The Armour Archive

Paladin74 wrote:I thought that AB had a presence on here...am I wrong? I thought I'd seen them put out a few posts...if that is so, one would think they'd at least check things out on here and maybe say a word or two in their defense?

If they don't respond to emails from people who are actually paying them, why would they take the time to answer posts on here?

I think the intention here is so that new guys looking to buy from AB will see this and run scurrying to a more reputable armorer.

In the long run though we're mostly just pissing in the ocean and hoping the sea level will rise.

I think Raulin has the right of it. I heartily encourage every new fighter I come across here to The Armour Archive to help them kit up well and with as little costly mistakes as possible for just the kinds of reasons this thread exists. I also advise them to check with me before they go buying stuff. Sadly, many of them don't and wind up wasting money they shouldn't have spent but hey, I tried.
John/Drefan

to save a newbie!

In case folks need encouragement to keep posting reviews this is one of the threads I forwarded to a new fighter in my area last week to help discourage him from buying from A-B. It seems to have worked, when we spoke after that he said he was going to talk to a different armorer that I'd recommended.

-Tegan

Excellant Tegan! If this thread saves one newbie from the A/B monster, it's successful!

Any word yet on getting your helm?

Add another name to the list of people disappointed by Ashcraft. I ordered a hel and gorget in February and have heard nothing since. To be honest, I could handle the waiting for my order if the guy would just respond to my inquiries. I understand if there are delays, or orders are backlogged, or if he had been ill or injured, but TALK to me, right? Now I no longer live at the address I gave with the order, and I hope he actually got my messages regarding the address change. Oh, well. Good luck to any others waiting.

Maybe put in an address change form at the post office?
I don't know how long they're valid though.

Great news, i ended up getting money back from AB. My bank pulled through, and got a full refund. With that money i ended up buying a helmet from a local fighter. He ended up getting a new helmet and sold me his old for a deal.

We have had a lot of new fighters to our barony, its good that i can point in a direction that isnt AB. I hear people say "well what about Ashcraft?" I am the first to change their minds on that one

Thanks all who have read this post, Hopefully we can keep people away so this doesnt happen to us noobies!

herrhauptmann wrote:Maybe put in an address change form at the post office?
I don't know how long they're valid though.

12 months forwarding, 18 months stored in the postal database.

Paladin74 wrote:

herrhauptmann wrote:Maybe put in an address change form at the post office?
I don't know how long they're valid though.

12 months forwarding, 18 months stored in the postal database.

So submit a new one from that old address to your current place every 10 months (10 so that even if you forget for a week, he won't mail it to you in that time)
That should work, right?

You guys just saved me about $150. Thank you.

.....and another one saved from the quagmire of Asscraft Baker! Glad we could help Eule42!

BTW there are several very good very honest very reputable armorers who can make and sell excellent helms for a good price!

forgive the double post, i was just directed over here when i made the inquiry in my original post earlier.

This may be a beaten horse, but we have an outstanding order from Ashcraft Baker from back in January. They have our money (about $120) but we never got any stuff.

We were ordering shield and sword baskets to get our noobs into combat. We have ordered them in bulk in the past 2x and never had any trouble, they are 10 bucks a piece, come ugly but we clean em up, and they do just fine. craftsmanship is fine, i dont have a beef there... but now we arent getting any responses or product, and they have the money in hand. this displeases me.

Sent several requests for updates, never got any response. no stuffs...

went to their website, its down.

so are they out of business? does anyone know?

also, any ideas on how to get out money back? we did use paypal, but it was back in January. its been over 30 days.

pamonyet wrote:.....and another one saved from the quagmire of Asscraft Baker! Glad we could help Eule42!

BTW there are several very good very honest very reputable armorers who can make and sell excellent helms for a good price!

Giggity.

BBB gave Ashcraft Baker an F rating ...

http://www.bbb.org/tucson/business-revi ... z-20031046

At least someone can be forewarned.

http://www.ashcraftbaker.com/

NOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOoooOooOoooOo!!!!!

It's an end of an era!!!

Thanks a lot guys!

As you can see, my helm is Awesome Ashcraft Baker!

...Sigh...

They will not be missed

Anyone want to bet they just changed the name?

