Q = question, SA = short answer, LA = long answer
Q: I need to get my repair/product order quickly! Do you do rush
work?
SA: Sometimes.
LA: I will not push aside the timeline/needs of customers currently
in line to make room for you. So, doing your item faster than the
stated turnaround time means working overtime. Bribing me with beer
helps alot! Sometimes, like if I am imminently departing on a trip, I
just can't do rush work.
Q: How clean does my repair item need to be?
SA: Your item needs to have been washed and not used since being
washed.
LA: I realize that, sometimes, it is not possible to wash all items
prior to repair. Please do your best; turn packs and tents in-side
out and get rid of the grit/pine needles, granola crumbs etc. My
sewing machines operate in oil baths, so if your item drops sand and
dirt, that grit goes straight into the oil bath and gets circulated
throughout my sewing machines. That makes me **GRUMPY**!!
Q: How much will my repair cost?
SA: I need to see your item in person before I can give you a
definitive price.
LA: Price estimations/guidelines can be viewed on the Repairs Page. All repair work is based on
$45/hour + materials. Most of the work involved in repairs is the
extremely time consuming task of dis-assembly that is required to gain
access to the area needing repair. If the area needing repair is in
an easy to reach place it will cost much less than a repair in a
difficult to reach area. For example: a 1-inch rip in a flat, single
layer tarp would cost $10 to patch. That same 1-inch rip in the
bottom of an overnight backpack could cost $60 as I would need to
remove the frame, take apart the side seams of the pack to gain access
to the rip, fix the rip, sew the pack back together and put the frame
back in.
Q:Can you repair my item that has a frame in it? (golf bag, rolling
duffel, suitcase, etc)?
SA: If the frame is non-removable (rivits) then no. if the frame
is removable (slide-in, velcro or bolts) then yes.
LA: In most cases I need to be able to get your item underneath my
flat sewing machine in order to perform the repair. A frame severely
limits my ability to put the item under my sewing machines. In most
cases, I need to remove your frame before a repair is possible. If
you remove the frame yourself, you will save money. If in doubt, I
would be happy to look at your item for you.
Q:Do you repair footwear?
SA:No
LA: I recommend Alpine Shoe Service (no relation) located at 1225
Kensington Road, NW, Calgary AB. Their phone number is
403-283-5224
Q:Can I ship my repair items to you?
SA: Yes.
LA: Please include your name, address, email, phone number and
description of the problem in writing. Also, please mark the spot(s)
needing repair. Send to: Alpine Threadworks #31 Chisholm Crescent NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada. T2L 0Y9 [google map]
Q:Do you repair Gore-Tex?
SA:Yes, but I do not do seam taping.
LA:I will replace zippers in your Gore product, patch rips, sew on
ankle/scuff patches, etc. But, I do not do seam taping. Instead of
seam tape I use Seam-Grip to seam seal the stitches. So, your item is
still waterproof, it just doesn't look quite as professional (on the
inside) as the factory seam taping did. The reason I do not seam tape
is that aftermarket/iron-on seam tape sucks. It will peal off after
one wash, if not sooner. How seam tape is applied in the factory is
with huge $10,000 machines that heat the fabric and tape to specific
temperatures and press the two together under significant pressure,
forming a solid bond. This process cannot be successfully duplicated
in the aftermarket setting.
Q: Do you fix welded seams?
SA:Sometimes.
LA:I cannot weld seams. I therefore recommend sending your item
back to the manufacturer to get it re-welded. If this is not
possible, I may be able to stitch your welded seam/zipper. I have to
see your item before I can tell you. Generally, welded backpack seams
are stitch-able and welded clothing seams are not.
Q:Do you work with Leather?
SA: No.
LA: Sewing and working with leather requires tools, needles, machines,
glue and techniques that I do not have.
Q: How do I care for my Alpine Threadworks product?
SA:Keep it clean!!!
LA:Your Alpine Threadworks product can be machine washed on cold
and hung to dry. Your AT products' fabric and especially its zippers,
benefit immensely if kept clean. Dirt in a zipper acts like sandpaper
and can grind away the zipper teeth and sliders in no time. A zipper
that is put through heavy use when dirty can wear out in a matter of
months, whereas a properly cared for zipper can last 10-15 years. The
analogy is like dumping sand into the oil tank of your car and
wondering why your engine wore out. Wash your gear!!
Q:Do you have a showroom or are your products in
stores?
SA: No.
LA: However, you are more than welcome to come to my sew shop [google-map]
during office hours to check out my products.
Please call me at 403.282.7030 first.
Q: Do you give discounts to Guides & other outdoor
professionals?
SA: Respectfully, no.
LA: Alpine Threadworks' pricing formula does not have any markups
of any kind. I need to get every penny of the given price to make it
worth my while. So, my prices are essentially wholesale. I have
*MANY* ACMG, IFMGA Guides, instructors, ski patrolers, National Park
Public Safety Wardens, etc, happily paying full price for my products
because they know my products are the best.
Q: Will you sell me fabric and other materials?
SA: Yes.
LA: Call or write me for prices.
Q:I have an idea for a product. Will you make this custom product
for me?
SA: Sure, for a small fortune. Haha, just joking around; but in
all seriousness, making one off products are, generally, not
economically viable.
LA: My shop is really busy and operates at full
capacity year round. If I am to step away from this fully operational
shop to make/design your custom item, I need to be compensated for my
time. Designing and making a new product can easily take 20-40+ hours
of shop time plus field testing, tweaking, re-making, more field
testing....you get the idea. When I do this for my own products all
that design time is paid for bit-by-bit with each sale. That same
amount of time put into just one custom item makes for a heck of a
price tag!
Q:What is your Warranty?
A: I am supremely confident in the superior function and
craftsmenship of Alpine Threadworks products. If you are not
satisfied, for any reason, with your Alpine Threadworks product I will
do whatever is necessary to rectify the problem.
If your Selkirk Pack rubbed against the metal frame of your ski-doo
while bouncing down a logging road for 85km and a small hole
developed, then I'll fix it for a reasonable fee (true story)!