I have had an Orvis vest for about 20 years or so, great piece of kit and still usable, its very comfy and well made with good quality materials, however, decided i needed an upgrade and sent away to orvis for the clearwater vest which they advertised at £40 odd pounds but i got it for £36 including postage, bargain i thought until it arrived! i knew from the size and weight of the parcel some thing was not quite right and on opening i found a wee vest which you could look through the material and read a f*****g book through, was made in China, was really dissapointed in Orvis for passing this shit off as the bees knees of fishing vests, think i will just stick with the original one, anyone thinking of buying this vest,DONT! you will be very dissapointed. :x
Not just Orvis but just about everything fishing related in Made In China nowadays. I am surprized the Orvis article does not make the grade they pride themselves on their quality products but even they can let suspect kit slip through so it seems. One of the perils off buying unseen I am afraid.
Tight Lines
I'm a big Orvis fan and I rate the quality of their gear however you are dead right about the Clearwater vests. They are very poor quality in terms of materials and construction. Clearwater is at the economy end of their range of vests but you would think they'd still strive to put out a half decent product if its to bear the brand name. They haven't achieved that with their vests.
I was having a look at their Hydros vest and it is the exact opposite. Very well made with great material and top quality, robust looking and well put together. I felt it just didn't carry as much as I'd have liked. Did a wee bit of research and opted for the Lightweight TAC L PAC vest which just arrived today. I've got to say I am delighted with everything about it. It is of the highest quality, well thought out and 'Clyde built' with quality materials. It's currently on sale at Uttings.
I would think if you send the vest back to Orvis they will give you a refund without any hassle. Their customer service is pretty good.
I have dealt with orvis a few times over the years and their customer service is excellent, i know (hope) they will reimburse me quickly.