You're probably right about the German mentality. It only took them forever to adopt a competitive warranty, and upgrade their previously pathetic customer service. I've actually emailed them back and forth a few times lately and they've been very responsive.
I'm not planning to use a Kestrel no matter which unit I wind up with.
S&B has always had great customer service according to my experience with them. They even responded to a post about a turret cap marked in the wrong direction. They monitor quality and customer service
Leica not so much.
