Subject : Carhartt pants and customer service
the first of this year I returned / sent back to Carhartt hdqtrs a pair of pants that had worn thru prematurely
short of 3 wks later I received a call from a lady saying they received the pants and they were sending them on to their inspectors / lab
about the 6th of Feb I had not heard anything so I wrote them a note describing my disappointment in their service and I’d be sharing the experience w/ fellow craftsmen ( fellow breaktimers )
today I received a new pair of pants
in fairness to them and the process of customer service I have no idea whether my second letter had arrived before their process of forwarding my new pair had begun
anyway George Putnam w/ the news – thought it was a wee bit newsworthy
Replies
Thanks for the report.
A frowny face to Carhartt for being slow to reply. Of course this time period might coincide, roughly, with the holidays.
A gold star to Carhartt for replacing the pants. Always had a soft spot in my heart for Carhartts. Solid cloths.
If you like Heavy duty work clothes that are so stiff you can't move...
then check out Filson.com
take a look at thier steelcloth line.
You can almost hear them suckers creak from here!!
pricey too!
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
I bought one pair of pants from Duluth Trading Co...Carharts....I can't even wear them theyre so stiff. that doesnt make for a good day.The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
They need to be washed several times in hot water to get "broke " in if you are wanting to work in them . Hunters are advised to only wash in cold water to keep the "sizing" in them for shedding briars and such. When they do loose their sizing some people sew a denier cloth to the face of them for shedding briars effectively. A comapny called wicks sew up the new ones for the hunters.
Put them in a hot wash four times and they will soften up Andy. I do the same thing to Levis. A fellow I worked for once put them in a boiling pot out side on top of a fish cooker to do the unsizing. He would boil them for a couple of hours. Also never hang dry if you want them soft as the dryer on hot also breaks them "down".
Tim Mooney
Thanks Tim
I'll try it tomorrow
Be well
a...The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
Andy, My carhartts are always pretty stiff fresh out of the dryer. After a day or two of wear they are as soft and pliable as I could ever hope for. I think the key is to wash them as unfrequently as possible.I look at mine in the morning with all the previous days filth and grime and think about grabbing a clean pair but then I realize within an hour the clean pair will be so soiled it doesnt make sense to wear the clean ones.My brother is a plumber and a lot of his coworkers keep a pair of carhartt overalls on the job that are the right size to fit over more presentable street clothes. They throw on the overalls when they begin work and take them off when the work day is over. Even though I say to wash them as unfrequently as possible my brother maintains the coveralls at work get washed twice a year whether they need it or not.The problem is that a few years back carhartts became a fashion statement and carhartt started coming out with more colors, different fabrics and single thickness legs. Worst of all they changed the way they measure the size.Bottom line is their double thick legs in basic orange/tan make indestructable work clothes. Why they became fashion I don't know.Karl
I just bought some pants and cotton work tops from Duluth... and love everything I got. I wish I had discovered them sooner. I got 2 prs. of their own pants, and they work great. I'm tough to fit, 6'6" with long legs. Their stuff works great. (Also got a pencil sharpener that works on the end of a drill...probably has been around a long time, but I just saw it!)
I was hopin they'd come through. If they had um, it'd be Carhartt undies for me. Great product. I do have a Filson red plaid wool coat and I'd consider Filson right up there with Carhartt. They service the NW logging industry. Very tough stuff.Never serious, but always right.
I feel like a machine when I put my carharts on. Its weird, I feel tougher, have some strange confidence. Maybe its cause my groin is protected, or because someone could live through a motorcycle accident with them on, maybe its because I become a Terminator.
-zen
well my ol lady says finish the house before you get on yer 1100.
Spose she means before I kill myself......no biggie.
Come hang out in NY with me dude for a weekend....we'll have a serious blast lighting fires to flags in central park....LOLLLLLLLLLLLL
####The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
You could make a good stand that it is a performance piece, but I do fear part of the media coverage would be taken from the brig. Id have to wear my carharts.
-zen
"or because someone could live through a motorcycle accident with them on"I've done that an escaped relatively unscathed.