Grimbah wrote:
As you can see, my helm is Awesome Ashcraft Baker!

There can be a first time for everything, I suppose.

I know its a longshot, but has anyone with an outstanding order tried calling? Google gives 520-889-3700 as the phone number of record for AB.

Lady_Isolde wrote:I know its a longshot, but has anyone with an outstanding order tried calling? Google gives 520-889-3700 as the phone number of record for AB.

Perhaps it's time to bring in the heavy artillery.

Lady Charlotte! Lady Charlotte! Lady Charlotte!

I called that number a few months ago and.....here's a shocker.....its no longer Kelly's number. It belongs to a poor family who had never heard of Ashcraftbaker until they had the bad luck to get Ashcraftbaker 's old number.

Aaaaand the site is back up, with updates, even.

wow, I love the new Ashcraft Baker website! Check out these quotes from the site:

"...Ashcraft Baker has an over 30 year history of making the best handmade, Highest Quality Armour for Medieval Enthusists, SCA, Re-enactors, Collectors, LARP not to mention Costuming. Now we also have Steampunk Artful Accoutrements and a variety of AB Publications on the way! ....."

"...WE SELDOM TAKE CUSTOM ORDERS.
The reason for this is so that we can provide the highest quality for the lowest price.
However, our ASHCRAFT / BAKER STUDIOS site shows some of our higher end armor. Similar pieces can be made....."

I read this stuff and the coffee I was drinking literally came out my nose.....lol....These guys are truly delusional!

johnion wrote:BBB gave Ashcraft Baker an F rating ...

http://www.bbb.org/tucson/business-revi ... z-20031046

At least someone can be forewarned.

Wow, the truth about A/B is spreading beyond the SCA community......Good job Better Business Bureau!!

I love the fact that the BBB can't get A/B to call them back either......lol!

I found the "We seldom take custom orders" Statment funny... especially when you go to the catalogue page and it says" CUSTOMIZE YOUR ARMOR PARTS

CUSTOM CNC PLASMA CUTTING AND WATERJET CUTTING"

I found the "We seldom take custom orders" Statment funny... especially when you go to the catalogue page and it says" CUSTOMIZE YOUR ARMOR PARTS

CUSTOM CNC PLASMA CUTTING AND WATERJET CUTTING"

Notice they are branching out with thier Steampunk site...

At least few people doing steampunk need their gear to keep them alive.

LeeC wrote:Notice they are branching out with thier Steampunk site...

At least few people doing steampunk need their gear to keep them alive.

I'm just waiting until the year I go to Comic Con and start hearing complaints from steampunkers about how their new Ashcraft Baker goggles fell apart or something...

MJBlazek wrote:I found the "We seldom take custom orders" Statment funny... especially when you go to the catalogue page and it says" CUSTOMIZE YOUR ARMOR PARTS

CUSTOM CNC PLASMA CUTTING AND WATERJET CUTTING"

I thought it was that they often take custom orders but seldom complete them

pamonyet wrote: "...WE SELDOM TAKE CUSTOM ORDERS.
The reason for this is so that we can provide the highest quality for the lowest price.
However, our ASHCRAFT / BAKER STUDIOS site shows some of our higher end armor. Similar pieces can be made....."[/i][/size]

Show our higher end armor, but we can make you something similar if you want.
That sounds like custom armor to me.

Not doing custom work, would be a business plan like Stonekeep uses. Make a pattern, and keep using it. No changes or deviations.
And no, they're not delusional. They're far better at selling themselves and their product, than they are at actually making their product.

So, anyone wanna get on the steampunk forums and warn them off of ashcraft?

Too bad we can't have this stickied...

I still await the helm I ordered from Ashcraft in February. I have kept up a constant streat of emails, never receiving a reply. Trying to decide now if the principle of it is enough to spend a few hundred in legal fees to pursue refund of a hundred dollar order. Successful legal action would also reimburse my legal expenditures, but such things take time. I am thinking about it, though. I've sent him my new address, phone numbers, email, and I really wish he would at least acknowledge my correspondence. What a pain in the neck. meanwhile, the loaner helm I'm using is poorly strapped and actually will catch and hold any blow that strikes the back of it.