WHO NEEDS SKIRTS?

[CullinHogs]

At the moment there are only 2 places in the world outside of china producing skirts.

1. Don link in Viet Nam aka Living rubber

2. Darryl Greene also in Viet Nam who is Zmans sole supplier. Zman is Jerry Zucker -- Americas 346Th richest American. (That fortune did not amass from skirts however.)

I am not happy with this situation as there is basically no competition in this market. We the Tackle-builders and ultimately the fisherman are at their mercy. Gasoline smelling skirts? Sorry will do better next time.

A little sticky? Oh well.

My friend's family owns a silicone plant.

I am working with him to stamp out some skirts.

I am weighing the considerable investment and trying to determine what the response would be from the market i want to target... The little guys.

There is no way to compete with zman for the Big Boys and darryl has patents on the ez skirts (and several at that) which will soon be enforced.

So we are trying to figure out what colors and which type "banded" or the strips would sell best. Or both?

So my questions for all of you are

1. what three or four colors or color combos (at first) do you order the most? flake color also.

2. Do you prefer pre-banded or strips?

3. How many strands?

3. Would you order 50 / 100 to try "The New Guy" of course at competitive price.

4.Do you think I am crazy?

I appreciate your responses.

Moderaters I am new to these forums so if i put this in the wrong place or something please move to proper spot. Thank-you, Tony

[Elken]

I would try some...

20 strand strips or 30 strand fine cut strips.

Colors:

june bug

root beer pepper (brown w/black flakes)

green pumpkin pepper

Black w/blue flakes

Pumpkin w/green & black flake

Black

[LedHed]

1 ? White, black, and brown

2- No preference

3- 20 or 30

4- Would try 50 /100 (probably more) from the new guy

5- Do not think you are crazy ? in fact ? hope that you are more than successful in your endeavor.

[basser_jim]

1- black/silver flake; blue/ blue flake; red/ red flake; pumpkin brown

2- strips

3- 20 strands

4- I would much rather support a small "Made In America" Company than a big one

5- I think that if this gets off the ground you are a genius

[Monty]

red, white, black, yellow

either strips, or bands

and possible 7" to 8" or even 1 lb. rolls

i wish you the best in luck, i love an underdog making it

Monty

[Mr B]

I do ust the Silicone skirts often however most of the guys here want the Frog Hair Living Rubber. Any possibilities of making this stuff?

Black

Brown

Purple

Blue

Orange

Red

Mr B

[smalljaw]

You can count on my order also, strips with 20 strands will work and if it's only going to be 4 colors then cover the basics...white

black

chartreuse

red

[Pop]

I would order 50/100. Would like the thin skirts like on the Strike King Bitsy Bugs. I can band my own or would buy them banded. Defenitely would want Black/Blue preferably with flake, White, Pumpkin with Black Flake, Watermelon with Black Flake then ofcourse orange oops, better stop there. Pop

[maximusgunn]

Could definitely count on my support.

Colors:

Pearl white

Chartreuse

Brown w/ orange flake

Black w/ blue flake

Either banded or strips (24 strands per strip)

I would order in bulk (500 at a time variety of colors)

[CullinHogs]

Thanks to those who replied, keep them coming.

By the way i am not trying to corner anyone into buying skirts, I am just trying to get a feel for what colors and banded or strips.

I think we certainly will start with black and white to make sure the quality is right.

But I would still like to get more OPINIONS on color and type.

Please weigh-in on this. This is not an order form!

Thank-you all very much.

Tony

[bladesandbaits]

Sounds like a good idea for sure.I say go for it.

BTW, in no way do I want this to sound as though I am hyjacking your post but there are a few things you have mis- informed this forum about.

There are two companies here in the US that manufacture there own skirt material.Rat Trap Bait Company is the probably the largeast volume wise of the two.Although R-Trap does get a few skirts manufactured by Skirts Plus,they do 90% of there skirts in house.

As far as the petrolium smell:

The reason the skirts smell like gasoline or mineral spirits is that ALL these manufacturers have to use a chemical called Toluene.

Toluene is used especially on skirts such as Natures Edge,Fish Scale,Nature Scales,pretty much any silicone skirts that has a printed pattern on it.

Unfortunatly Toluene is the only chemical dupont can reccomend to these guys to prepare the silicone layers to accept the print and extra stuff that goes in to making these specialized skirts.

The problem is that sometimes these manufacturers get behind and have to send the skirts out when they are still (Green) without giving them time to air out.

When they say they will "try to better next time" they mean it. They sometimes dont have the time to allow the skirts to "air out" before shipping.

