Lesson 1: don’t buy from the big brands then….

Yeah, sleep better when you don’t know what happens to others using the same fork ; )

How do they do QC then @jameso? Genuinely interested

Std ISO tests and production line stage-by-stage QC. Weight (though I’m not convinced on that one), load test (deflection under load is non-destructive but can show up odd readings from voids). A low load x cycles test that won’t risk a sound fork but a duff one should fail – though a QC fail that serious should be picked up by in-line QC). X-ray also. X-ray or ultrasound is the way to go, seems rare though.

Exotic forks, no longer in use (26″) but they were fine, and had plenty of abuse. It had an aluminium steerer.

I would not be shocked if a lot of the failures like that guy in the video were down to over-tightening stems on carbon steerers, or clamping onto a section of the steerer not supported by the internal bung.

Thanks for your input everyone,
Much appreciated.

I had a set of Hylixes, which tbh I really never trusted. Not because they were a relative no-name but also because they were scary light. They never did anything wrong but I was never really comfortable, and then the seatpost I bought at the same time debonded and I thought, nah, and got another set of Exotics, which I trusted all the way.

(when I got my first set of exotics, they were considered random cheap carbon that you couldn’t trust)