Best Quality Pontoon Boat Bimini Top

I was surfing the net today to see what the competiton was up to. When I do that sort of thing I try really hard to put myself in the shoes of a consumer - you know, someone who is looking to buy a bimini top. I try to keep an open mind...I really do. Sometimes it is difficult though to keep a straight face. Here are a few things I "learned" today:

If your bimini top hasn't faded in 5 years it probably won't fade in another 5 years.

90% of all pontoon boats are 8' wide.

People that sell on ebay are typically college students selling out of their dorm room

Wow...there were more great lines but to keep this from dragging on and on lets just leave it at these three. As someone that has been around different fabrics my whole life I can tell you the first line is a bit off. I was going to email the website and ask if they believed that statement will they give me a 10 year warranty on their 5 year fabric?

90% of all pontoon boats are 8' wide. If it were the year 1999 I'd agree a little more but not completely. Most are 8'6" wide in 2014.

I have bought and sold quite a bit on ebay. I have never had the impression the seller was in a dorm room. I have never sold anything from a dorm room.

As a consumer I feel a bit lost when it comes to who is saying what online. Bimini tops are not cheap. If I dig into this topic online far enough I am going to get more and more confused. I would want to call someone who can help. Call Northstar Products - we are here to help. We will answer all questions honestly. We won't pressure you into upgrades or try to sell you something that may or may not fit correctly. Doing business with us is like doing business with a family member or friend. We will treat you fair and help you pick out the right top for you and your boat. We are not a one size fits all sort of business. If you want your bimini frame and top to be 92" wide we are not going to make you buy an 8' wide frame and push it into a 92" wide boat. We will build it 92" wide for you. No extra charge to do it either. Remember you are working with a friend here.

Who Makes the Best Boat Top?

Working in this industry I see a lot of sites and blogs that like to compare products and spotlight different products. While most are worth reading it is rare to find any comparisons on what allows us to stay on the water in the hot blistering sun - the bimini top. Without the bimini top keeping us out of the sun, our time on the water will be cut short due to blistering sun burns, dehydration, and perhaps death. OK maybe not death, at least not right away.

Boat builders they are the first to say they need to offer bimini tops with their boats, but they end up putting the cheapest thing on it they can find just to say they offer it. Not all of them do it but a significant amount do. Boat manufacturers pour money into research and development to offer new amenities and new ways to make their boat look good and be comfortable on the inside. Guess what? No one can see the inside of your boat from across the lake. What they can see is you put a shabby looking top that is worth about 150.00 on a 50,000.00 pontoon boat. If you are willing to do that most won't believe you are willing to put a lot of money anywhere else on your boat.

As a consumer you continue to scan the horizon looking for something better. Without a doubt the bimini top is the first thing most see out on the water on any given day. Poorly made bimini tops tend to lead people to believe the boat may not be all that well made either. A well built bimini top will compliment the boat which in turn will cause people to search you out on the water to compliment you, your boat, and your bimini top. They may even ask where you got it. Chances are you didn't buy it with the boat - chances are you bought it from us.

We take exceptional pride in our work, our workforce, and ulitmately our products. Regardless of whether it is our bimini tops, or our grill covers, we take the extra steps to ensure your satisfaction with your purchase. I wish I had a nickel for every time a customer has recommended us to a friend or family member. Even better I wish I had a dime for every recommended customer that has told me they saw our bimini top on a boat on the lake and asked that boat owner where they got such a great looking top. Then I tell them how reasonable the prices are -- mind blown. Yup add up all those dimes and nickles and I'd be writing this from a cabana in Key West.



Who makes the best bimini tops? We do. Come find out why.

www.northstarproductsinc.com

Better Bimini Tops. Better Service

I am always impressed by the number of people that get a hold of me after they have installed their bimini top to tell me how much they like it. These loyal customers go out of their way to send me an or a phone call to thank me for a great top at a fair price. I start to think about how often I have done that for a company I have purchased something from. I can only recall one time. I called McDonalds because I was so impressed the soda did not taste like syrup. It's not that I'm not satisfied with the purchases I've made. Overall I am. Typically though I only call if there is a problem. Then I weigh the option of calling or not. Will I be on hold, will I understand the person I speak to. Will they understand me? What are the chances my issue will be resolved the way I want? Thus unless I have a huge problem with the product I purchased I do nothing.

