Kult of Athena and Revival.us Review

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Leonardus
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Kult of Athena and Revival.us Review

Post by Leonardus »

I'm new to SCA fighting and have been working to get my armor together. Some I've made, some I've purchased. Here's a review of two of the businesses I've ordered from.

Kult of Athena ( kultofathena.com )

I ordered a GDFB basinet with klappvisor by phone and received a box via UPS the next morning but inside the box was a GDFB sallet. It is a surprisingly nice helmet and bevor but not what I ordered. I called and told them about the mistake and they offered to issue a return label and ship the right helmet as soon as UPS picked up the package.

I was having a bad morning and didn't like that idea very much and said so. The poor guy had to listen to me winge about that process taking a couple of extra days to get the right helmet. In exasperation he asked what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted him to ship the correct helmet that day and not wait for me to receive the call tag and and the UPS pickup. I was priming for a fight but he said "OK".

The correct helmet came the next day.

If Kult of Athena sells anything you want by all means order it from them. They understand the meaning of customer service. The GDFB basinet however, is pretty low quality but I understood that before ordering it. What can you expect from a $125 helmet?


Revival.us

I called and ordered a "14 Century Gambeson" in size XL. I asked that it be shipped to my work address and not my billing address. I was told it would ship FedEx ground and take about three days to arrive. I was also told I'd get an email confirmation with a tracking ID.

Two days later I hadn't noticed a charge against the card I used and hadn't received an email. I called to see if the order had actually been placed. The guy on the other end seemed put out that I was pesting him. He told me it had shipped the day before. I asked him if he could send me the tracking
number and confirmed my email address. By the evening I still hadn't seen the charge on the card or received an email. When I left for work the next morning there was a package from FedEx on my doorstep from revival. Huh, OK. I had asked for it to be shipped to my work address but whatever, I had it.

I had ordered a size XL which the website claimed would fit up to a 52" chest. No it won't. I have a 48" chest and it's 2" short of closing. I called revival and told them I'd like to swap it for a larger size. I told the guy on the phone why it didn't fit and asked why it is claimed to on the website. At this point the grumpy guy got grumpier and said "they fit other people, people have different measurements". Funny, I thought a chest measurement was a chest measurement. Are there different ways of doing it? I decided to ask them to ship me the inhuman monster size XXXL, 58" chest (figuring I could tailor it if it really was that much bigger) and asked how I should return the one I've got. I was directed to ship it back to them with a note in the box. The guy nearly hung up the phone at that point. He clearly wanted to be elsewhere or doing something else but I said whoa, we hadn't rigged the details of the exchange.

He started mumbling into the phone in response to anything I said. I heard "warehouse", "shipping", "already" and a bunch of stuff I couldn't make out. I have no idea what's going on. After a long silence I said "OK, bye" and hung up. I have no idea if another gambeson is on the way.

I decided to just add some material to the one I've got and ship the replacement back if one arrived. I cut the side seam to add a panel and the batting inside was polyester. Confirmed with a burn test. I looked at the label and it says "100% Cotton". I looked at the website and it says "100% cotton". No it ain't. I'm going to cook in this thing if I try to use it. I've cut the gambeson so it's mine but it is useless to me and I'm out $179. Also, the button holes would have needed reinforcement to prevent tearing and the fabric buttons need to be sewn on better. One fell off with a light tug.

A bad experience I would not repeat.
Gerhard von Liebau
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Post by Gerhard von Liebau »

Lots of people have had trouble with Revival.us, and I too got the wrong product shipped to me in an untimely manner during my last order with them. However, after emailing a few times back and forth I was able to return the product I was unsatisfied with for a full refund, although I did have to pay for the shipping back, which was disappointing not only because the product didn't match the description on the site, but was the wrong size to boot, and therefore the fault was on their end.

I won't be making deals with Revival.us in the future. I'm sorry to hear about your troubling experience.

-Gerhard
Hjalti
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Revival

Post by Hjalti »

Just ordered Some Eglets from them and a rubber hammerhead. Took almost a month to get across the border with the upgraded shipping. Not sure if that is their fault, but It does seem like a long time to get something across the border.

