I mentioned the gang at DIY Tactical in a recent post about the SOF Industry Conference. They are the go-to guys for folks who want to have it their way. They even service small government customers with repair materials. Mike Rinaldi, who owns DIY spoke with me about his customer base and some of the products he sources. The problem many smaller custom shops have is that they can’t meet the minimums from the mill for specialty materials. In addition to the hobbyist and small businessman Mike says he sometimes gets calls from larger companies doing prototypes of small runs and need to use a fabric they don’t normally stock. But they offer more than just standard Cordura. They also webbing, hardware, and thread. If they don’t have it, they will get it.
DIY also sponsors a forum for the burgeoning entrepreneur where one can get advice on anything from setting up a small business to how to time a finicky sewing machine. Remember, the late, great Logan Coffey started out in his room in the barracks.