Having a customer call or email to praise how much they like the product we provide is not lost on me or our company. We realize it is a great compliment to how we do business. Most of our expectations as consumers are simply met but rarely exceeded. I am proud to know how often we exceed the expectations of our customers. I'm proud of the work we turn out, the workforce we employ and the value of being Made in the USA.

High Quality Bimini Tops At A Low Price

We have been making bimini tops for the boating industry for over 35 years.  From the way we manufacture our bimini tops to the way we run our business we are not your typical manufacturer. 

For many years now we have been supplying boat manufacturers with the very best bimini tops available.  We are not the largest out there but we are by far the best.  When the economy took a dive in 2008 we knew we had to get creative to stay afloat.  We have known for years that the choices out there for a boat owner to buy a new bimini top was limited.  The ones that were out there were very similar to each other in price and quality.  High price sub par to poor quality.  But they could get away with it because no one else was making them on a large scale…in essence there was no real competition.  There was no real reason to improve on price or quality.  There is a reason now.  That reason is Northstar Bimini Tops.

As the manufacturer we save our customers hundreds of dollars on a bimini top.  We are not a distributor.  We do not buy our bimini tops and then resell them.  We design them in house.  We manufacture them in house.  Our customers get the highest level of quality and service available.  We have been slowly growing and are beginning to make ourselves known. 

The toughest obstacle we have to overcome is being noticed online when someone does a web search for bimini tops.  So often when you search online for anything you typically stop after the first page or two of search results.  I did the same thing.  I don’t anymore.  I search out the best deal.  Not just the lowest price.  In this world of online purchasing there is no relationship anymore between the buyer and seller.  We try to create one online.  We are available for questions at any time.  We want to make sure you are comfortable with your purchase.  We want you to feel confident what you are buying will fit your boat.  We work one on one with you when what you need is not just a stock bimini off the shelf.  When you need an alternative way to mount it, or a different height or width.  Perhaps you want to install your bimini on a sailboat and have the backstay pass through the bimini top.  We can help.  We will work with you to make it happen.  No extra charge on most special requests. 

We are growing our business the old fashioned way…by providing an outstanding product at an outstanding price.  We want to grow because of word of mouth not because we paid a bunch of money to get on the first page or two of an internet search.  We not only want to earn your business we want you to be so happy you will tell your boating neighbors and friends about us. 

We are here for you.  We are ready to help. 

Northstar Bimini tops…Leading the way in quality and service. 

Give Customers What They Want!

I am a business owner, you are a boat owner. I also own a boat. You may also own a business. Even if you don't we all have one thing in common, more or less. We want a good product at a great price. I however want one more thing...piece of mind that if something doesn't work someone will help me out. I want to be able to call and talk to an actual person with knowledge about the product I bought from them. I want to speak with someone who treats me as if I am their only customer. I've taken the things I demand as a customer and put them in place as a business owner. I run my business the way I want to be treated as a customer. Wouldn't it be nice if all businesses ran that way? Northstar Products IS run that way. I demand it. I treat all of our customers the way I want to be treated. Kind of like the golden rule I suppose. We ensure that the products you buy from us are going to perform the way you expect them to. At Northstar we service our customers before, during, and after the sale. Here is an example that just happened: Customer A bought a bimini top from us - 8x10 bimini top and frame made in sunbrella fabric. When customer A gets his bimini top he realizes the rails on his pontoon boat drop down 6" in the back where the rear braces are supposed to attach. Now it looks like his bimini top is flying up in the air because the rear braces aren't long enough to accomodate the 6"drop in the back. Customer A realizes his oversight and calls Northstar to find out how much a new pair of rear braces - 6" longer - will cost. Guess how much he was charged? 0.00. Nothing, Not a thing. Free. We even shipped the new pair out at no charge. Why? Because he will be so happy with the level of service he received AFTER the sale he is more likely to tell all of his friends and anyone he over hears talking about getting a new bimini top about us. Now chances are he would anyway because of the quality built in to everything we do and how nice it looks. But now he may even seek people out to tell them about the service he received. And what did it cost me? about 15.00 for the parts and shipping cost. I may get 5 new sales because of it. Not a bad return on investment if you ask me. Here at Northstar we do that sort of thing all the time. We know the benefits of treating our customers right. We stand behind our work and will make sure it gets on your boat the way it was intended. I guarantee it!

