Difference in
price, theres a lot, and it has to do with a number of different areas.. As an owner of a
Canvas and Sail shop, I'll give you my take on the subject.. When I order material for a sail, I pay top dollar, not only for the quality but because I'm ordering a small amount of yardage, compared to someone like "UK Sails" who orders it by the rail car. You also have a number of sailmakers selling in the US but the sails are made in
China or
Korea. and there's nothing wrong with that, the're just cheeper to build.
You will get more
service with a small shop but sometimes the end product is all you're looking for and only what they offer.. Sails are cut different and those differences are another cost.. If you plan on sailing in a light
wind area, as the
sea of cortez, We would build a fuller sail.. but if your sailing area is
San Francisco Bay, we would opt for a flatter sail.. You'll notice this on an older sail when its "Blown Out", it really works well in light air but over powers the
boat when winds build..
For myself, I went to UK Sails and added custom
work to it.. Because I sail a tall rig and the rig is a high aspect, I went with 4 reef points and for light winds I added full batton pockets..
The fact is, they can build a quality sail, add what I wanted, and do it all for less than what I could do it myself.