Why Alpine Threadworks?

Direct selling - Double your money:

Alpine Threadworks sells directly to its customers. I do not sell through ANY retail stores. This means that my pricing formula does not have to account for retail markups. Other companies' prices are doubled, because the retail store has to make money. So when you spend $100 on a product from a retail store you are getting $50 worth of product. When you spend $100 on an Alpine Threadworks' product you are getting $100 worth of product.

Hands on:

I, Neil Warren, the owner of Alpine Threadworks, am the only person involved with Alpine Threadworks. I personally sew each and every stitch that comes out of my shop; that's quality control! I also use the products that I make on a daily basis. I know my products work.

Commitment to the environment

Alpine Threadworks' commitment to having a minimal ecological footprint is demonstrated by:

having the sew-shop powered by 100% wind energy (Bullfrog power)
Purchasing North American produced materials whenever possible (and paying considerably more to do so)
Selling products locally
Making products from re-cycled materials.
Making products from fabric scraps (this practice has reduced garbage output from Alpine Threadworks' shop to about one bag every two months!)
Making durable products that last.
By having energy saving bulbs in every light in the sew shop.
Riding my bike to my fabric supplier (whenever possible).
Providing repair services so you can repair your gear, not throw it away.
Having zero packaging (no plastic bags, no info tags, no price tags, no catalogues)
Printing my order forms on the backside of re-used office paper.
Re-using cardboard boxes for shipping (don't be surprised when your order arrives in a Cheerios box!)
When you buy locally from me, there is less shipping involved.

Genuine parts & materials

No imitation or substandard parts or materials are used.

Zippers: All zippers and sliders are from YKK®. (Yes, I have the sexy water-resistant zippers!)
Buckles: From the industry leader, Duraflex®
Webbing: Nylon webbing from Tape Craft
Thread: 3-ply bonded Nylon thread is used on all products.
- 69-weight Nylon thread is used on all non-structural seams. (the same thread used to sew work boots!)
- Industry-leading 92-weight Nylon thread is used to sew all structural seams on all products.

Nylon thread has excellent:

U.V. resistance
abrasion resistance
rot/mildew resistance
strength.

Fabric

I have good relationships with many fabric suppliers; I can get the fabric you want. (500 and 1000d DuPont Cordura Plus®, Sil-Nylon, rip-stop nylon, 10, 14 and 18oz. "Truck Tarp" fabric, Kevlar, Ballistic Nylon, Sunbrella, Nomex and many more -- just ask.)
Fabric used for outer fabric of shoulder bags: 1000d DuPont Cordura Plus. This fabric, made exclusively by DuPont, is an exceptionally durable Nylon fabric.

1000d Cordura fabric is superior because it:

has greater Abrasion Resistance; 5x vs. cotton canvas, 3x vs. standard nylon, 3x vs. vinyl, and 2x vs. ballistic nylon;
has greater Puncture/Tear Resistance; 3x vs. vinyl, 2x vs. leather, 5x vs. standard nylon;
is unaffected by rot or mildew;
can be machine washed;
dries quickly.
Liner fabric: 18oz. Truck Tarp fabric is used to line most shoulder bags. This fully water-proof, super-durable fabric is the exact fabric used to make tarps for flatbed semi-trucks!

Construction Techniques

1.5cm Seam Allowance: This a very large seam allowance. Many pack & shoulder bag companies use a 1.0cm seam allowance. The 1.5 cm seam allowance gives more strength because the thread has more fabric to anchor to.
All structural seams on all products are double or triple stitched.
All seams are sewn with nylon binding tape to prevent fabric edges from unraveling/fraying.

Locally Produced

(As long as you're in Calgary). Transportation uses large amounts of energy. Buying products locally (from me!) helps reduce the amount of international shipping.