Size Matters!

If you have been searching for a bimini top for your pontoon boat but have an unusual size pontoon boat you are finding out you may be stuck. I'm sure you've been told the legs of the bimini frame can be pushed and pulled into almost any width to fit your boat. Websites tell you that a 96" wide frame can fit into an opening that is between 88" and 102" wide. Wow. Wouldn't it be better to actually get a frame and bimini top made specifically for the width of your boat? We think so. Wouldn't it be better if you weren't charged extra for it? We think so. I have searched the websites over and can't find anyone that has the variety of sizes that Northstar Products Inc. has. They will manufacture a frame and bimini in any width from 6' to 8'6" wide in a variety of lengths as well. All for the same price as a standard size. You will also find that their standard prices are MUCH lower than the others as well. They should be. After all Northstar Products manufactures their own frames and bimini tops. They design them and build them all in house.

All pontoon boats are not the same. They all can have different beams. You should be able to buy a bimini top and frame that will fit your boat exactly without pushing or pulling the frame out of shape. Your boat is an investment both financially and recreationally. Northstar knows how much your boat means to you and that being able to buy a better aftermarket bimini and frame than even your original should be easy. They make it easy. Check out all the sizes at www.northstarproductsinc.com. Need something they don't list? Call them...they can probably do it.

Now Is The Time.

Finding a great company can be difficult.  By a great company I mean one that offers a great product or service at a great price.  It shouldn’t stop there though.  A great company has the industry expertise to back up what it provides.  Having a great product is great, and expertise in the industry is better but having true quality customer service is even better.

Being able to call any company anymore to speak with a real live person is becoming more and more difficult.  As a society we are beginning to loose our ability to communicate with each other unless we are behind a keyboard.  Reading about the attributes of a product or what a company can do from behind a keyboard is one thing but speaking with a person is another entirely.  If you speak with someone you can tell how excited he/she is about the product.  The enthusiasm you can pick up on through their voice can make you feel much better about your decision.

There are millions of products for sale online.  What really separates them?  Each claims they are the best.  Each claims superb service, try calling the company.  See how willing someone is to speak with you.  How fast do they return your calls if you do get voicemail?  Hell, how fast do they return an email?  Back not so many years ago there were sales persons that sold products…not websites.  Those sales people are still out there.  You can still find them.  A great company has both.  They have sales people as well as a website to back up their products.  

Can you imagine a company that sells the products it makes, made in the USA, at low prices, backed by actual people you can talk to?  A company that will take the time to listen to you the customer not just push a product onto you.  How about a company that will make a product according to what you want and not charge you an arm and a leg for “custom” work?  Think that company doesn’t exist?  Think again…think Northstar Products Inc. 

Pontoon Bimini Top Frames – make the old new again.

So here we are ending another boating season.  This is the time of the year we begin thinking about pulling the boat out, getting it winterized, and start thinking about the next boating season!  It is time to stand back and take a good look at the pontoon boat to see what you want to replace or repair for the next boating season. 

The framework for your bimini top can really take a beating over the season.  Your passengers use it as a handrail to get in and out of your pontoon at the dock and they hold onto it to keep from falling out of the boat as you decide to jump that 3’ rolling wave!  Drinks are spilled and fish are flopped against it.  Your pontoon frame has indeed seen better days.  You really don’t want to buy an whole new frame though.  The only thing you really don’t like about it are the fittings that put it together are all vinyl.  You would really like to have the metal fittings.  Not necessarily stainless but at least the aluminum kind that match the frame and will give pontoon bimini framework a bit more rigidity. 

Replacing your pontoon bimini framework hardware will only take a couple of hours on a rainy (or snowy) winters day.  The first thing you need to do is check out www.northstarproductsinc.com to buy the fittings you need.  Then, when they come in, take your frame apart and replace the fittings.  It may take a little bit of your time to adjust them to get them in the correct location on your frame but the money you will save from not buying a whole new frame will be well worth the time.  Not to mention the money you will save by buying the parts at www.northstarproductsinc.com. 

So now that the fittings are replaced you want to know what works best to buff out your framework to make the actual metal look like new again.  We find that using a stainless steal polish works best even on a satin anodized aluminum.  Rubbing compound works as well but you have to put in a bit more effort with it.  Once you have replaced your fittings and buffed out your frame with some polish and a terry cloth towel, the only thing left to do is wait for the ice and snow to melt and get your pontoon back in the water where it belongs!