I go through spells when my skirts smell really strong I called Bubba at Rat Trap and he was kind enough to give explain it to me.I just air them out and the smell is not as bad.

When you start your pad business,if you discover an alternate method other than Toluene keep it under your hat and sell the process!!!! You will get rich!!!!!!!! Good luck with it.

Blades

[CullinHogs]

blades,

Thanks for the info, I was not aware of anyone here in the states who was actually stamping out silicone. But that is good there needs to be competition in this area.

When i went back and read that i also made another mistake. Don Link = skirts plus.... over 300 Vietnamese employees, and 4 in Minnesota according to ESPN website.

Go ahead and Hijack away, My wife corrects me all the time! She claims I have CRS but i can't remember what that stands for.

Tony

[vandy1016]

Dear friend!

If cost you more then .007usd for 5" - 22 str solid color,.0085usd for glitter and .00188usd on the labor to banding skirt please think twice.

The next market for cut skirt will be same what you have planing for.

[CullinHogs]

Vandy,

Are you with Don or Darryl?

I thought your business model did not include selling to the little guys.

That's 16 cents cost for 44 strand. with glitter. Does that include f.e.t. and shipping? If not

how much extra is f.e.t. and freight per skirt?

What is the minimum order per color?

I am very interested in what you have to say on this subject. Please post here again.

Sincerely,

Tony

[jigmaster]

hogs

Dennis Hatfield is cutting his own silicone.......right here in good ol' Michigan.........lol

I will not divulge where he gets his raw matls........but he is indeed cutting his own pads.

This is an interesting discussion........especially when we have the vietnam source weighing in.....

JM

www.daimonlures.com

[CullinHogs]

sorry, that's a Little over 17 cents per glittered color.

[buddy]

I would also love to get my hands on pads that are similar to the bitsy bug skirts Strike King uses. I prefer to cut my jig skirts pretty short and most of if not all the material available flares out too much when cut short. Just a few basic colors would work: black, brown or pumpkin, green pumpkin, blue, orange, and purple.

[earthworm77]

Hey Tony, how are you man?

Skirts Plus doesn't stamp their own Silicone. I stopped using them about 3 years ago. Every skirt pad I ever purchased from them came in a bag with a Made in Vietnam label on it.

There are some others in the US that I know of. This isn't like anti freeze.

[CullinHogs]

Thanks Craig,

I am doing well.

I am waiting for the mystery man from Vietnam to post again and elaborate a little bit.

All about vandy1016

Joined: 16 Jun 2003

Total posts: 1

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Find all posts by vandy1016

Location: Hochiminh City VietNam

Website:

Occupation: tackle manufacture owner

Interests: making some new of tackles&lure

Didn't that used to be called Saigon?

He has been lurking for almost three years. I guess I touched a nerve?

[vandy1016]

Dear Friend !

Let say cost me to produce 5" cut skirt for 4 cent then sell to Dist 7 cents

for a quantity of 10,000,000/year.They going to sell to these dealer for

16 cents in the quantity of 10,000,dealer sell to you for 34 cents in the lot

of 50 or 100 skirt.So the high price not from the manufacture but cost

of marketing.I do have same idea as you are 15 years ago,but we may have just a small group and that can't support the business.If you planning

to produce cut skirt in the US i bet the cost will be sky high (9 to 10 cent )

is not a good venture.

[CullinHogs]

vandy,

I really enjoy your input here.

First lets set things straight. My friends company IS NOT IN THE U.S.!

Labor costs are very cheap but I am not sure if there is enough of a market to make it worth It. The good part would be that I get to skip the middleman and i don't have to have a 200,000 skirt order.

You said that you plan to market here in smaller quantities, will that be soon? Will it be internet orders. Keep us posted.

[SMALLIEHUNTER]

I have bought all of the above skirts Z-Man, Dennis Hatfield, Barlow's & Skirts Plus.... I hand tie my skirts to get the right effect... Skirts Plus & Barlow's a the best I've seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[siebler_custom_baits]

I order strips usually in 50 or 100packs. My main 4 colors are black white brown and after that it is a variety of colors, Chart. is probably on top though. 30 strands would be best for me. If you can do it and sell at the same or lower prices that i already pay then i would order from you . Good Luck.

[leafmatter]

I am very interested in the skirts that you are talking about.

I would be looking at purchasing by the thousand if thte prices are right.

I would be looking for tarantula colored skirts, motoroil or similar color, black red and purple, all of which would be flake, except for the tarantula and motoroil.

redspinlures, for aussie fish.