Steiner Binoculars

[s/v Moondancer]

25 years ago I bought a pair of Steiner Commander binoculars with a built-in bearing compass. in the pre-chart plotter era, they proved invaluable during difficult entries, especially at night. They were expensive, over $700.

After constant use for 10 years, I sent them to Steiners to be serviced. For $60 they re-filled with nitrogen, redid the cladding and the compass and light.

Five years later I sent them in again for service but they offered a new pair for $200 which I accepted.

Recently after 25 years and 70,000 blue-water-miles of use I sent them to be serviced again. They did not service them...the sent me a new pair with a retail price of $1,300 at no cost.

Now if Mercedes would just give me the same service!

[robert sailor]

Great story, when you buy quality you only cry once.

[TheOffice]

That’s great! The metal zipper on my Steiner bag corroded. They sent me a new bag with a nylon zipper

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Great story, when you buy quality you only cry once.

So true.....

[Fore and Aft]

I had a similar thing happen with my ipad last week.
The ipad was three years old and the battery died. I took it to Apple in Brisbane expecting to just get a new battery put in. Instead they replaced the whole ipad for $139 as the battery was faulty.
That's good service in my opinion.
The quality remains long after the price is forgotten.

Cheers

[SVRocinante]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

25 years ago I bought a pair of Steiner Commander binoculars ...

Always great to hear about great equipment - Thank you!

[Jim Cate]

FWIW:

In 1994 I too bought a first rate pair of binoculars... but from Fujinon. They too are still in common use on our full time cruising boat, and are in damn good nick. The difference is that they have not needed refurbing, refilling or replacing as seems to have been the fate of the Steiners. The only failure is the rubber eye cups which have indeed decayed.

Not too shabby IMO.

Jim

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

FWIW:

In 1994 I too bought a first rate pair of binoculars... but from Fujinon. They too are still in common use on our full time cruising boat, and are in damn good nick. The difference is that they have not needed refurbing, refilling or replacing as seems to have been the fate of the Steiners. The only failure is the rubber eye cups which have indeed decayed.

Not too shabby IMO.

Jim

Ditto. I have my father's ancient Fuji Meibos, by now battered and ugly, but with incomparably beautiful optics, and never a service in 40 hard years of cruising. A real joy to use.

I'm sure the Steiners are great, too.

[capemiker]

I've had a similar experience with Steiner Commanders years ago and after 15 years of heavy cruising, just sent them in again for refurbishment. Great company, awesome product

[zboss]

Oh man... I have a pair of those from the 80’s. Had it serviced once 5 years ago.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

FWIW:

In 1994 I too bought a first rate pair of binoculars... but from Fujinon. They too are still in common use on our full time cruising boat, and are in damn good nick. The difference is that they have not needed refurbing, refilling or replacing as seems to have been the fate of the Steiners. The only failure is the rubber eye cups which have indeed decayed.

Not too shabby IMO.

Jim

Ditto failure on my Fujinons that I bought in about 1995. Eye cups perished and the rubber armouring looking a bit knocked about....

When the boat was under overhaul I sent them to Baker Marine Baker Marine and had them serviced ( centre 'hinge' was as stiff as ) and re-armoured. Not cheap but worth the money.

[capemiker]

Awesome company!

[Polux]

So many saying nice things about the Steiner!

Sure they are good but I find them over priced.

Many years ago on a Dusseldorf boat show I was going to buy ones and I tried them there but at the last moment I saw that the exposer was also selling another brand, from Silva (Eterna) and I tried the other ones: better in what regards sighting (at least on the boat show light conditions) and at half the price.

I didn't bought the Steiner

[hellosailor]

Moondancer-
That's actually typical of the "better" optics market. A lot of higher end manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty, with variations. My binocs had one, and were replaced under it. Then after a second failure (20+ years) I sent them in again...and almost lost them as the company had gone bankrupt and I had to chase and retrieve them!
Some companies offer a 25-year warranty but don't count the years. Others have offered a three-year warranty in some years, and a lifetime warranty for "the same" model in other years, to compete with the market.
Bottom line, service and repairs can be damned expensive and a lifetime warranty is worth pursuing. For the makers, it is arguably cheaper to replace with new, than to start doing hand dis-assembly and hand repair and hand re-assembly, and trying to do all that in a clean-room environment that can match what original production quality was.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Polux

So many saying nice things about the Steiner!

Sure they are good but I find them over priced.

Many years ago on a Dusseldorf boat show I was going to buy ones and I tried them there but at the last moment I saw that the exposer was also selling another brand, from Silva (Eterna) and I tried the other ones: better in what regards sighting (at least on the boat show light conditions) and at half the price.

I didn't bought the Steiner

Hmm... reminds me of the pitfalls of comparing value with cost; often these parameters are just not comparable.

No disrespect for your decision but in the OP's case, it seems he essentially got 3 pairs of Steiners over 25 years for $900 ($960 if you include the first refurbishment) - that is good value in my books.