Putting the Service in Customer Service

Business has lost its way. Fast sales, quick witted salesman, quick fixes, fast shipments, low prices, and the assumption if something goes wrong there will be a company to stand behind it. In most cases you are in for real disappointment should you have a problem with something you buy. We are not claiming to be perfect when we build bimini tops and Northstar Products Inc. We make mistakes just like anyone. We believe the real measure of a company goes beyond what low price they can give out. We believe the measure of a company has to include how it performs when it is faced with adversity. Regardless of if the adversity is an economic condition or the way it fixes a problem in the field. The measure of a company must include more than a sales price on an item.

We believe that if there is a problem in the field, especially if it is a mistake we made, to hold nothing back to fix the problem. Not only to make the customer happy with the end result but almost glad the problem existed in the first place because of how successful the outcome was. We supply not only the best looking and highest quality bimini top in the industry, we also supply the best service.

Northstar leads the way in service and quality.

which material works best for a boat bimini top?

You need a bimini top but are overwhelmed at the number of different materials that are available. There are quite a few differences in how the many materials are made and what they will do for you. First of all it is important to point out that most materials are water resistant and not water proof. Sunbrella included. Sunbrella and others do offer water proof materials but when it comes to a bimini top water resistant is normally good enough.

Water Resistant

This means water will bead up and roll off the material. Thus preventing saturation. Should water be allowed to collect on the material over a period of time or should you be caught in a long terrifying downpour, water will begin to seap through the material. More often than not this is not an issue.

Ounce Weight

A bimini top ideally should be made with a material that is at least an 8 oz weight material. Lighter materials can be used but given how fast most boats travel while underway the heavier materials hold up longer. If you own a boat that you typically do not go over 20 mph or so then a lighter weight material will suffice. Sunbrella, Outdura, and Recassins all offer a 9.25 oz material. Polyesters tend to run in a lighter ounce weight that can range from 4 to 8 oz.

Color fastness

Solution dyed materials will hold their color best. There are solution dyed acrylics such as Sunbrella, Outdura, and Recassins. There are also solution dyed polyesters such as Top Notch and Weathermax. Solution dyed polyesters are typically stronger than solution dyed acrylics. These materials get their color pigment before it is made into the finished product.

Polyester and polyester blends will not hold their color as well. They are produced as Grey Goods first and then the pigment is added to the material after it it woven into fabric. Aqualon, Surlast, Odyssey III and Top Gun are all polyester and polyester blends that perform very well in the market for bimini top material.

Warranty

There really is no typical warranty. They range from 3 years on most polyesters up to 10 years on solution dyed acrylics. Though that warranty is nice, it is important to know that as long as you take care of your canvas, even in expensive polyester blend such as Odyssey III can give you many, many years of shade and protection from the rain.

So you know a little about what to look for but still need some recommendations. The first list is what I see in my industry by popularity. I always tell people that if they just need a bimini top to keep the rain and sun off their head not to be afraid to go to a more economical road and choose polyester. However, if you want to make sure your bimini top doesn't just function but will look like brand new for as long as possible you must consider solution dyed acrylics and solutions dyed polyesters.

Sunbrella has the best warranty right now that guarantees the fabric for 10 years against fading and deterioration.

1. Sunbrella (solution dyed acrylic)

2. Odyssey III (polyester blend)

3. Outdura (solution dyed acrylic)

4. Aqualon (polyester)

5. Weathermax 80 (solution dyed polyester)

Northstar Products' mission is to provide boat owners with high quality parts and products for their boats. We strive to do this at the lowest possible prices while still retaining a high level of customer service. We will exceed your expectations with our quality, timeliness, and professionalism. We are committed to making sure you are pleased with your purchase now and in the future. Northstar has been designing and building canvas for boats for over 35 years. Let our expertise and experience help guide you in making a good decision. If we can't help you we will point you in the direction of someone who can. Our goal as a fellow boater is to give you the best products at the best prices with the best warranties.

spring is in the air

Well spring is officially here, more importantly the weather is starting to reflect that as well. It's time to uncover the pontoon and see what old man winter has done to your boat. Time to dust it off and get it ready for the water. Let's get the seats cleaned and treated, dust off the dashboard, and open up that bimini top. With any luck no wild animal has decided to make a home in your bimini top or even worse think it makes a good dinner. More than one bimini top has been on the plate of a squirrel or mouse! The frame is in good shape but it is time for a new bimini fabric.