H
Ideval
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Post by Ideval »

I ordered Ash Poles from Kvlt of Athena and the poles are very nice!
One was slightly straighter than the other, but that's to be expected.
Ideval
"En grusom dod venter hver en mann...oppi fjelle...."
GunnarUlfson
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Post by GunnarUlfson »

It seems to be completely hit or miss with revival. I ordered some boots from them awhile back and I got them very quickly.
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Leonardus
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Re: Revival

Post by Leonardus »

Hjalti wrote:Just ordered Some Eglets from them and a rubber hammerhead. Took almost a month to get across the border with the upgraded shipping. Not sure if that is their fault, but It does seem like a long time to get something across the border.

H
Customs can be a black hole so I wouldn't pin that one on Revival. I once sent a guy in the Netherlands (how appropriate!) the same item 3 times before one got through. Luckily, it was not an expensive item.
Hjalti
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Post by Hjalti »

Just comparing it to when I order stuff from Icefalcon, its usually here within 2 weeks at the most. Maybe he has an "IN" with customs :lol:
Oscad
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Post by Oscad »

Hjalti wrote:Just comparing it to when I order stuff from Icefalcon, its usually here within 2 weeks at the most. Maybe he has an "IN" with customs :lol:
Customs doesn't like to mess with marines....
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Re: Kult of Athena and Revival.us Review

Post by Oscad »

Leonardus wrote: I've cut the gambeson so it's mine but it is useless to me and I'm out $179. t.
I disagree. What is 'yours' is a 100% cotton gambeson, that is not what they sold you. The fact that you cut it should not matter. I say you should get your money back.
Oscad
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Re: Kult of Athena and Revival.us Review

Post by Oscad »

Leonardus wrote: I've cut the gambeson so it's mine but it is useless to me and I'm out $179. t.
I disagree. What is 'yours' is a 100% cotton gambeson, that is not what they sold you. The fact that you cut it should not matter. I say you should get your money back.
Oscad
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Re: Kult of Athena and Revival.us Review

Post by Oscad »

Leonardus wrote: I've cut the gambeson so it's mine but it is useless to me and I'm out $179. t.
I disagree. What is 'yours' is a 100% cotton gambeson, that is not what they sold you. The fact that you cut it should not matter. I say you should get your money back.
Oscad
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Re: Kult of Athena and Revival.us Review

Post by Oscad »

Leonardus wrote: I've cut the gambeson so it's mine but it is useless to me and I'm out $179. t.
I disagree. What is 'yours' is a 100% cotton gambeson, that is not what they sold you. The fact that you cut it should not matter. I say you should get your money back.
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Leonardus
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Re: Kult of Athena and Revival.us Review

Post by Leonardus »

Oscad wrote: I disagree. What is 'yours' is a 100% cotton gambeson, that is not what they sold you. The fact that you cut it should not matter. I say you should get your money back.
No matter now. I've been offered a trade for spaulders.

Besides, I couldn't make heads or tails of what the grumpy order taker was saying when I was giving them money. I can imagine it going worse trying to get it back with modified goods.
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Ismaels-Legacy
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Post by Ismaels-Legacy »

I've ordered from Kult of Athena before as well and their customer service is top notch! I've received a shield boss and a spear head from them and both arrived quickly and were exactly what I ordered, down to the description on the site.
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Leonardus
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Post by Leonardus »

The saga continues...

I got home today and another package from revival.us is on my doorstep. XXXL this time. I could wear it as a double breasted suit. I think this one really would fit a 58" chest.

I'm guessing that the person who assembled my original XL must have put the wrong size tag on it. That's the only thing I can think of that explains the inconsistency in sizing. Oh well, back it goes.
The Jabberwock
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Post by The Jabberwock »

I know this topic is a bit old, but just to play devils advocate, I ordered a pair of the plain black swordsmans gloves from them, and they are great. They sent the right size, I got them in like 3 weeks, and they were exactly as described.

Now if I just hadn't lost the right one at a timeline event in Long Beach...
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Christian H. Tobler
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Post by Christian H. Tobler »

Yes, Kult of Athena is *awesome*.

BTW, their sword sharpening service is both reasonably priced and very cleanly done. I've ordered a couple of Del Tins from them, and the edge they put on them was fantastic.

These guys get an A++.

Cheers,

Christian
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