Review: Hempbasics.com

[Klaus the Red]

Well, I'd like to be able to review their products. Unfortunately, their level of service was such that I never ended up buying anything. The story goes something like this:

Mid-March: went on their website looking for potential arming coat material, liked what I saw. Many varieties of hemp canvas and twill to choose from, dyed and not, in different weights. Tried to order some swatches. The site tried to charge me something like $7 to ship a small envelope UPS ground. Screw that. I sent their customer service address an e-mail asking what the deal was with the out-of-proportion shipping.

Several days go by. No response.

Called them up. The guy answers, "Hello?" like it's his living room- no "Hemp Basics, may I help you?" or anything you would expect from a business. After determining that this was, in fact, Hemp Basics I had reached, I asked what the deal was with the excessive shipping. He says, "Oh, never mind that, the website is screwy. Swatches don't get charged shipping no matter what it says- I just have to walk across the room and put them in an envelope."

Well and good. 3/27, I place a swatch order on the website to the tune of $7, faithfully ignoring the total which says $13 and change.

Several more days pass. No envelope arrives. The charge does not post to my checking account. I send an e-mail on 4/6 or 7 asking for my order status.

No response.

I send a more forceful e-mail on 4/10 saying I'd really like to do business with them as I like the look of their products, but I have deadlines to meet and I'd like to know what the hell the deal is with my swatches already.

4/11: I receive an apologetic e-mail regretting the delay, and informing me that the swatches will be sent out ASAP for no charge.

A week later: nothing. I send another e-mail advising them that I don't have my order.

The silence is deafening.

Fuck 'em. I order an alternative fabric from Hemptraders instead, who, although they have a much smaller selection, have always been reliable.

Bottom line: so far as I'm concerned, behind their shiny professional-looking website, Hempbasics is an amateur outfit staffed by a guy who smokes too much of hemp's other product. Too bad they aren't interested in my business.

Klaus

[Jacob]

Too bad. They do have a bigger selection shown.

I've been looking at hemptraders for the same sort of canvas. What weight do you recommend?

[Klaus the Red]

I've had very good results from the 14 oz. and I'm going to test the 11 oz. next. Heavier than 14 (ie, the black 18 oz. stuff) I don't recommend for garments, but it should make a solid foundation for body armor.

The fabric from Hempbasics may in fact be very nice, and you may not experience any problems placing a bona fide order, but since I'm trying to run a business, I can't go tossing money and time at someone without swatches in hand first. I also have a long memory for being treated with disrespect, so they blew their chance with me.

[Corby de la Flamme]

I second the recommendation for http://www.hemptraders.com/

My aketon is made of the heaviest hemp canvas they had at the time--I think it was the 18.5 oz stuff, or very close.

I think it is this stuff http://www.hemptraders.com/cart/shopper ... DTemplates\_categories.htm

It starts off very "hard" but softens a little after washing a few times.

It also took and held dye very well. The canvas was off-white before dying.

It just seems smart to me to get the heaviest weight you can find, because the cost difference is minimal compared to the amount of time you're going to put in to making it.

I managed to find a pic of my aketon, taken at a Highland River Melees where I forgot my surcoat.

This was made with the "stuff the tubes after sewing" method, and the aketon is stiff enough to be legal for body armor. Though getting wrapped to the spine can still light me up.

Please ignore the giant lemon shield my at the time not-yet squire holds. I promise that thing doesn't exist in that form any longer.

[Jacob]

Thanks Klaus. I've head of people using even heavier fabrics, too. I think they even have 20+ oz sometimes, but I haven't handled it myself.

Corby, it's good to see you posting here. I was just eyeing the 18oz green canvas on the hemptraders site. I'm not looking at replacing my gambeson/aketon yet, it doesn't get enough wear for that. Otherwise we'd look even more similar. My current one just needs better tailoring and forearm protection.

I've been slowly working up a 14th century kit that will be better suited to using two-handed weapons and need to work out the arming clothes. It may be time to order up some materials!

Take care,

[Charles the Brown]

Does anyone have a pattern of such Aketons? Or where could I get one?
Thanks!

[Corby de la Flamme]

There's only one real trick to patterning an aketon. Assuming you want the padding to be as stiff as possible, and that you'll stuff the tubes after sewing the channels, you have to estimate the amount of horizontal shrinkage that will occur.

If you sew 1" tubes, that shrinkage works out to approximately 1/3.

In other words, if you need a 40" waist on the finished aketon, you must lay out and sew it as if it was a 53" waist.

Mine also has set in sleeves, rather than attempting to get the shoulder exactly right before stuffing the tubes.

Other hints, some mentioned before:

100% natural materials only
use the toughest natural shell and lining material you can
double stitch the tube channels
stuff from both ends using a dowel
pack the tubes as hard as you can everywhere--they will soften
My preference is to NOT stuff the channels under the arm, and to have an open armpit.
Oh and aketons are less than ideal if you regularly fight outside in a rainy climate. A soaked aketon weighs about 40 lbs. Or at least seems to.

I bring mine to Pennsic even though I don't use it regularly any longer. If you're there, I'll happily show it to you. Or if people really want some, I can post some detail pictures. Also, in a few weeks my wife and aketon architect will be back from Germany, so she might be able to provide more info then.

[Charles the Brown]

More pictures and Information would be wonderful!

Oh, sorry for the derailing of the thread.

[Klaus the Red]

No worries here... my rant is done, I'm happy it's producing something useful.

K

[Tristan vom Schwarzwald]

]
Also, in a few weeks my wife and aketon architect will be back from Germany, so she might be able to provide more info then.

I wish her safe travels...now don't you have a Crown tourney to be off to?