Jon Blakemore
Undies? You guys are still wearing undies?
Tried going commando a few years back and now wouldn't wear those confining things for nothing unless for some necessary work detail.
Tried a pair on again the other day and they felt so weird bothered me all day.
Those kilt guys had the right idea.
be unconfined."Live Free, not Die"
And he said with his fingers in his ears; La la lala la La lala la de la, La la la la lala. Then even louder; La la lala la la de la ..........! TMI I'm still laughin, but still La La'in so that picture can't get into my head.Never serious, but always right.
builders use bicycle shorts under kilts otherwise it'd be disgusting watching them climb ladders.
Undies keep my nut sack from chafing against my legs with all the sweating I do (is this getting disgusting yet....lol).I'm stickin to briefs and Levies...Tried and true.
Be snugged up in there
a...The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
TMI
I love Duluth's work shirt line. Best chambray I've found. Also the FOM long sleeve, the most comfortable shirt I've got.I'm thankful for the loyal opposition! It's hard to learn much from those who simply agree with you.
Did you know that Filson just got bought out by a private investor? Times are a changin' for the good ol' Filson line. :(
I broke down and bought a pair of shoes from Filson. Man are they nice!
Sort of like the Rockports of 15 years ago with a heavier duty construction.
Over $200 bucks though! Most expensive shoes I ever bought, but you rarely find true welt construction in shoes anymore. Or in boots for that matter.I'm thankful for the loyal opposition! It's hard to learn much from those who simply agree with you.
FWIW, I recently had (as I posted) a great experience with Carhartt's customer service. Although they weren't exactly speedy with my replacement either, the fact that they were willing to replace a jacket directly that I had gotten from a retailer (and was the wrong size) PLUS pay for the shipping charges both ways made a tremendous impression on me... like all customer service issues I think part is just the luck of the draw.
Carhartt's is tough stuff. Triple stiched and more durable than any jeans I've had.
Haven't dealt with them directly, but Id think they'd want to keep loyal customers, unlike fashionable clothes manufacturers...
I gave my carharts away about 8 years ago.
I now wear sweat pants...light, flexible and warmer. Dont need no logjons either now.
blue
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
I wear them to hunt in and always have them in the closet . I wear then to look at land .
I never thought they were carps wear. Theyre good to weld in though.
I like you your sweat pants deal. I used to hang and finish rock in sweats in the winter . No problem climbing walkups with rock.
Tim Mooney
I've worn Carhartts for over 30 years, especially in colder climes, and when I worked on industrial jobs. There's nothing better than the insulated bib overalls, and the insulated coveralls in really cold weather.But these days my overalls are folded on a shelf. Standard attire here on the Monterey Bay is jeans and T-shirt in the winter, and shorts and T-shirt during the summer. Unless you're a local. Then it's shorts and T-shirt year round. Sweatshirt when it gets cold.
Edit: I forgot until I saw Dinosaur's shorts, but I wear Carhartt shorts to work! All my work shorts are Carhartts. So I do still wear Carhartts, just not the "heavy" stuff.
"We are all travellers in the wilderness of this world,
and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend."
....Robert Louis Stevenson
Allen in Santa Cruz
Edited 2/20/2005 1:28 pm ET by moondance
Carhartts as a 'fashion statement' probably started with snowboarders, who wouldn't be caught dead in any clothing that resembled a ski suit. So they bought oversized Carhartts and layered them over sweats and long johns or whatever. By now they wear the crotch so low that if both their feet weren't bolted to that stupid board, they'd walk like they were in a potato-sack race....
But there is nothing on earth you can hang off yer a$$ that will tough out five years on the deck of an ocean-going tugboat...except a pair of Carhartts.
The shame of it is, by the time they finally disintigrate, they're just about broke in right....
View Image
I always said, never trust a guy that wears Carhartts but doesn't get 'em dirty....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
I have been wearing a pair of fleece sweatpants with a pair of carpenter shorts over the pants.
