! 👍
My closet was once exclsuively AE shoes. Now it is brands like TLB, Carmina, Yearn, Altan, J Fitzpatrick, Winson, Michael Darren, Ichicgo Ichie and Carlos Santos.
Same! My go to black cap toe was my Park Aves but now has been mostly my Connaught C and J. That being said, still love my AEs!
this is one of the most detail review I ever watch on RUclips. Keep it up. Thank you a lot cause your video inspire me into leather shoes.
I had already bought a pair of Jhodpur boots from Beckett Simonon before I saw your video. But this just confirms that I made the right choice. I would love to see you evaluate Thursday boots as well because I was considering buying those before I settled on the Beckett Sinomon
I was thinking of buying a pair too! Which color did you get? I've been eyeing the Oak.
A question - does the leather scratch easily, or is it relatively hardy?
Excellent video, especially the thorough breakdown of the cross-section. This is the most detailed and honest review I've seen of this brand. I have a pair of their Austerity Oxfords in the same finish. This review made me appreciate them more despite have many of the same minor flaws you pointed out. Mine have some of that frayed welt stitching on the outboard side of one of the shoes where they clearly got a little rough trying to correct some of the finishing on the upper. Like you pointed out though its one of those things that 99% of people will not notice while I'm wearing them but it still bothered me when I first received them.
I prefer a Goodyear welt-built shoe and switched entirely to Allen Edmonds a few years ago, but you assembled an objective comparison video. I may try a pair of Beckett Simonon one day, though. Thank you.
Thank you for your openness and consideration!
Just curious what you think about wearing derbies with a suit. I have a fairly high instep and oxfords are painful to wear. I currently have the Beckett Dunham derby.
TLB Mallorca lasts tend to have a higher instep, though if those don't work or you want to stick with BS, I think a Derby is totally fine. If you wanted to be similarly formal to an Oxford, maybe stick with darker colors and more slim outsoles. I think the Norman would be my if-I-couldn't-wear-an-oxford derby.
www.beckettsimonon.com/products/norman-cap-toe-derbies?rfsn=7785546.5a1e2d&
Sorry but the Beckets leather looks cheap compared to the Edmonds. Also the Edmond is hand sticked, not machine stiched. The reason the Edmond shoe has some small flaws and bulkier stitching is because it’s all hand stitched by hand not by a machine in Korea. Their handmade in the USA.
Who tf cares what stitches it if it looks good?
For my wide feet nothing beats AE in comfort. Having said that BS has incredible quality and value. My Blkbrds, Bridlen, and CNES all have bad creasing on the vamp after only a few wears… so lower quality leather. Waiting 3 plus months and all the upselling with BS are a bummer IMO… bought 3 so-so belts and pretty good sneakers from BS during my wait. BS cust service is pretty good though.
I was under the impression that creasing on the BS would look the worst out of those so this is good to know. I was highly considering Bridlen but was also looking at Meermin and Blkbird.
You should have returned those AEs. I'd heard that the build quality had dropped, but I have never gotten anything close to that. They would have exchanged those, no questions asked.
Great video as always! The quality of your content is unmatched my friend! I understand why you use Allen Edmonds, given its popularity in the US, but at some point Americans need to realise this really isn’t the staple of craftsmanship and finesse they think it is.
As always, is a pleasure to watch your videos. Your analysis is impeccable and the information is delivered in a clear and witty manner. For all that I have seen and learned Allen Edmonds is (for me) a mediocre, overrated and overpriced shoe. I have watched other videos from reputable experts and connoisseurs who gave me that impression and now, thanks to you, it has been confirmed. Having said this, I am convinced (again, thanks to you) that TLB is the BEST shoe available under U$S 500. I wish you an excellent weekend. Regards.
I love these in depth reviews. Excellent work as always. I would love to see reviews of the affordable Indian shoemakers like Bridlen, BLKBRD, etc. BLKBRD in particular has a unique value proposition with their true seamless wholecut oxfords.
Unfortunately, I can't buy any Becketts because they have no wide sizes on any of their shoes.
Your statement on cork being more for marketing than reality got you a thumbs down. First video of yours I’ve watched. Last as well. I can see you don’t have proper experience and have basically just regurgitated what you’ve read on other sites.
Thanks so much for this video. Could you consider doing a review for CNES shoes?
I'll put it on the list!
Let’s get a video of some proper shit. Yohei Fakuda!!
Fabulous review. Very sleek, professional and extremely knowledgeable. I’m subscribing.
Nice review! I just purchased two pairs (Valencia Oxfords and Roy Loafers) for college, just watching reviews while awaiting them as they go through lasting
Interesting.