It is important to consider what is right for you. Perhaps all you need is something to keep the rain and sun off of your head. You aren't too concerened with keeping up with the Jones' next door so the sunbrella bimini may be out of the question. Consider a polyester such as odyssey III or even Weathermax 80 - a solution dyed polyester. These are great alternatives to the Sunbrella and Outdura solution dyed acrylic. Check out our selection or give us a call. All of our products are made right here in the USA. Let us earn your business. www.northstarproductsinc.com

You can have it made in the shade.

A SATURDAY ON THE BOAT:
The plan: water sports, relaxing, and reading in the sun.

You start out the morning sitting in the sun on your boat, the warm heat relaxing your tense muscles after a work week that was especially stressful and demanding. After a while, with the sun starting its rise in the sky, you and your family depart from the dock in search of the perfect place to have some well-deserved fun. You will escape from your reserved work-self and transform for a day into your true self - the person not pressured by responsibilities and obligations but the person who enjoys life. You are here with your family - the people whom you love and who love you in return. THIS is why you work so hard during the week - THIS makes it all worth it.

You arrive. The sun is really starting to heat up the air making it feel thicker but also like a deep massage at the same time. This is the life! You put on your suntan lotion and enjoy the silky feel of the moisturizer and the distinct scent of coconut on your skin. You make a mental note to reapply soon to your skin and to your family's skin soon and frequently while you're all in the sun.

Lunch time! You reach into the storage unit under your vinyl captain's chair seat cushion and pull out your weaved picnic basket and classic red and white checkered tablecloth. Then you reach under the passenger vinyl seat cushions and pull out the table components and construct the table. With your family, you enjoy a lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit, and pop. The sun is so hot it's already starting to heat up your nice, cool lunch. You can see everyone start to sweat and get uncomfortable. You have a solution! From the storage units at the back of your boat, you pull out a canvas bimini top you just purchased made by Northstar Products. You easily erect the bimini top as shown to you by your local boat dealer and voila! Shade!

You finish enjoying your lunch, appreciating the coolness of the shade and the brief reprieve from the beating noon sun. You inhale and smell the mixing scents of the sea and the new canvas. Since the day is yours, you decide to relax and read for a while to let your food digest before jumping in the water. You move to the back of the boat out of the shade of the bimini top and into the direct sun. After a short time, the heat of the sun starts to make you sweat. Time to jump in and have some fun! Water skiing, tubing, wake-boarding, and swimming. You're laying on a floating air mattress with the cool water lapping at your sides while the sun again relaxes your muscles. But in the back of your mind, you know that water attracts the sun and this is how skin gets burned - lotion or no lotion. So you swim back to the ladder and re-board your boat, heading straight for the shade of the bimini top. The warm air feels cooler on your wet skin under the shade. You dig into the storage units under the vinyl seats again and pull out a few board games. Nostalgia sets in and you play Yahtzee, Boggle, and Monopoly with your family under the shade of the bimini top to wind down your day. Your thoughts start to drift towards your planned dinner of grilled hamburgers when you get home. This was a perfect day. And you can't help but think of how different it might have been if you had never bought the bimini top to provide the shade you so needed when you needed it. You and your whole family could be going home miserable with burned, red, sore skin instead of going home relaxed and prepared for another week having had a perfect day with the people you love that justifies all of the hard work and pressure of the rest of the working week.

Replacement Bimini Tops

So you need a new bimini top but your framework is in great shape. You know you can get online and find one without much trouble. But here's the thing, if you bought your boat from someone else are you sure the framework is the original? Perhaps the previous owner had the original replaced already. We make a bimini top that is truely universal. A zippered pocket goes around the front bow and another around the rear bow of your frame. The middle bows of your frame are held up with adjustable straps. This way YOU can adjust how much crown to give your bimini top and it also ensures a good fit. The zippered pockets are nice and we can do those as well but the adjustable straps give you more flexibility.

Oh by the way, take a look at our prices- very inexpensive compared to others. Why? We manufacture them. There is no middle man. We pass the savings on to you...truely.

By the way if your frame needs some parts we have those to.

