I can understand what your saying. I am currently sportin the NJK leather brand that Safetyfirst had posted about. The only anything I could find about them ( granted I don’t get frantic on searches for gear) was mostly on their web site. After calling the gentleman and talking with him for a few minutes I was confident that most if not all of what I suspected was true was in fact just that. Standards like I said are not bad for using as a judgment on what something is supposed to do. Most standards that I have seen or read only indicate the minimal it has to attain. For instance the crash ratings on cars, if you see them on the sticker in the window it states that this vehicle can withstand a frontal impact at Xmph….usually 35-45mph. Great whats that translate into 75mph? Squat.
NJK has no claims about following any standards, however what did grab my attention is the idea of using racing proven ideas and translating that over to their street wear. They have the armor in the shoulder and elbows just like that of most any safety rated gear. For me I find comforting that they put into their street wear the same knowledge that keeps the racers they out fit safe on the track.
For me it isn’t about the money as I suspect it wouldn’t be with you. However I do find it difficult to swallow a $400 Danese (sp?) price tag for the same standards that say a $200 jacket can boast. Will I pay more for proven performance even though it would not have a standard testing and rating….absolutely. Would I pay more for a company that claims they are at the standard or may even edge the standards a bit…no not really.
Honesty real world practice is more trustworthy to me then a financially driven standardization and commercial hype. I am not knocking any manufacturer as I am far from any kind of guru on the matter. Like everyone else I have to find things out through word of mouth. Had the NJK jacket (s) not been up to my perception and expectations they would have been promptly sent back.
I agree with you too about the “strong nylon” description. Nylon comes in various flavors and strengths and I am unsure what kind of “blend” he may be using.
The best “standard” I use is word of mouth. Private owners are not subject to profit by promoting something they don’t believe in. The average person will be happy to critique anything they try, give the goods, bads, and everything in between. If your unsure of a product try and find someone that has had them. See if you can find any performance conclusions from users that have had the misfortune of needing said protection and how well it held up.
The community here on BBM have been great for that. From Bens wreck to others. I would trust their experience more then I would a standard label, because they had to rely on it in real world experience.