FAQ
-Can I pick colors for my bag?
Yes! You can choose your own colors with most of our products. Please click on the “Custom Designs” tab. If you’re looking for something specific or you can’t find something, let us know!
-Do you make fully custom / tailored bags or other items?
Yes! We make a lot of stuff, from straps and camera lens-sleeves to bags for fishing rods and snowboards. Please contact us.
-Do you ever change a design or color?
We are continuously improving our products and often make changes to them. By using our own gear and gathering feedback from other users, we are able to improve the quality of our products.
-How do I know if my laptop or tablet will fit?
Please look if the model or dimension of your laptop or tablet is in the product description or look at the specifications. We also make padded sleeves for all types of laptops and tablets, and they fit perfectly in our bags with a suspension system. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact us.
-Why are items out of stock? Why is there no stock at all?
Skunk Gear is a small company with a limited production and stock capacity. Also, we carry too much options and colors to keep track of. Every customer wants things differently, that's why we make most of our stuff on order.
-What’s “Molle / Pals” ?
Originally coming from the military, Molle / Pals is a way of securing pouches and other accessories to bags. Via the weaving of webbing, a very strong connection is made and it can be made or undone quite fast.
-Where can I buy Skunk Gear?
Only thru us! So via our website or directly from us. We have the philosophy that we don’t need other businesses in between to sell our stuff.
-Where is Skunk Gear being made?
All of our gear is being made in our small factory in Oude Niedorp, the Netherlands.
-Are your products handmade?
Yes they are, with help from machines off course. Everything is made in the factory….by hand!
-Why is Skunk Gear not being made in a foreign country using cheap labour?
We believe that when you keep the creative and production elements close to each other, you’ll reach a higher level. We are perfectionists and our ideas, fine-tuning, manual labour, corrections and quality control work perfectly together like this, resulting in a far better product. On top of that, this enables us to make custom gear!
-Do you give discounts?
No. We fully stand behind our products and we think they are more than worth it.
-What materials do you use and where do they come from?
We source our materials from all over the world. Most of them are made to military specification (mil-spec). We only use genuine DuPont® Invista® nylon Cordura fabric made in germany and the USA and all our hardware comes from top brands like Woojin, ITW-nexus and Duraflex. With most bags, the zippers are the weakest point. We only use the best quality self-repairing YKK and IDEAL zippers and on top of that we use storm-flaps and compression straps to protect them even more. We use Evazote closed cell foams, YKK and Ripfast hook&loop and our stitches are done with A&E and Amann nylon thread.
-What’s the difference between nylon and polyester bags?
We use nylon material almost exclusively. A lot of other bags on the market are made of polyester. Polyester and nylon are both strong materials but nylon is more abrasion resistant and is therefore more durable. Nylon has a better fit on your body because it can stretch a bit. Also, nylon has a softer touch. Nylon fabric is more expensive, but we don’t want to compromise the quality.
-Why don't you use Kevlar? Isn't that supposed to be much stronger?
Kevlar has a very good resistance to cuts, but Cordura is much more abrasion resistant! A kevlar bag will wear and tear very fast at contact points, like shoulder straps and bottom. Cordura is absolutely the way to go!
-Are Skunk Gear bags waterproof?
Our bags can deal with rain & storms and we consider them “weather-proof”. Most of our gear is made with high quality waterproof nylon Cordura fabric, which is coated with multiple layers of urethane and has an extra Teflon dirt and water-repellant layer. We also use storm-flaps over our zippers to prevent water and dirt from coming in.
-What’s your opinion on environment and durability?
Those matters are very important to us. When you make or buy durable products, you are using far less plastic in the long run, which is less demanding to the environment. We also try to minimize the use of harmful substances, like PVC. All of our materials come from factories in countries where waste is not simply dumped in the sewer, and most of them are OEKO-TEX® 100 certified materials.
-What’s the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100?
The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is an independent testing and certification system for textile raw materials, intermediate and end products at all stages of production. Examples for items eligible for certification: Raw and dyed/finished yarns, raw and dyed/finished fabrics and knits, ready-made articles (all types of clothing, domestic and household textiles, bed linen, terry cloth items, textile toys and more).
Testing for harmful substances includes:
- illegal substances
- legally regulated substances
- known harmful (but not legally regulated) chemicals
- as well as parameters for health care
In their entirety the requirements clearly exceed existing national legislation.
-How do I clean my bag? What about maintenance?
Use a damp cloth with a bit of mild detergent and wash by hand. Do not use a washing machine, because this might damage the waterproof layering. Do not bleach, machine dry or iron. It’s smart to keep zippers free from dirt and put on a little vaseline now and then.
-Help! There’s a small thread sticking out!
Sometimes, a small piece of thread will stick out of the end of a stitch or bartack. This is pretty normal, just cut it off or burn it carefully with a lighter.
-There’s a white marking on my bag, what is that?
While manufacturing, we use chalk-pencils to mark our fabrics. Mostly, we are too lazy to clean those off and on top, you get a small insight in the manufacturing process. Normally, these markings will wear off automatically, but you can also wipe them off with a damp cloth.
-How do you send orders?
We use PostNL and DHL for sending our stuff. We almost always send “signed for”, to prevent things getting lost. We always send you the tracking code if available. Small stuff that fits in envelope will be sent like that, unless agreed otherwise. If you have shipment preferences, please let us know when ordering.
We pack our shipments well. But that doesn't necessarily mean the use of new packaging material. We re-use cardboard boxes and envelopes, if available. It's the inside that counts!
-What about shipping costs?
Please look at the orders & delivery section in the information tab
-How long does it take until i receive the order?
If in stock, we’ll send the goods within 2 days. Usually, it takes 1 or 2 days to arrive within the Netherlands. International shipping obviously takes longer, depending on the shipping address.
-Can I return a product?
Unless it's a custom made item, you’ll have 14 days to change your mind after receiving the product. Contact us first prior to returning the goods. Let us know within the 14 days. You can use our return form for that. After that you must make sure the goods are returned to us withing 14 days. We’ll refund the paid amount. Return shipping is to be fully paid by the customer. You can NOT return a custom or product or something that's made to your specifications.
-Something’s wrong with the order or shipment, a wrong product or another error.
Contact us asap. We’ll try to find a solution right away. If it’s our mistake, we’ll fix it without any costs.
-As a foreign company, can I make an order without VAT?
Yes, that's possible. First, make a business account and fill in all company info and your vat number. After that, you can make an order without vat. We always check your info with the VIES database. Btw: order outside the european union are always without vat.