My first pair of shoes was Allen Edmonds because I heard that they were the bee's knees. Now I am finally looking to really star my collection and Bekett Simonon constantly comes up in ads for me. Always turned away becuase of the predatory advertising, where they always have a "sale" year around...i'm surprised though. Very! And i'm glad that you actually showed as in-detail as you did. I certainly think i'll have to take a shot at them.
I hear you and empathize with that. I would not typically suggest anyone buys anything from a company that markets on Instagram - and that is referring to marketing through paid IG ads, not just having a brand account. Most of it is garbage. That is just a heuristic, though, and not a rule by any means.
As far as predatory/disingenuous advertising, there is an extended discussion that could be had around that - a discussion that may ultimately just conclude with some version of "pick your poison". I would not personally go as far as to say BS advertising is predatory, though I understand where you are coming from. For me, the line between ethical/unethical marketing is rather hard to distinguish beyond obvious examples. I tend to draw it at "Is the product actually priced fairly?" (which, itself, is not always a particularly straightforward question). If it is, I am more forgiving. I don't follow BS's exact sale schedule, though imo it's a fair price at their base $220 a pair. If they run frequent sales for less than that, I find it difficult to say that is unethical even if one could argue there is something misleading about it. That's just my personal opinion, though.
I'm looking at getting a pair of these Dean Oxfords. I love the color of the one in the video, but just wanted to confirm that the color is brown? When I go to Beckett's website, it looks more like the tan color. I'll use your link - thanks!
The color in the video is not Brown, it is Oak! Oak is the medium brown you see in the video.
Their Brown is more of a Dark Brown. Very nice color, but not the one in the video.
Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you so much!
27:17 "...they look good! Like many of you..."
*stops listening*
Aw shucks, I'm blushing! XD
Lmao that's funny I never even noticed that haha
This is unreal. I am so thankful I stumbled across it! I used your affiliate link! I just saw the brand Beckett Simonon and thought they were not a real company so thank you for this review and comparing to Allen Edmonds.
Thank you!
I have a number of pairs of BS shoes and boots - love them all. They've held up wonderfully and still look great. Great video!
Glad you like them! Thank you!
I cant buy from CNES or Bridlen becuase they dont do returns. Hard pass.
Great video , I have a pair of Beckett Simonon I like them , they are comfortable , good value and they work for me .
Thank you
Came here for the AE fanbois 😂 get rect luuzers
Just got into your videos and your channel. I'm big into classic menswear and I'm bit into the various menswear RUclips channels around - I think your content is excellently detailed, reveals great knowledge, and is in general a lovely addition to the scene!
Do you happen to have any plans to visit the UK for the super trunk show in London?
Thank you for your kind words.
I do not have plans, though perhaps one day. I would love to visit London.
I used to have expensive dress shoes to wear with suits and cheap sneakers fir everyday. Now, I have expensive sneakers and don't wear suits or dress shoes so much.
I'm starting to like this direction too. A high quality sneaker is really nice. I like the idea of having something a bit more sophisticated - equivalent to a high-end dress shoe - but for the tech/biz-casual workplace where suits/dress shoes are not the norm. There are not many makers of them. Carlos Santos has a really nice suede sneaker. Acme teased some sneakers on their Instagram a while back that I thought were just fantastic. I'd love to see more high-end dress shoe companies like TLBM or Yearn venture into sneaker territory.
Really awesome and thorough review. I agree that BS are a great value, I've been super happy with mine.
I really like this channel. Some of the most informed, no frills, and thoughtful points. You deserve many more subscribers.
I appreciate that!
Very biased !
Excuse me. I prefer Super* biased. Thank you very much.
Would love to see a review of Thursday Boots shoes. And maybe the Xsuit.
I would love to do the Xsuit. I may at some point in the medium-term future. I think the 'discount'/'trendy' classic menswear market is interesting in alot of ways and I am willing to bet people are interested to see how they really hold up.
Got a pair of Deans a few years ago when I had just graduated college and needed my first real dress shoe for work, for the pricepoint they are honestly unbeatable, and have aged super well. I've since acquired some other pairs I wear as well, but I imagine without heavy use the Deans should be able to last at least a decade or so. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for their first pair of leather oxfords, but you do have to wait a few months to receive them so if time is of the essence there may be more suitable options.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi I'm new here. The quality of this video is phenomenal. There are a lot of Beckett Simonon reviews on youtube but none are as detailed as this. I love the way you explain each component of the shoe and it's value for the price point. Keep making these kind of reviews, especially for these popular brands that have mixed reviews like BS, Meermin, Thursday, etc. Definitely subbing right now. Also I appreciate the transparency at the end
Welcome, and thank you so much!
👍🏼 Awesome very well done to every single detail of the Beckett Simonon shose👍🏼
Thank you kindly!
