[Dakota]

I have both Fechheimer and Cliff Keen umpire pants. The CK pants appear to be of noticeably superior quality to the Fech's. They have a better waist band, better/stronger belt loops, and a stronger double clasp vs. the Fech's single clasp, and the fabric feels heavier.

I know Fechheimer was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett's huge conglomerate), so I wonder if cost cutting is showing up in reduced quality?

On a somewhat related note: does anyone know if the darker / charcoal gray used by (some) baseball umpires is less prone to fading? Quality umpire pants (even the Fech's I'm complaining about) last far longer than the heather gray lasts. I hate retiring pants in otherwise good condition because they have faded so badly.