Tell me about L.L. Bean stuff

I too remember when the term Maine Guide and LL beans meant a serious woodscrafter type stuff, now much more like Landsend, they even dropped the hunting catalog some time back which was a sell out to me. I have and wear a lot of the their stuff, but wish they got back to the true outdoor stuff. I have a pair of their heavy woolen bib overalls that are nearly 30 years old, nothing is warmer in the real cold.
 
Maybe I'm a bit naive, but I still think LLBean has good-quality hunting gear. I would bet that the discontinuation of the hunting-only catalog was less due to selling out and more due to the rapid proliferation of stores like Gander Mt. and Bass Pro in every metropolitan area.

Bean still has hunting, fishing, and general outdoor gear on their website, and it still looks like good-quality gear (don't do much hunting anymore).

You want sell outs? Look at what has been done to the Eddie Bauer brand. Holy heck, they even took down the old-time salmon fishing pictures to be more politically correct. Bean at least still stands by their original business foundation.
 
My brother gave me a pair of LL Bean deerskin gloves around 25 years ago. Once, around 20 years ago I had the gloves in my pocket while running to catch a bus to work. When I got to work I only had 1 glove. After work I retraced my steps and found the glove in the road, having been run over by several hundred cars and become half frozen in the slushy runoff on the road side. It was flattened out like a pizza. I took it home and soaked it in clean water. After drying it out slowly it was as good and as soft and supple as when it was new. 25 years later, I'm still wearing those gloves.
 
I have been buying mail order stuff from them for over 30 years and they do stand 100% behind everything they sell without having to have receipts or anything. I have had a couple of their items break years after purchase and they replaced them with their equivalents at the time no questions asked. Everything I have purchased from them has been of good or great quality.

Every mail order company should measure their customer service against LL Bean's.
 
Cabelas is also a a A#1 supplier of outdoor gear, I have tended to slip more of their merchandice into my life the last couple of years, cleaned my garage today and found a pair of LL bean maine hunting shoes, that have to be 8 or 9 years old they slipped on and felt like a old warm freind, not having worn them in a couple of years, good quality is hard to beat in any item!!
 
Cabela's is alright, but they don't have the great warranty that LL Bean has. With outfitters like LL Bean, Filson and REI giving incredible return policy's, I don't see why Cabela's doesn't offer the deal.

Chad
 
Great company, great gear, and if you get their credit card, it means free shipping.
Recently got a pair of their kha-something iron worker pants, these things are great! very solidly constructed, plenty of pockets, though the khaki is a carhartt type color rather than the tan khaki of dress pants etc.
 
I have a ton of their stuff - Almost everything I wear is theirs. Although, I will not buy again from them - Everything in the latest catolog is "imported", except some socks. Their service is A+, but I feel it is time to support the USA! Carhart now baby- Made in the the USA - I'd rather pay a buck or two more. MD
 
1bluedog said:
I have a ton of their stuff - Almost everything I wear is theirs. Although, I will not buy again from them - Everything in the latest catolog is "imported", except some socks. Their service is A+, but I feel it is time to support the USA! Carhart now baby- Made in the the USA - I'd rather pay a buck or two more. MD
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I have several Carhart items. I have a belt from them, bought it about 4 years ago, I love it but is is well worn (made in Guatemala). I bought a new Carhart belt, (made in Argentina). Started looking worn the first time I used it. :jerkit:
My Carhart T-shirt was made in Dominican Republic.

What Carhart stuff is made in the USA ? :confused:
 
I'm bad - Checked mine - Assembled in Mexico from USA made fabric. I stand corrected. MD
 
I've been wearing, and abusing my insulated pullover jacket for thirteen years now. With the exception of the burned sleeve from a propane heater, my favorite jacket is still going strong. There's no subsitute for quality.
 
Just wanted to update. Since I posted this thread back in 07, I've placed a few orders from LL Bean and have been truly pleased with everything I've gotten. Picked up some non-shrinkable wool shirts that I wouldn't trade for any of this new "polarteck" crapola. Got the grand-daddy of bathrobes. And also a nice Merino wool sweater on clearance. Quality of every item (regardless of country of origin) has been flawless. When I was shopping for my LL Bean bathrobe I was reading the customer reviews and there was some lady that was ordering her husband a new bathrobe because his trusty LL Bean bathrobe was worn out after 20+ years of use. Sheesh. Anyhoo, thanks to all who replied on this thread. Good stuff.
 
I love me some LLBean. Their customer service is second to none and they stand behind their products. Having been able to interact with a good bit of their corporate folks, I was truly surprised at their dedication to their product and the quality of it. It is truly one of the few companies left that actually do what they say and say what they do.

I just bought a winter coat from them and absolutely love it.

A lot of their clothing is not my style, but what I have has held up for years and years.
 
I've been shopping at Bean's since the early 70's when we would stop by the store at 2 in the morning on our way to the Allagash. They sure have changed in some ways but have stayed the same in others.
The store has gotten a way lot bigger but still stays open 24 hours a day. They have gone from hardcore Maine guide like stuff to yuppie to more techie outdoor gear while keeping all three styles. If you get my drift. They still have very good quality for the price. I just got four flannel shirts and wear the bag out of em.
As for their quality and return policy they are one of the best.
Years ago I purchased a pullover windbreaker. Wore the thing everywhere and for a long time. Finally blew out the zipper. One day I'm in the store and asked if they could repair it. They gave me a new one. I had to fight with them and lost. I figured I got my moneys worth and told them so. I still have the replacement.
When I go up to Camden to visit my mother I always stop in. The store is great.
As for last minute Christmas stuff you can always shop in the store at three in morning for those last minute purchases.
 
Color me another LLBean fan!! Great stuff, with OUTSTANDING customer service.
 
Never gotten a bad item from LL Bean. One of the stand-up acts in the mail-order business.
 
LL Bean lives by the North-east shop keepers aphorism,

ALL GOOD WORTH PRICE CHARGED.
 
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