Durability and Initial Impressions (Pre-rolling)
Durability
Right now my first impression of the durability of the gi is NOT very good and I'm going to tell you why. The first thing I did when I took it out of the bags was inspect the seams and how it was sown together. Being that this gi was $300.00CAD you would expect perfection.
Not the case here... There were a few "loose" threads which were sown in improperly. One on the arm and one on the upper back. Basically if someone were to stick a finger between the thread, their finger would catch under the thread and rip it out or cut their finger. I decided to take scissors and cut the threads out.
Little holes and a small rip at the end of the skirt after the FIRST wash???
So this was something that I NEVER expected to happen. After putting the pants and top in the wash and dryer I took it out to exam. What I found was that on the top of the gi pants, the areas that crinkle over when you tighten the draw string, there were tiny tear holes forming. There were actually 3 different small holes developing. They were big enough to be concerned about. I mean, how does something like this happen after the FIRST wash????
This area is basically the end of the collar where the skirt is. You can see that somehow the end got frayed. Not a good first impression here... I'm very very disappointed that this could happen!! I wash my Atama gi 3-4 times a week and I see no such signs of wear at all.
Inner Lining Durability after heat cycle in dryer
As you can see compared to the pre-wash photo up top, after the 1st wash and 1st dry cycle the inner liner graphics have faded a bit. No surprise here. What I would suggest people to do after they shrink to size is:
1.) Dry in dryer only using 'air cycle' no heat
2.) Hang dry
I'm pretty sure the reason for the fade is the heat of the dryer and not the washing machine.
