So whoever said that ibex clothing is the best ever….wasn’t kidding. I love my Shak Jersey. The cloth has a super-durable feel to it, it’s comfy through an incredible range of temperatures, and it just doesn’t stink.

That’s right. I decided to give it a rugged field test: my Shak showed up Tuesday afternoon, and I put it on. I’ve worn it every day since, including through 1/2 hour of moderate basketball.

And, despite the sweating while playing basketball, and despite the fact that I haven’t been wearing an undershirt with this thing, it still doesn’t stink. Amazing!

The wool is a little bit more “coarse” than say a cotton or fleece shirt, but I kind of like it. At any rate, it’s not itchy, and despite being recommended as a mid-layer it functions fine with nothing underneath. It breathes well, is well-made, looks great, and due to its merino wool construction, is naturally anti-bacterial (hence the no smell).

So I’m going to keep wearing it until it starts stinking. How long will that be?

Bottom Line: If you’re looking to buy an ibex Shak Jersey, it really is as sweet as they say. Get one already!

UPDATE: after 11 days, it was still smelling great! But the sun came out and I wanted to wear a T-shirt, so I took it off. Then I washed it, so next time I need a shirt for two weeks in a row it’s all ready to go. Honestly now though…it’s my favorite shirt by far, and I wear it a LOT. Ibex is some sweet stuff!

So I spent too much money on a shirt. This is certainly not me: it should have been some new technology, or at the very least some media, or a stinking expensive Greek Lexicon. But it’s a shirt.

Through Step2, I made a contact with Ibex Outdoor Clothing last year, and he highly lauded the merits of the merino wool Ibex makes their clothing from. Supposedly, it’s like the holy grail of materials for making active wear. I went a year without really getting interested in the stuff (I’m not too active…), but they happened to send me an email this week at the exact right time. (Long story, I actually was going to buy a new graphics card…)

I checked out the site, and the Shak Jersey really caught my eye. Not only were the reviews overwhelmingly positive, but they also reinforced what this guy had been telling me. I looked around the internet, and lo and behold, I couldn’t find anything negative about this jersey. So I crumbled, and busted out the old credit card number. (Granted, I did get a discount on it, but still pretty pricey for something you can get in synthetic for much cheaper)

But now I’m super excited about this shirt (tracking info says I’d get it on Saturday, if TIU’s mail room wasn’t closed! ) If it’s half as sweet as everyone says, it will be more than worth the cost. I’ll post a further review when it comes in.

In the meantime, have any of you had any great (or not-so-great) experiences with Ibex clothes? Typically I’m pretty frugal, but this merino wool’s supposed to be worth it!