Why LEKI poles are so strong - and stronger than every other pole out there:
- Every other brand / factory (and many brands come out of a very few factories - with the brands being marketing entities - and not manufacturing entities) purchases raw alloy tube stock that is ordered as heat treated.
- They then take the tube stock, cut to length, and swags the blanks in a machine to taper them. The process of swaging (one "g") induces heat. That heat compromises the heat treating in the blank. This compromises the structural integrity of the tapered section.
LEKI, on the other hand:
- Orders alloy tube stock.
- Cuts to length, and swags.
- They have their own in-house heat treating. Only a few employees are allowed in that facility. And it is only the employees who are directly involved with the heat treating process and QA.
- The strength of the tapered section is never affected by this process. The shaft is universally strong throughout.
The other thing that makes LEKI unique: the factory is vertically integrated. All injection molding also takes place in the home plant. It is not something that is contracted out. That leads to awesome in-line and end-of-line QA.
The one part of LEKI poles that is contracted out: the carbon shafts. And that factory is dialed.