Just to clarify, it's fine to link to other stores from here and people do it all the time. Finding a great deal on something is a valid reason to do so.
That said, I appreciate the sensitivity to starting a whole thread on sources of ultra-discounted marine stuff. I don't know why, really... all that information is easily available to anyone. There's always somebody, somewhere, with a cousin "at the factory" who is selling gear out of their garage at a 10% net margin. That's fine, but there's no way to run a real business with those margins and provide phone support, own an occasional mistake, stand behind products, blah blah blah. Service has a real, measurable cost but if you don't need it, I agree 100% that you shouldn't pay for it. Sometimes it's good to have, though. That's my retail rant.
Russ, no harm done at all and it looks to me like the bulk of the criticism was aimed at the anchor line.
An FYI, the crimpers we offer start at $24 but the high-end one you're probably referring to is "Maine Sail Approved" and among the best you can buy. While many crimpers look alike, performance varies greatly and different tools at vastly different price points are almost certainly not an apples to apples comparison (insert Harbor Freight reference here). However, you may not want or need one of that quality.
But let's recalibrate: we're here talking about sailing. We could be here to discuss taxes or heating oil. It's all good!
That said, I appreciate the sensitivity to starting a whole thread on sources of ultra-discounted marine stuff. I don't know why, really... all that information is easily available to anyone. There's always somebody, somewhere, with a cousin "at the factory" who is selling gear out of their garage at a 10% net margin. That's fine, but there's no way to run a real business with those margins and provide phone support, own an occasional mistake, stand behind products, blah blah blah. Service has a real, measurable cost but if you don't need it, I agree 100% that you shouldn't pay for it. Sometimes it's good to have, though. That's my retail rant.
Russ, no harm done at all and it looks to me like the bulk of the criticism was aimed at the anchor line.
An FYI, the crimpers we offer start at $24 but the high-end one you're probably referring to is "Maine Sail Approved" and among the best you can buy. While many crimpers look alike, performance varies greatly and different tools at vastly different price points are almost certainly not an apples to apples comparison (insert Harbor Freight reference here). However, you may not want or need one of that quality.
But let's recalibrate: we're here talking about sailing. We could be here to discuss taxes or heating oil. It's all good!