ATF discontinues repro U.S.M.C. uniforms

[F. R. Fox]

Marine Corps uniforms have been discontinued and will not be restocked in the forseeable future.

Why Mister, why?

As of 2009 the Marine Corps requires a special licensing agreement to use the eagle/globe/anchor symbol on new production. This is a 30 page application, requiring a 6-9 month wait, demands we purchase a trademark and product insurance policy, install special holographic USMC labels on everything, and submit every product to them for approval.



So, as it stands, if I ever get in the mood to go through all the hoops, we are still talking 1-2 years. From the day we send in the application, to get the agreement finalized, have labels made, each product approved, then have them made and shipped- over a year. And I'm not inclined to mess with it this year (2012). We are backed up with products that sell far better- like Army gear and German stuff.
We will answer no more questions about these. This IS your detailed answer.
It's a dead issue.
In other words, if you are still not comprehending this, here it is:
WE WILL NOT HAVE MORE P41'S.
We are not interested in helpful hints (make them without EGA's and let people use iron-ons; etc, etc) and if you call to whine or tell lies about your unit ordering thousands, you'll just piss me off and the chance of us screwing with them will go from slim to absolute zero. Customer pressure will not get the results you want

The following companies still provide reproduction Marine Corps uniforms.

WWIIImpressions: http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/usmcfield.html (my 1st choice )

S.M. Wholesale: http://www.smwholesale.com/0068.html

[AZ Jeff]

Interesting... especially since the Marines have been using a different EGA from that used in WW2 since 1955? Somehow I doubt that they contemplated the repercussions on the historic uniforms trade... or even care.

Jeff Q.
AZ

[F. R. Fox]

I think someone pissed him off and he said no more Marine uniforms. He's not even willing to make them without the EGA.

[Steve Webb]

He is pretty clear about why and being a small businessman is tough enough in this day without doing non productive bull. Reminds me of what Ronnie Barrett did to Ca. with his 50's.

[Buggy Man]

Interesting... especially since the Marines have been using a different EGA from that used in WW2 since 1955? Somehow I doubt that they contemplated the repercussions on the historic uniforms trade... or even care.

Jeff Q.
AZ

According to my Drill Instructors, In 1950, the ancor was "fouled". which means the rope was added to the ancor. If you look at any EGAs from before that period (WWII for example) there is no rope with the EGA.
Matt

[thidisbogus]

"We will answer no more questions about these. This IS your detailed answer.
It's a dead issue.
In other words, if you are still not comprehending this, here it is:
WE WILL NOT HAVE MORE P41'S.
We are not interested in helpful hints (make them without EGA's and let people use iron-ons; etc, etc) and if you call to whine or tell lies about your unit ordering thousands, you'll just piss me off and the chance of us screwing with them will go from slim to absolute zero. Customer pressure will not get the results you want"-------


** Small businessman or not, he sure doesn't sound like he wants much business from whoever wrote to him. I cannot believe he spoke to a potential customer that way. I would not buy a thing from him ever again if he spoke to me like that. Who was this, the owner of ATF?**

[F. R. Fox]

I can only imagine that it may be the owner. I have asked questions through emails and have received snippy replies. Regardless of a grumpy attitude, they do make good stuff that competes with WWIIImpressions.

[zepher11]

I've ordered a number of things from ATF. The guy is a bit eccentric, but he tells it like it is. At least in his mind. However, for entertainment, there are few websites that make me laugh like this site does. I like to go there to just read the rants. Without question, the items sold are of excellent quality IMHO. I'm so bummed I didn't order a few extra P41 trousers. They were top notch in my opinon. Very comfortable and great for dinking around in the garage...

[Buggy Man]

It's been years since I ordered anything from them but when I did, the customer service was top notch. I had read somewhere that those "rants" were done in jest (& not towards someone in particular?). There was even a link on their site to an "old rants page". I understand the concept of business and not pissing on/off one's customer base but apparently, the folks who use ATF seem to get a laugh out of the owner's venting. Think of it this way; there have been numorous threads here where a Gee member is venting about the pubic's lack of respect for their (or someone else's) MV. If someone was to log onto this site, read some of those posts and didn't know any better.....
Matt

[F. R. Fox]

My friend will send me a text message every time he sees a new rant on ATF. I find it amusing but he thinks it is absolutely hillarious.

One of my favorites is his "wierdo scale". My group of friends have addopted that and in the reenacting world, some can be pretty high up on the wierdo scale!

[Chuck Lutz]

I have bought from ATF and found their gear top notch and the customer service was great when I had a sizing issue (my fault). I have read things on their site over the years that indicate they don't take CRAP from anyone and I can see how spending a year or more doing the paper shuffle would piss them off. There are posts from people who just plain don't GET their business plan and who DEMAND all kinds of stuff who get their head handed to them by those guys....and are usually prettuy funny.

I guess that the percentage of USMC vs. the other uniform sales they make is small compared to the level of BS this would require so they have decided not to bother.

"It's not worth the hassle!" is probably a major part of this.

As far as I know, George C. Marshall and the USQM Corps are not hassling anyone and certainly the Bohemian Corporal and Herr Speer are not in a position to complain about licensing for Wehrmacht or other German uniforms.

I predict a lowering of the quality and an increasein the price, not to mention in the offshoring to China for these from their competition.

[F. R. Fox]

Personally I think thier biggest competitor is WWIIImpressions. They still make U.S.M.C. uniforms and they make them here in the U.S. as with almost all of their uniforms. A close second would be S.M. Wholesale. I have seen the Chinese copies of U.S.M.C. uniforms and they use the wrong pattern of HBT, the kind used on Army uniforms. The camo print is off a bit, not to mention the metal tack buttons are garbage. The Chinese canvas items are not No. 8-10 cotton duck. It's very light and thin stuff.

Needless to say, the Chinese stuff is junk. WWIIImpressions and ATF are the two of the very few companies that make anything worth what you are paying for it.