[quote=Wolfman]Chip has sourced some of his sails from his Hyde suppliers in asia. However, he is very very specific about the technique and quality. He still makes his own when he has time but there is only so many hours in the day. My fat top main was made by him personally and my jib was sourced from asia. I honestly can't tell the difference in quality or materials.
I would be leery of ordering directly from asia. You may get garbage or something great, its a crapshoot. I was working with a watchmaker getting some castings made in china, it was a nightmare to get them correct. Even with full 3D drawings it took 8-10 tries before they got it right. Not something you want to get into. I would go with the most reasonably priced loft with good references every time. Remember you get what you pay for.
FYI, I buy a huge amount of American Made goods, as well as Asian and European goods. However, since I live in Canada it really doesn't make a lot of difference to me who I buy from. ;)[/quote]
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