A few years ago, I bought this thread from the Ray Way site along with a kit to make a quilt. Anyway this thread was awesome. It was a big spool but after serveral hammocks it eventually ran out. Around Christmas I was going to order more but Ray's site said he was out adventuring and wasn't taking orders, its called Thread Pro on Ray's site so I went to their website and ordered:
M4000 Metrocor Black 1 $ 6.00 $ 6.00
M0020 Poly Sheen Black 1 $ 4.80 $ 4.80
(First I tried to contact them and ask, but they are absolutely terrible about responding to emails - actually they just don't respond at all period - the only email I ever got back from Thread Pro was the auto generated one when I sent them money by pay pal). Anyway, these threads are good, but neither of these is the same thread that I got from Ray (the Poly Sheen is close but its thinner than the Ray Way thread).
Ray is finally open for business again, but now he has like a $25.00 minimum order - sorry Ray, don't need that much thread. Also, while looking for the thread on his site, I start reading these "integrity" requests from Ray.
Its starting to bother me, all his "integrity", don't copy this, etc. You'd think he designed the space shuttle or something. I mean the guys brilliant, I'll give your that, he revolutionized the climbing world with cams then revolutionized backpacking with the ultralight approach. So sure, sell the books, sell the tarp and quilt kits, whatever. Make as much money as you can. But saying your stealing his designs because you sew your own tarp or quilt? gimme a break - its like saying I figured out you can carry water in a 20 oz pepsi bottle, its my idea, your stealing from me if you do it and don't buy the empty pepsi bottle off me, if you get your own empty pepsi bottle then you don't have integrity?
If you buy his book, you shouldn't share it with anyone I suppose - everyone should buy their own copy so that Ray isn't cheated out of his rightful money. Thats certainly standard practice right?..uh..oh..wait...what about these things called libraries, nothing but an age old device to steal money from inventors I suppose? Thankfully no one ever asked me how I made my quilt (probably because its inherently obvious, insulation between two layers of ripstop) so my integrity might still be intact. I see he's selling a kit for a bomber hat, Geeze Ray - I hope your integrity is OK, cuz that hat looks a lot like a hood off a North Face down parka - hope you didn't steal the idea? Oh, or maybe your copied the design from the leather hats that bomber pilots wore. How brazen, not only steal the design but lift the name "bomber" as well!
OK, I'm done ranting now and probably won't be buying anything from Ray anymore - I don't want to be put in a position to be tempted to sacrifice my integrity.
But man, he sure does sell some sweeeet thread. I'd give my integrity to get my hands on some of that! (just kidding).
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