Charcoal gray v heather gray
 

Softball generally requires heather gray or navy pants. Baseball seems to be moving toward charcoal gray. My gripe about heather gray is how rapidly it fades to a really crappy brownish look.

Does charcoal gray hold up longer? What I mean is, how long will charcoal gray pants still look like you are wearing the same color as your partner when his are new, and is this longer than if you are both wearing heather grays?

Charcoal vs heather gray
 

:DMy experience, is the heather gray turns "pink" when they fade from washing and in the sun. My wife does not hang them in the sun, but dries them in the laundry room hanging upside down. She does partially dry them in the dryer.
The charcoal's, Gerry Davis brand, are going on the end of their 3rd season, and show no signs of fading. I do like the GDavis pants and they seam to be holding up well. Yes I would buy them again.;)

Either will fade depending on the specific brand / year (different materials and dye lots even within the same brand depending on who / where they were really manufactured)and how they are treated.

Umpires who hang pants from a bar in the backseat of a car without covering the pants with a garment bag (or the like) and then complain about the pants fading are getting pretty much what they ask for.

The GD pants are, IMO, the best pants made for umpires. I've not used the polywools from Honig's, but their non-polywools (the step down from them) are complete, unadulterated garbage, IMO.

My umpire pants are either being worn in a game, in a garment bag, hanging in my closet, or in the laundry. The fading is not due to laundering, drying, etc., since the color behind my ball bags and behind my belt looks like new. Three out of four of my currently in use pants are Fechs, the other is Cliff Keen.

No, but they fade more when they aren't kept out of the sun when not wearing them.

Like others, I've had no fading with the GD pants.

Does that include GD heather grays? The Fechs I have seem to fade worse than the CK.

Does GD make heather grey pants? I wouldn't buy anything but charcoal these days.

He does now; he didn't used to.

I was given two pairs of Smittys for teaching a clinic this past Spring. They held up really well and I have no complaints about comfort or appearance. My GDs are just as comfortable and look to be the same color as the day I received them. All of my pants get ironed and hang from a bar in the back seat of my vehicle, along with my shirts and under gear (it was a cold Spring in Chicago, so that bar was full of UA). The windows are tinted pretty dark so that probably helps keep the gear from fading.

I wore the heather grey pants in the tropics of Asia for a few years. The color held up just fine - no brown or pink - and they wore well. The sun is really intense over there and the humidity made creases disappear. Still, they looked better than the Japanese versions I encountered on partners. The heather grey didn't seem to get as hot as the charcoal do now.

The Honig's polywools are the benchmark for all pants. Unless you have "in" to get MLB pants, which are a tick better, there's nothing even close.

The GD are quiet servicable, and stout. They're a bit darker in color. I don't care for their base pants, as I find them a bit thin in the legs. I use combos on the bases. I use the plate pants when working from a knee, with the little guys. No need to ruin the expensive pants on those games. I used the two or three times this year.

I've still got a few pair of +POS heathers, just in case. None are faded or pink. But I'm careful what I wash them with, and where I store them. Cold water, gentle wash, with like colors.

My oldest polywools are some plate pants in their third season and they're still going strong. They are a little worn in places but they are virtually the same color as the new ones I bought this year.

MTD, Jr., and I have been wearing the Smitty Heather Grays since he started umpiring (this is his 4th year) and they have held their color very well. We do not wash our slacks we always have them drycleaned. Why, you ask? Because, permanent press really means that there will be no wrinkles when the slack come out of the dryer, but the creas will not hold up for too long. And ironing them at home still cannot hold a candle to a drycleaner steam pressing. I have always drycleaned my basketball officiating slacks too (40 years now).

MTD, Sr.

My Fetchheimers are almost 18 years old and still look as good as ever. Fetcheimers never faded or went pink as the Honigs did. They hardly get work any more after HS season and as of next year, CT goes to the Charcoal Gray.

I have two pair of GD heather grey and they are just as good now as when i bought them.

At Rangers game last week and the umpires wore the new "polo" blue shirts with the heather grey, - looked SHARP!

And they did a great job that night also ...

Thanks
David