Quality doesn't have to cost you an arm and leg

The culture of business these days seem to be the best stuff costs the most. You can always find those seemingly amazing deals on ebay or amazon or other sites of that sort that you can buy something that is 50% off or more. It feels good to find those kinds of deals. You can spend hours online searching for the best deal on a television, airfare, hotel, or that hot new toy. You search day after day, site after site looking and waiting for that item to go on sale or to uncover a site that has it on special. Then you find it and it seems to good to be true. You quickly put it in your "shopping cart" and smile knowing you got a great deal on a great product.

No one seems to value their time anymore. It's amazing to me. The company you work for surely puts a value to your time. In most cases I'm sure what you believe your time at work is worth is much more than what you are getting paid. I have news for you... your time is worth even more outside of work. So why not put a price tag on it? Add up all that time you spend searching for that sale on that high quality item you really need or want. You may be surprised to see how much - even on sale - that you are actually paying for that item.

I search the web all the time for bimini tops, boat tops, pontoon bimini tops, etc. I find all kinds of sites that claim to offer the lowest prices online. They say they will match the price if you find it cheaper online. Next time you are looking for an 8x8 bimini top with a four bow frame made with sunbrella and you happen upon one of these sites that will "beat all deals online" send them to www.northstarproductsinc.com. That's my website. That's my company. In fact if you check it out you may not want to waste any more of your time (money) to even contact them. You will find not only great prices on bimini tops, you will find great prices on double bimini tops and all the hardware that you may need as well.

Great prices and quality is what we are all about. We manufacture our products with pride right here in the U.S.A. We use american made fabric such as Sunbrella, Outdura, Aqualon, and Odyssey III. More importantly we use an american labor force. Folks living right here and working hard to provide a quality product at a low price. We know what our "competition" sells their products for and we could easily have priced ours simply 50.00 or so under theirs. That is not what we are about. We simply input the price of our materials, labor, and overhead into a bill of material. We put a little in our pocket so we can grow our business and put food on our table. That's it. Simple. We are proving that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to get a high quality american made product.

Boat tops

Looking around the marine industry and all of its aftermarket products, there is really only one product that can give an older boat a new look for really next to nothing. A bimini top. When made correctly a bimini top can really set your boat off right. The opposite can happen as well. A poorly made bimini top can make your boat an embarrasement on the water. What is even more embarrasing is over paying for a sub par bimini top. The problem in the aftermarket industry right now is that the consumer has only had a few options for ANY bimini top.

When searching for bimini tops online you are bombarded with websites. Most of those websites are selling a limited number of brands. Take a close look at who actually makes the bimini tops. Most of the websites are merely distributors of a select brand. There are few that actually make the bimini tops AND frames themselves. Make sure you check out the warranty as well. The material the bimini top is made of will carry a warranty offered by the material producer such as Glen Raven Mills for Sunbrella. They carry a 10 year warranty. What about the craftsmanship though? Some offer a few years, some more. It seems there are companies out there even charging you for an extended warranty. Seems kinda crazy to me. The main cost of a bimini top is the material and that is already covered. The rest of the bimini top is thread, binding (edging), zippers, and maybe some buttons. Bottom line these are all very inexpensive items. Why not cover them without additional cost? Northstar covers there craftsmanship for as long as you own it.

You may have a difficult time finding them online right now : www.northstarproductsinc.com. You will soon find the prices are very low when you compare them to others. We ARE the manufacturer and designer of BOTH the bimini and the frame. There is NO middleman. You will find not only the best looking bimini tops on the market at the best price with an outstanding warranty, but also something that is becoming extinct...service after the sale. These are American made products at a price that we believe is unbeatable. Oh, one more thing, when you refer a friend to us and they buy a bimini top from us we will send you a check for 25.00. The more you refer the more checks you get. Just make sure your friend tells us you sent them.

We encourage you to look around and compare our bimini tops with others. Check out their warranties. Check out the way the sew the bimini top together. You may be surprised to know that most websites that sell bimini tops have no idea how they are sewn together. The reason being they didn't sew them together. If you do get an answer you will find they are put together with a single lockstitch machine. That means ONE stitch is holding the top together. Ours are put together with two and three lockstitches. The advantage is so the top doesn't fall apart in about 2 years. Look we don't want to replace your bimini top every two years. We look at your bimini top as an investment, just like you do. Invest in our company and you will be glad you did.