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MATERIAL
& WARRANTY
TENTSMITHS
is the only tent manufacturer to offer tentage with double sewn,
flat-felled seams. This technique, while taking longer to construct, offers
far stronger seams. We use our seams as a structural "skeleton"
for the tent, which, when combined with our generous use of reinforcements,
produces a structure able to withstand anything Mother Nature offers. All
of our tentage has wall seams that line up with its roof seams. All of our
marquees have vertical wall panels and not two or three horizontal panels.
This makes the targets we must hit much smaller but it also makes the
structure immensely stronger and longer lasting. It takes a great deal more
time to do this but we feel it's worth it and yesterday's makers must have,
also, as every historic tent we have seen was done this way.
A careful look at any TENTSMITH tent will quickly reveal the absence of raw
edges. All seams, reinforcements, and edges are finished for long-lasting
beauty and strength. Any seam where bias edges meet is over-sewn with a
constructed webbing to keep stretch to a minimum. We do sweat the details
and pay close attention during design, cutting and construction.
DOORS on most tents are overlapped six inches and tie inside and out. If
the door is a vertical wall, there are ties to secure it to the adjacent
pole. Doors can be tied open on most tents. Marquees have a full panel
overlap as their doors. At approximately thirty-four inches, this makes for
very weatherproof security.
REINFORCEMENTS are placed where we have seen wear. Twenty years of tent
making and research has shown that tents seldom wear in their ridges, so
why introduce weight, needle holes and the chance for trapped moisture in
that area. Abrasion causes wear, so we reinforce a tent's peaks, door
overlaps, stake loops and eaves area, as those are the potential problem
spots. We have built thousands of tents. We have had to repair a handful.
We're doing something right!
MUD FLAPS are standard on all tents, except wedge tents, unless specified
otherwise. Historically, mud flaps were called sod flaps or "rot
cloths". When placed on the outside of the base of the tent they are
known as snow flaps. We use a strip of material double-hemmed on all sides
and sewn to the inside bottom walls. This keeps the tent close to the
ground and weather tight.
GROMMETS VS. LOOPS. All TENTSMITHS tents use sewn Sunforger Army Duck for
both guy loops and stake loops. Grommets are available if you prefer. Loops
are more easily replaceable when damaged and do not affect the surrounding
areas. We do place grommets in the peaks of tents under construction if you
would like your pole pins to pass through your roof. It stands to reason that
if you are going to produce the highest quality tents, it is necessary to
start with the best quality materials. We do.
TENTSMITHS uses 10.38 ounce Army Duck Canvas. This tightly woven, high
thread count fabric is preshrunk for the Marine Industry and factory
finished with Sunforger. Sunforger (it's old trade name was Vivatex) is a
baked in, invisible, durable process. A Sunforger finish makes the canvas
mildew resistant - an important attribute in a tent that we all know will
get packed up wet more than once. Sunforger also transforms the canvas into
a water repellent medium. This allows your tent to breathe while keeping
the rain outside where it belongs. Yes, you can touch the tent when wet and
it will not leak through onto you. Sunforger Army Duck canvas offers the
best of the old world and the new, a fabric with the appearance of the past
and the livability we demand today.
TENTSMITHS offers every tent we make in a flame resistant finish. This
finish is applied to the Sunforger Army Duck and meets the Industrial
Fabric Assoc. Tent Spec. CPAI-84 adopted by many states and the Federal
Government as the standard. While not making a tent flame proof, it offers
a margin of safety previously unavailable in a canvas tent. TENTSMITHS
STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THE PURCHASE AND USE OF A FLAME RESISTANT TENT. Some
states have mandated the sale of only flame resistant tents to be sold
within their borders. A flame resistant fabric does not preclude good
judgment when dealing with fires in camps. Always act responsibly around
fire, especially in large camps where so many families and worldly goods
are at stake.
UNTREATED 10.38 oz. cotton Army duck is available for clients wanting a
tent made from completely natural materials with nothing added. Tents made
of this untreated fabric will take a bit more care and will be more
susceptible to shrinkage.
TENTSMITHS is also able to produce tents with a heavy 13 0z. linen fabric
woven for us overseas. It has the color and "hand" of the
European tents of bygone eras. We do not offer this material by the yard
and tent construction is on a limited basis with details and prices on
request.
Our entry into twentieth century tent building has sent us searching for
Egyptian cotton. Sporadically available from 3oz. to 8oz., this long staple
fiber builds a light, compact, strong, weather resistant tent capable of
years of service. Not the best choice for a summer structure but fantastic
for dragging on a toboggan across northern Canada.
TENTSMITHS Tent Warranty
All TENTSMITHS tents
are warranteed to the original purchaser. If, when you receive or set up
the tent, it is not what you expected, return it. No questions asked. We
will refund your payment or build you a new, more suitable tent, at your
option. Sunforger and Sunforger-flame treated fabric is warranted for three
years, the seams and stitching for five.
TENTSMITHS has done repair work on seventeen year old tents that were cared
for by their owners.
However we have also seen abused and neglected tents that were just
a few months old. We do hope that you will take as much responsibility in
its ownership as you do in its selection.
TENTSMITHS will always be here to make any repairs necessary and will
always treat both you and your tent with respect. We look forward to the opportunity
to build you a tent.
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