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Old Greebo
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Re: Icarex? Nylon? Ripstop Polyester?

Sun Aug 07, 2011 5:46 pm

Mike said
In broad terms nylon:-
is heavier; has more stretch in use and can be permanently stretched; absorbs of water; is cheaper; has colours that don't last as long.


Yeah, but no but yeah but ... OK, imagine you're a kiteflyer who's not an expert, one who really just wants to fling the thing about the sky for fun at the weekend, and maybe - just maybe - to try one or two of the clever things done by people with [a] £290 kites and [b] skill.
In those circumstances would you buy a pretty, £84 kite (with a nylon sail) that aspires to be rather similar to a £290 kite made of Icarex/polyester? Or would you tell yourself that prettiness isn't all that important, and shell out £98 for a rather plain (but Icarex-sailed) kite from the same manufacturer?

I'm currently very attracted by prettiness. But I just can't persuade myself to commit, if flying nylon is going to be like flying a cotton shopping bag with a readymeal in it.
Brian. (Past it, but reaching back!)
Silver Fox 2.5; HQ Shadow SUL; Rev 1.5 SLE; Spiderkites URO; Etc...
 
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Re: Icarex? Nylon? Ripstop Polyester?

Sun Aug 07, 2011 7:09 pm

Old Greebo wrote:
In those circumstances would you buy a pretty, £84 kite (with a nylon sail) that aspires to be rather similar to a £290 kite made of Icarex/polyester? Or would you tell yourself that prettiness isn't all that important, and shell out £98 for a rather plain (but Icarex-sailed) kite from the same manufacturer?

Under those hypothetical circumstances I think it's highly likely that pretty (and) cheap is going to trump any other argument that could, would or should be made to the contrary.

Whether this would constitute the right decision is another matter entirely but that's how I would expect it to go.

Mike.