What's going on at AeroHunter?

[Plebe]

Wore my 2-layer Flex today (and AH hat).

Still a top teir saddle imo. I'd have to work hard to make it uncomfortable. I have 3 saddles I love, but would pick the Flex if I could only have one.

I don't think the competition overtook AH. They lost their way chasing the "competition", to their detriment.

 

[enkriss]

I didn’t think it was CJ who gave Bobby the boot and all kinda guff. Based on my interactions with AH and Bobby on social media, there was a newer employee at AH who was flubbing with their professional relationships. I’m by no means an insider, but I did go ahead and sh!+ on AH when Bobby got blocked from their socials, and someone from their PR team did reply to me, saying that they love Bobby on a personal level despite their professional need to put a little distance between him and them, and that they had no ill will even though it was in response/right around the time the Merlin (or new flex, idr) was released and he gave them a not-so-stellar review on YT. They told me that a new employee was handling some things improperly, and that they were dealing with that employee quite properly as a result, as well as un-blocking Bobby (which they promptly did).
But I could be 100% off-center on all the real goings on.There are DEFINITELY some people on here who know the real-reals.

Jan Corrigan led them down the path of their demise. He was a terrible marketing person to have in charge. Very arrogant and liked being an instigator

 

[enkriss]

Wore my 2-layer Flex today (and AH hat).

Still a top teir saddle imo. I'd have to work hard to make it uncomfortable. I have 3 saddles I love, but would pick the Flex if I could only have one.

I don't think the competition overtook AH. They lost their way chasing the "competition", to their detriment.

They always tried to be different and new. It bit them in the ass. They came out with stuff no one wanted or asked for. Instead of continuing with what worked they constantly tried to change until they got so far out of touch they became irrelevant.

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

Jan Corrigan led them down the path of their demise. He was a terrible marketing person to have in charge. Very arrogant and liked being an instigator

There ya go. That name was not mentioned but your other language is very similar to what AH told me about “a specific employee”. Tracking what you’re trailing.

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

They put a rubber coating inside the first Gen flex to make it grip to stop it from ridding up. Bad idea it stopped air flow through the saddle. A swamp ass generator that peeled off. Then they had issues with the fabric tearing. It was also a very floppy first attempt at a pleat. The beginning of their downfall was also the best thing they created…a pleat. That would be copied and perfected many times over.

I don’t think they put that coating in there. They purchased 500d headliner cordura which has the vinyl backing already on it. They they went to normal back pack style 500d without the backing. And eventually doubled it which made it much stronger. The coating definitely stops the material from breathing but it also makes it water proof (until it rubs off).

 

[Plebe]

They always tried to be different and new. It bit them in the ass. They came out with stuff no one wanted or asked for. Instead of continuing with what worked they constantly tried to change until they got so far out of touch they became irrelevant.

I never understood why they wouldn't keep a couple of their successful designs in circulation while introducing some new ones, at least until folks stopped buying the original designs at a predetermined threshold rate.

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

I never understood why they wouldn't keep a couple of their successful designs in circulation while introducing some new ones, at least until folks stopped buying the original designs at a predetermined threshold rate.

Their old stuff was the best, I even said as much to Casey over the saddle hunter nation Fb page. He made a snooty comment about made in the USA means nothing unless it’s made by a company with a long history (which I can agree with some of that). Then someone brought up Trophyline and he gave another smart comment saying that their old stuff was better before the new regime took over- I told him the same could be said for AH, many would argue their old kestrel, kite and flex were night and day better than their new offerings.
I am and always will be an AH fan. My builds are heavily influenced by their old offerings (pre 2019). I basically took everything I loved about them and then addressed little issues that they refused to address. I am pretty sad to see them Exit the hunting industry. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if they had been aggressive with patents and trademarks the way some companies are now, you wouldn’t have the phantom saddle (the way it is now), the menace, the H2 sling shot (had they patented the sling seat/shape style saddle. You wouldn’t have a single other pleated saddle on the market aka, no orion, no Wood deluxe, no CGM cobra, no TX5 with the pleat and no Cruzr XC. So we are all super blessed that they didn’t go the “patent pending” technology route of some or most of these companies out now. We would have lost out on a lot of great builds if they had.

 

[Apex7]

Cause I don't need or want double the fabric they could have made a double flex to placate the whiners.

I had both the original flex with the inside that was rubbing off some and the updated one with the inside that was material and and to me there was not big difference . If your worrying about the weight difference to me there was none. So what's the big deal?

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

I had both the original flex with the inside that was rubbing off some and the updated one with the inside that was material and and to me there was not big difference . If your worrying about the weight difference to me there was none. So what's the big deal?

I agree fully. The weight difference between the original and the gen 2 with the material doubled was a hair under 2 ozs.

 

[enkriss]

I agree fully. The weight difference between the original and the gen 2 with the material doubled was a hair under 2 ozs.

If you can measure the difference in ounces that’s far to heavy….lol

 

[elk yinzer]

I had both the original flex with the inside that was rubbing off some and the updated one with the inside that was material and and to me there was not big difference . If your worrying about the weight difference to me there was none. So what's the big deal?

Walking comfort.

 

[Plebe]

Walking comfort.

I would think the "sloppy" pleat would be a bigger issue there and probably tend to unfold more with a single layer.

But I'm not one for hiking about in a saddle, Flex or otherwise.

 

[elk yinzer]

I would think the "sloppy" pleat would be a bigger issue there and probably tend to unfold more with a single layer.

But I'm not one for hiking about in a saddle, Flex or otherwise.

"I would think" versus I have worn both. But saddles as we all know are super user specific and subjective. To each their own.

 

[Plebe]

"I would think" versus I have worn both. But saddles as we all know are super user specific and subjective. To each their own.

No argument there, just a thought I had. No way I'd hike about where you do with a saddle on, either or.

 

[Apex7]

I never wear my saddle in. It's in my saddlebags on my e-bike or in my backpack.

 

[tailgunner]

Not alot Of good sewers in southern Oregon. Hard to keep up with all their current projects while keeping your money local.

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

Not alot Of good sewers in southern Oregon. Hard to keep up with all their current projects while keeping your money local.

This sounds like a ninja turtle realty ad

 

[Exhumis]

Well folks I’d say this is pretty definitive:
From Aerohunter,
Hi Shayne,
We are closing our production shop and soon will be closing our doors. It's time for our founder to retire after 38 years. We do have some products available and will be offering them at closeout prices by next week. Check aerohunter.us to watch for announcements.

Thanks,
Sophia

 

[woodsdog2]

Well folks I’d say this is pretty definitive:
From Aerohunter,
Hi Shayne,
We are closing our production shop and soon will be closing our doors. It's time for our founder to retire after 38 years. We do have some products available and will be offering them at closeout prices by next week. Check aerohunter.us to watch for announcements.

Thanks,
Sophia

That really blows!!!

 

[Plebe]

That really blows!!!

At least it's a retirement thing.

I wonder if anyone is buying up the operation? All the pieces are there for production. Shame if everyone is out of work, when it's clearly a strong operation.