Another fantastic one! Very informative. Keep it going!
Great stuff, thanks so much for sharing!
You don’t even sell a wide shoe! At least AE offer every width/size imaginable! How about you produce a EEE and then we will talk!
Allen Edmonds actually has sizes that fit people with wider/narrower than average feet, none of these crappy brands that you promote do.
i just wish turnaround time for Beckett Simonon was faster, like 4-6 weeks, rather than 12-14 weeks. But at the end of the day, i think they're one of the few brands offering tremendous value for their products. I also wish they offered more rubber-soled offerings as well.
I'd love to see your take on other "budget" or "great value" shoes like TLB or Beckett Simonon, for example I've heard great things about Bridlen and BLKBRD.
First thing I would do to those boots regardless if its BS or AE, is adding half soles. Neither of those boots will last long without that and fixing is so much cheaper if you are only replacing gloed on half sole.
Steel shanks can be a con when you are a frequent flyer and TSA precheck. As for wood or fiberglass shanks failing - according to the cobblers I have spoke with its not an issue. Many English made dress shoes use wood shanks. Also from what I hear from cobblers Blake stitching will not be as water resistant, nor can it be resoled as many times as GYW
You should make a video on ties next
Now that’s a f__ing review! 🤝
Another great video! I own a pair of Durant Oxford in Bordeaux from Beckett S. and they are super comfortable. Just recently ordered a 32:37 pair of Dean Oxford in brown to complete my collection, although their last is not as sophisticated as higher cost shoes, they are worth it.
Great video! Such a thorough and detailed run through. Also did not expect the Skyrim ost at the end.
Please keep making videos 🙏🤌
Very well put together video. Love your work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have the Valencia wholecut oxfords from Beckett Simonon, and they're the best dress shoes I've owned. I've also got two pairs of boots, and several pairs of their sneakers. They're well worth the cost and the wait, especially at their frequent sale prices. Their customer service is also top-notch. Highly recommend.
Thanks for sharing!!
Loved the video! This type of component analysis is interesting and underexplored on RUclips. I would love to see a video of this style on Meermin.
Are you calling the shoes shown in the video “loafers”? Are they not Oxfords?
Always a joy to see a new video from you! That brown looks amazing especially with the nice patina on the front. Definitely agree it is a perfect shoe for a comparison!
could you do a review on the brand 3dmlifestyle
instant sub ... great work
Thank you!
Now I know exactly how poor my last re-sole was on my dress shoes!
Excellent content as usual. However, may I suggest that you also use the metric system and not just the imperial system for measurements? Maybe you could put the measurements in centimeters as text while you are talking about inches?
Thank you so much for the feedback. I will do so in the future!
I own a pair of beckett Siimonon, and the leather quality sucks and is obvious that you get paid to say good things about that company!
You lost all credibility when you compared to AE. Hard to trust someone like you.
I wound up getting some of their “Kent” wingtips - and then learned I didn’t really love the style (: (if anyone wants to buy them that would be rad)
But truly a veryyy supple, well-fitting shoe that’s a steal for its price! I usually get good second hand oxfords and boots, but may hit them up for my next loafer😀
That last shape is a dealbreaker for me. Great video though.
Yeah, I just love the square/chisel toe shape plus a more accentuated spade shape in a last. Round toe lasts just feel off to me.
@@awsblacknight6956 Round lasts are more classic. Chisel'ed lasts run the risk of feeling dated in the future.
Cross cutting a shoe is the worst amateur talentless way to examine the quality of shoes. You tubers need to stop cutting expensive shoes in half. If you really want to know how well a shoe is made watch the RUclips cobblers rebuild them. You’re cutting shoes in half for shock value. You can barely see the welting, the blind stitching…. The best information you got is the leather heel composition. You rendered this craftsmanship useless.
I'm disappointed with your degrading the Allen Edmond shoe to sell your product. You are not being forthcoming. Oh by the way the cork and Goodyear welting is the industry standard for higher for higher quality shoes. 🤔
I agree. Anytime you need to knock a product as he does with several of his videos, you become suspect of being a schill, and/or sponsored, in other words PAID to knock someone's product.
Facts are facts,when Allen is poor then it's poor,don't kill the messenger ,
Don’t blame the messenger, blame Allen Edmonds. My AE from 15 years ago wouldn’t even let these shoes appear a contender, yet the ones I bought in the past 5 years are truly that bad. And yes, anyone regularly buying AE shoes has experienced bad quality control on at least 50% of their purchases.
It’s pretty much standard k owl edge that AE has gone down in quality the last few years.
AE is under new ownership has been inferior quality and workmanship AE used to be a high standard not anymore