Where have HK sails gone?

Rivers & creeks

Rivers & creeks

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Nov 2004
Messages
10,925
Location
Norfolk
Visit site
I bought a new mainsail a few years ago, made by a Hong Kong outfit who traded as sailsUK and I think the company was CJ International. Now the only outfit I can find has a Hong Kong telephone number and I need a new main - any suggestions for a far east sailmaker with a UK agent/presence? I have also got quotes from UK sailmakers.
 
H K Sails

pasta_simon said:
I bought a new mainsail a few years ago, made by a Hong Kong outfit who traded as sailsUK and I think the company was CJ International. Now the only outfit I can find has a Hong Kong telephone number and I need a new main - any suggestions for a far east sailmaker with a UK agent/presence? I have also got quotes from UK sailmakers.
Click to expand...

Hong Kong Sails
Room 1001-3, Mongkok Commercial Centre
16 Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 2789 1938
Fax: (852) 2789 3155 / (852) 2399 0455

uoil@hkstar.com

Just received a quote from James Li - v competitive quote - though courier delivery adds 23% to cost.
 
emsworthy said:
This was on the footer of an email quote I got from HK Sails back in August this year.

Alan Jones
C J INTERNATIONAL
Tel/Fax: +44(0)1752 845375
e-mail: sailsuk@blueyonder.co.uk
www.sailsuk.com

Hope it helps.
Click to expand...

The URl doesn't seem to work any longer.

I suppose a local agent gives (gave?) some reassurance (given you are expected to pay up front to HK Sails by credit card when ordering direct). On the other hand, cutting out the middleman may save money.
 
exactly two years ago I ordered a Main from CJ International, my Father ordered a main direct from the HK people. I had worked out that the saving by going direct wasn't worthwhile compared with the difficulty of dealing with someone in HK if things go wrong.

In fact neither transaction went wrong and my father's was quite a bit cheaper because he was neverv asked to pay VAT, or if he was it was based on a ludicrously low figure.

The sails are both absolutely fine !

Regards
 
bob26 said:
The URl doesn't seem to work any longer.

I suppose a local agent gives (gave?) some reassurance (given you are expected to pay up front to HK Sails by credit card when ordering direct). On the other hand, cutting out the middleman may save money.
Click to expand...
Phone number is disconnected as well. Thanks for the direct to Hong Kong link - I'll try that.
 
www.fareastsails.com still seem to be operating. Used them 3/4 years ago. Sails fine and cheap, but doing your own measurements, of course, and you will have a charge/duty to pay to carrier which is not mentioned during buying process.

He represents himself as the factory , but I would bet he is just a web based agent. My order ended up 5/6 weeks late but you don't pay 'till ready.

So not brilliant service ---I might be the unlucky exception ---- but sails are fine and good price.
 
bob26 said:
Hong Kong Sails
Room 1001-3, Mongkok Commercial Centre
16 Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 2789 1938
Fax: (852) 2789 3155 / (852) 2399 0455

uoil@hkstar.com

Just received a quote from James Li - v competitive quote - though courier delivery adds 23% to cost.
Click to expand...

:mad::mad::mad::mad:
Without wanting to sound like a BNP member, why all the interest in spending your money in the far East? Surely in times of recession it is better to support UK or even your local sailmaker who will employ local skilled craftsmen with families who put money back into your local shops. Helping to maintain the rich diversity of shops on the UK high street.
Or just shop in F***kin China and get your veg from namibia - your call.
Rant over (for now). And yes i work in a small manufacturing plant struggling against the tide of $hite imports.:):):):):)
 
Leaving aside the "Buy British" argument, which has some merit I agree. After getting quotes from Hong Kong Sails, Roly Tasker and Far East Sails and didn't fancy the risk of delays, duty, tax or simply seeing my money disappear up in smoke, I went to these guys.

http://www.dynamicsails.com/

Apart from being a little nearer home, they discussed my individual needs, designed a sail from scratch, made it in a loft in the UK and were still cheaper than any of the far east suppliers!

Happy days indeed! :D
 
spscam said:
:mad::mad::mad::mad:
Without wanting to sound like a BNP member, why all the interest in spending your money in the far East? Surely in times of recession it is better to support UK or even your local sailmaker who will employ local skilled craftsmen with families who put money back into your local shops. Helping to maintain the rich diversity of shops on the UK high street.
Or just shop in F***kin China and get your veg from namibia - your call.
Rant over (for now). And yes i work in a small manufacturing plant struggling against the tide of $hite imports.:):):):):)
Click to expand...

Touche

And when the only "sailmakers" are in the Far East who will repair your sail?

My veg come from Kenya, were do yours come from?
 
spscam said:
:mad::mad::mad::mad:
Without wanting to sound like a BNP member, why all the interest in spending your money in the far East? Surely in times of recession it is better to support UK or even your local sailmaker who will employ local skilled craftsmen with families who put money back into your local shops. Helping to maintain the rich diversity of shops on the UK high street.
Or just shop in F***kin China and get your veg from namibia - your call.
Rant over (for now). And yes i work in a small manufacturing plant struggling against the tide of $hite imports.:):):):):)
Click to expand...

Mind you many of our 'local' sailmakers get their making up done in China. Now I am all for supporting local suppliers, but if I do I expect sensible pricing and decent service. There are still too many locals who think any one crossing their threshold is a numpty to be ripped off, and as their business fails blaim others such as internet suppliers or the Chinese.
 
Duty to pay....?

lizdu said:
www.fareastsails.com still seem to be operating. Used them 3/4 years ago. Sails fine and cheap, but...you will have a charge/duty to pay to carrier which is not mentioned during buying process.
Click to expand...

Do you mean you paid customs duty or just the courier charges Lizdu?

Fedex costs were quoted to me this week by HKS as $165 on a $715 dollar mainsail (160 sq ft) - 23% of the cost of the sail.

I make that $880 or about £536 in total - with three rows of reefs. That is about 22 per cent cheaper than the lowest UK quote I've had so far.

The Far Eastern Sail is almost 40 per cent cheaper to buy but about half that gain is lost in delivery. So to compete on price local UK sailmakers would need to reduce prices by about 20 per cent which I suspect they could do if they were really interested in the budget sailor rather than the money-no-object top-end buyer.

Quality is also an issue but since I only buy sails very rarely, UK and Chinese vendors are equally unknown quantities to me and WYGIWYG (what you get is what you get).
 
maxi77 said:
Mind you many of our 'local' sailmakers get their making up done in China. Now I am all for supporting local suppliers, but if I do I expect sensible pricing and decent service. There are still too many locals who think any one crossing their threshold is a numpty to be ripped off, and as their business fails blaim others such as internet suppliers or the Chinese.
Click to expand...

The pricing i see is not significantly different to uk made sails, so who are the numptys if sails can be made in china for 50% cheaper, who is getting that benefit?
When you shop for anything do you accept the cheapest quote? On a site where the is alot of comments about jobs done on the cheap, cheap cloth, cheap rope/rigging. Why not take the advice of skilled people who percieve they are charging a fair rate for their labours?
People expect to pay mechanics, plumbers, electricians, builder et al in the region of £27-£30/hr so why not skilled people in the marine trades.
Much better to pay china £1/hr and get the cheapest manufacturing on earth. it's only a shame they don't do plumbing (to British Standards).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top