Touring - Problems with Arkel's stitching coming undone

I'm two for two with stitching coming undone on my Arkel panniers in less than a year. I really like the design and functionality of my panniers, and Arkel has excellent customer service, but I'm a bit disapointed with this.

The first one to have the stitching come undone, a Bug, I chaulked up to heavy use after about six months of commuting. The second, a Utility Basket, happened within the first month.

To their credit Arkel did pay for the repairs on the Bug, but it's a hassle to keep contacting them saying, "your products are falling apart again."

Is anyone else having this problem with Arkel? Is their quality control slipping?

suggest: reinforce stitching yourself?

Buy Ortlieb. They don't have any stitching.

Ya, just get some truck tarp ortleib buckets and forget about it.

I'm two for two with stitching coming undone on my Arkel panniers in less than a year. I really like the design and functionality of my panniers, and Arkel has excellent customer service, but I'm a bit disapointed with this.

The first one to have the stitching come undone, a Bug, I chaulked up to heavy use after about six months of commuting. The second, a Utility Basket, happened within the first month.

To their credit Arkel did pay for the repairs on the Bug, but it's a hassle to keep contacting them saying, "your products are falling apart again."

Is anyone else having this problem with Arkel? Is their quality control slipping?

See if they'll just replace it altogether. Maybe it's just a bad pair off the assembly line. Arkel always seems good with the customer service. It's a reasonable request to make... or else waste the manpower restitching every 6 months. Seems cheaper to replace.

No problems with my Arkels, by the way.


Koffee

I've never heard anything about Ortlieb customer service, good or bad. I think that's because their stuff works so well that nobody needs customer service.

I had a pannier jump the rack and split wide open at the seams back in the eighties, I think seams and zippers are anathema to good outdoor gear. I've seen a buddies backpack split wide open at the stiching in the middle of a trip.

The less zippers, the less stitching, the better. I would never buy, or recommend, any backpack with a side access zipper or a sleeping bag compartment. As for bicycles, a bucket welded out of truck tarp? Absolutely.

If I used a little duct tape to cover the hardware on the inside, I bet I could haul water.

From my experience as a lifelong wilderness madman, one of my rules of thumb:

ANY piece of outdoor equipment you have to even remotely think about sending back to the manufacturer usually isn't worth owning.

If it's already failed, well, bad gear choice.

I've gone to Arkell after years of trying to be happy with the pretenders to the crown.

I've had my handlebar bag for many years. I had some custom work done on it to allow for larger map surface. It has been great and kept my stuff dry.

The Panniers are less than a year old, so I'll report back to you but from looking at the workmanship and knowing the price, stitching should not be a problem.

I think Koffee is right. If their customer service is that great perhaps they will replace.

I always initially apply dabs of tubular cemet, contact glue, or whatever usually at ends of any stitching on most outdoor gear where there will be lots of movement or rubbing.