an article

AN ARTICLE LONG TIME COMING

Since the 1970’s three products have come about in the textile business that I have written about. What I wrote about all of these products is an expose of that they do not work as advertised and why. it is easy to be critical but explaining why is necessary, and that is what I have done.

The first product I brought light is from 3-M Corp. called Thinsulate. I was introduced to this product by a glove company customer who wanted it laminated to the lining of gloves they were making. I couldn’t understand why they wanted to use it in the first place. It was I believe the C-100 weight which looked like and felt like standard toilet paper and it did not have much difference in strength. That is why they wanted it laminated so it could go through production. They told me it was for insulation in the gloves.

They were told by the 3-M sales representative about its insulating capability. A lie as it had none. My customer had an order sending me a few thousand yards. David Keane the sales representative and creator of thinsulate called me to set up an appointment at my factory in Columbia S.C. to talk about me laminating the thinsulate for the other of their customers. There were two of them, the second guy was the sales manager, I do not recall his name. they brought with them samples of the various weights.

-100, C-150, C-200 grams ETC. I looked over these samples and asked the prices. Not one thickness was under $2.00 a yard. The C-200 was equal to a 3.3 ounce polyester that I could order from any garnetter in the country for $0.21 per yard. Which was a superior insulation and stronger. The heavy weight thinsulate products wasn’t any stronger, that is why they wanted it laminated to fabrics.

I told them this but I would be happy to laminate as many yards as they wanted. The end result for them was that we would never do any business.

I then wrote what I now knew about thinsulate for all in the industry to read and learn [if possible]. 3-M was prevailing selling their products having eventually mixing the polypropylene and polyester fiber they purchased from Celanese. Adding the polyester bulked it up slightly but did not change its ability to insulate.

I wrote 3 o4 articles which I guess David got a hold of copies which he gave to one of their attorneys. The attorney was and I have never forgot his name Joseph Otterstetter. His opening comment was they at 3-M do not like what I was saying and they were think of bring a lawsuit against me. I said Joseph what do you know about insulation? He said does that have to do with this. I told him his knowledge of the law was insignificant compared to my knowledge of insulation to which he had none.

I further told him to get his papers together and go to the courthouse and file it. When I get it I will counter sue and once I won both cases I would take stock in 3-M because aside from thinsulate being a bad product the rest of the copy was good. I will then go to a stockholders meeting and advise we have an attorney who does not listen to someone who knows more than him.

That ended the threat.

Then Albany International [A.I.] made their Primaloft a garneted fiberfill product that uses 2+ denier fiber they claimed that the finer the denier [thickness] of the fiber the better it broke up the heated air the warmer you will be, and they received a patent for it all written up in a booklet titled “development of synthetic down alternatives”. I have a copy.

I was at a trade show in Atlanta and met the president of A.I. at their exhibit booth. He asked how things were going for me, I sold insulations and I told him great since he entered the marketplace. He was so disgusted that he just walked away.

The primaloft product is a failure as experienced by the military but they keep selling based on a promise and companies keep buying it. They charge a high price so maybe the buying companies get “free” advertising, paid for up front.

The next company to market their bogus product for insulation purposes is Outlast. The market microscopic beads of paraffin that are encapsulated and then applied to fabric. The paraffin warms from body heat while your active and miraculously sends the heat back to you when you rest. This company has been around since the 1990’s, who they sell these beads of paraffin to is a mystery to me.

And of course, there is gore inc. they are the most successful charlatan in the textile industry with their product that has never done what they claim. Need I say more.

Over these 50 going on 60 years not a one of them has taken me to task to defend themselves why because you cannot fight the truth and they know it.