This works well at holding the sweat pants up and it drives my 15 year old crazy, which is plenty of incentive. I tell him I'm starting a new line of clothing and before long all the 12 year olds will be copying me.My next combo is going to be a matching jean vest over a fleece sweatshirt.
The funny thing is how much freedom of movement this combo has.
ANDYSZ2I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
They would be good to look at land and weld. They are good for hunting too but I bought a much lighter, warmer camo setup for 19$ a coupla years ago. I gave the Arctic carharts away to a farm girl who almost cried. She said "I've always wanted some real carhardts" and lovingly held them up to see if they fit...they did. Her genuine gratitude was priceless.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
to any of my fellow...ahem...bigger midsection...guys...
Can you find any carhartts to fit right? I've tried on a few pair of work pants and they never fit right...they thigh is always to tight..and when i get the thigh to fit right, the waist is big enough to hurt any man's ego...
any style I can try? I've got the hart bibs for colder days, and a heavy jacket...just looking to complete my wardrobe...
"knowledge without experience is just information." Mark Twain
Charlie
I cant find Carharts that fit consistently.
I will buy two pairs, same size, one fits good the other will be to tight in the thighs.
Second time this has happened. not necessarily exact scenario but neither pair fit the same way.
I'm done with Carharts
I'll find something else, I thing TSC has some cheap Russian carp pants.
Doug
Actually, Sears has some decent cover-alls; but, you have to be careful shopping there because they also sell crap versions. I wouldn't pay full price, but Sears cycles everything through sales and every other year you can get Sears' Best cover-alls at 1/2 price: rougly 1/3 of the price of Carhartts and they wear nearly as long (it's the suspender hardwear and the pockets that dies on the Sears - the bibs die on my Carhartts)..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Whenever the topic of work pants comes up, I put in a plug for Skillers. They make a version in heavy canvas (like the Carhartts), but with the added advantage that you can slip knee pads into them if you want:http://tinyurl.com/64rm8
JD American are still my favs.
too bad they went out of biz.
I got 6 pair and I am going to find a way to let out the waist so I can wear them till they fall apart.
Almost forgot...
gotta put three dots in every post now that I know it annoys someone :)
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
Mr T
I am going to find a way to let out the waist so I can wear them till they fall apart
You ever think about sit-ups...
Just thought I'd throw the dots in for your viewing pleasure.
Doug
... the pregnant pause...
HEY!! are you calling me fat!!!
Honey do these work pants make me look fat?
You betcha...
No dear, its the volleyball sized gut that hangs over your belt that makes you look fat.
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
...who...do...the...dots...annoy?...?
...
Mike
Some.... Maddog guy...with delusions of being an English Teacher....
If ...everybody does it... we could probably drive him right off the deep-end!!!
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
do.... what????
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
...Nuh....thin......
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
othay...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I've been thinking of getting some of the skillers, but am not keen on the extra pockets that you can pull out on the ones i've seen. It looks like their all cotton pants may not have these? I like the ones i've seen, but i'm looking for something a bit simpler.
I have only one pair with the extra, pull-out pockets you're talking about. The rest have single, slash pockets -- which means they are designed so you can use your right hand to reach into the left hand pocket, and vice versa. They also have a flapped pocket on the left thigh (on the side), which you could use for storing a cell phone (say when using a tool belt), or a small notebook (which is what I use it for). I especially like the tan poly/cottons, which wear like iron, and sell for $30. I have never, ever worn a hole in the knee, for instance. And if you have never worn Skillers, you should really try the knee pads ($10). They slip in and out easily, have all the advantages of strap on knee pads, but are way more comfortable. You only need one pair for however many pair of pants you might have.
Carhartt bib coveralls, had two pairs. Could never find tall sizes so DW extended the shoulder straps 2"s so I wouldn't sing soprano evrytime I raised my arms. They lasted a couple of years before the pockets and knees shredded. I was never that impressed with the coveralls. Last pair I bought were Kodiaks, longer fit, 1/3 the price of Carhartts. New Kodiaks shrunk into high-water Kodiaks the first wash. I can't win.
Be Constructive
Gord
St.Margaret's Bay NS