SCAMS, SCAMS, SCAMS

THE ENDLESS FLOW OF SCAMS

Every month I receive a copy of “Textile World” magazine. Originally founded in the year 1868! You would think in all of the years that this publication has been writing about textiles at some point when asked to do an article they would question if the product they are asked to write about is valid? But that is not now and I suspect never has been a thought, just another textile product to report about regardless if it is a valid product. They need subjects to write about. Scams are good subject matter.

Today I have read an article about a new product that has an application to cool a person that is applied to the yarns that are knitted for use in shirts that are close fitting to your skin. This marvelous additive is trade named “Brrr”. I quote; “The patented technology centers on what brrr has branded the Triple Chill Effect. Unlike some cooling fabrics (as if they exist in the first place, which they do not) that focus on wicking (which this fabric does not do) alone to provide cooling, brrr combines a special fiber core for increased wicking ability and proprietary fabric structures for maximized airflow with a “secret sauce” (now we are cooking) comprised of natural minerals that have the ability to cool the skin on contact and cool continuously”. Can you see or read the scam?

I quote; “The brrr minerals begin life in a powder form (you are never told what the powder originates from), which is melted, extruded and chopped into pellets so they may be combined with thermoplastic polymers during melt spinning”. What this tells me is the powder is a synthetic since it melts and it is combined with other synthetics to form the yarns that eventually get knitted for use in manufacturing garments. Since the yarns are 100 percent synthetic wicking does not take place. Imagine the melted thermoplastics integrate with the melted powder so it gets mixed up like water and grape juice.

They further claim that they have proven their product works, where at the hoho institute in Germany of all places. The hoho institute tells every company that pays them to test their product that it works as it is supposed to work. They show a picture of a 100 percent polyester shirt with a temperature of 91.8 F printed on it and a shirt made with the brrr yarn that shows 89.1F printed on it. Wow an almost 3 degree difference. They further claim this drawing of heat from the human body will always be taking place. Amazing deduction to note that this is happening, however, that is what happens regardless of what the fabric is that the garment you are wearing is made from. They all draw heat from yout body.

This product is for all intents and purposes just one more scam to take your money from you and give you nothing in return.

GORE INFINIUM

A few years ago Columbia Sportswear came out with a clear coating of urethane on fabric claiming that it kept the rain out, which it does. I did this in the 1960’s with fabric for rainwear so it is not by any stretch of the imagination a new concept. Of course it does not allow the perspiration to get out, also not new.

Now the gore company has their version of the same product. The call it infinium and it is a coating on the outside of the fabric. So the rain will not get in and the perspiration will not get out. Of course both companies lie about this moisture getting out action.

So the SCAMS continue to be foisted on the general public and the companies that make the garments and the companies that retail the garments are complicit in their actions of SCAMING the general public.

“Berry Amendment

The Berry Amendment, requires the Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured, or home-grown products, most notably food, clothing, fabrics, and specialty metals. Congress originally passed domestic source restrictions as part of the 1941 Fifth Supplemental DOD Appropriations Act in order to protect the domestic industrial base in the time of war”.

Now that you know what the Berry Amendment is I have published what is going on in the US industry with respect to not for the Berry Amendment by contracting officers. The following paragraph comes from an article in the same publication.

“Berry Amendment Protection

One of the most irritating issues revolving around the law to protect domestic sourcing is the ignorance of military procurement officers of the Berry Amendment’s requirements. In July 2017, the DoD’s inspector issued its Defense Logistics Agency Compliance with the Berry Amendment and the Buy American Act report. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) oversees procurement, including more than 8,000 textile items, most of them covered by the Berry Amendment. In a sample audit, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that DLA contracting personnel complied with the Berry Amendment for only 13 of the 32 contracts reviewed. The remaining 19 contracts were not in compliance, and were valued at $453.2 million. Further, 12 of 56 contracts reviewed did not comply with the Buy American Act”.

I have written for years about the fact that the person (s) who chose in my case sleeping bags do not know or care if the bag they want is Berry Amendment compliant. They go into the market place with a solicitation for whatever they are asked to buy. The contracting officers either do not know or care if the product is Berry Amendment compliant. There are sleeping bags that may be made in say England or China as well as the U.S.A. as in the case of the Kentucky ANG that are not Berry Amendment compliant and in virtually all cases do not perform as they are advertised too, but the contracting officers in my opinion do not care. They only know to get what is requested. The proof of my observation can be read in the above article.

Who is damaged by their lack of observing the laws surrounding the dictates of the Berry Amendment; the companies like mine who follow the rules who do not get orders; the tax payers who pay for poor quality products and of course the members of the military who simply do not get products that actually perform as advertised.

To go one step further the sales representatives for the GSA contract holders who have these poor quality products on their GSA schedules who will look the contracting officers in the face and if asked if the product is Berry Compliant they will say yes!!! Many of these sales representatives are prior service and evidently do not give a damn if they put current soldiers in trash because it is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!!! Money always shows its ugly face!!! So even the military gets SCAMMED!!!