Johnboy:
Which begs the question, if Ventile no longer has this particular quality, does this mean that potentially it's no better than cheaper products and not worth the price premium?
Difficult one to answer that.. The manufacturer does not say the jackets are fire resistant in any way. So when you make a decision to purchase it could be reasonable to say that Ventile's other properties, Breathability, High level of wind resistance, water resistance combined in a natural material are it's selling points for the majority of customers. Along with the fact it is 'Ventile' some folk will buy just for the brand.
'Fire resistance' is one of those properties that 'bushcrafters' go for and gets talked abut on forums a lot.
But when you look at some common manufacturers websites for information on 'fire' resistance..
Westwinds has nothing at all, neither does Snowsled...
Neither company make the claim that the fabric is as much as spark resistant..
So if a customer complains about a 5p sized hole being burnt in a jacket from a stray ember a jacket made from a material you never said was 'fire' proof what level of 'customer service' is reasonable to give????
Fix it for free at a cost to your business?
Charge for a repair??
Perceptions of acceptable or reasonable 'customer service' are always going to vary from person to person. It's difficult to comment on if manufacturer 'X' was reasonable in how they delt with a situation based on forum posts.
I just took 3 pieces of Ventile - one new Bison Bushcraft (got it just after Xmas never washed), one old Bison Bushcraft(several years old) - (stuff sacks only were used here by the way) and a sample from over 30 years ago.
I took a ferro rod and showered them with nice hot sparks, several times.
Not a mark on the cloth on any of the samples tested.
I hope that helps
Interesting John.... Can you repeat the test with a glowing wood ember placed on the fabric for 5-10 seconds..