The Armour Archive

This morning a small but heavy package arrived on my doorstep. I ripped it open with my entirely amused wife looking over my shoulder. Inside was my shirt and coif from Ziegler Mechanische Werkstatt Metallgewebe und Arbeitsschutz. The shirt is short sleeved and comes to just below my knees unbelted. Belted up it is just above the knees and there is plenty of slack for a wide range of motion. The coif is close fitting and flairs out to the point of my shoulders. The work is all solid and very proffesional seeming, the shirt has some tailoring to it so it fits fairly comfortably and there doesnt seem to be any undo strain in the shoulder yoke. Total weight of the shirt is 17lbs, the coif is I think about 2lbs. The only thing is that the shirt is not split. I had not specifically asked for that as I did not see it as an option, so now I have to very carefully cut riding slits so that I can get a leg up so to speak. The coif is not perfect, it is made from several pieces grafted together and consequently has some odd contours and tension in it. I think this is from making flat sheets of maille into a three dimensional item. But it is really a small matter. The coif looks spiffy on my head.
A word on sizes, I am 6' 2" and weigh 190 these days. I got the shirt a size larger than my measurements so that I could expand into it if necessary, I have plenty of room to grow...but it is not as much larger than me as I had expected. It would be fair to say that they run on the small side. I will experiment by trying to cram my knight into it and seeing how it looks on the upper side of its dimensions. Just be aware that large may not be large enough. The coif is the biggest size they make and it is a close fit. Not uncomfortable just close. I have a 7 1/4 hat size or about 23" around the brow.
I am on the whole extremely satisfied with my purchase.
Oh and the price. I paid US$450.00 and begged a favor from a friend stationed over there. Regular shipping for twenty pounds would run in the neighbourhood of $100 according to a friend of mine who used to import audio gear from germany. It still seems like a pretty good price for what I got.
If you email them use Babelfish or dictionary.com to translate your request, it works tolerably well and I would have been better off if I had thought of it earlier. But struggling through my old german texts was kinda fun too.
I will post pictures on my site shortly.


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But...but...I'm NOT new. I've been here quite a long time really...

[This message has been edited by Thaddeus (edited 03-12-2001).]

Shipping from herman at 20 lbs should be maximum 30 bucks. I've gotten shippments from Slovenia and The Czeck Republic it isn't that bad for shipping. Overnight air from the Praha once cost me 100 bucks however. But otherwise I'm glad everything came out cool.

Alexi -- what shipping company did you use?

What sort of problem would their be getting this stuff through customs? I have a good friend that goes to germany twice a year as well as a friend stationed there in the Army. Would their be any duty taxes etc?

Thaddeus,
Could you take a detailed closeup? I'm interested in if they are swedging the rings while spot welding.

Thanks,
-Cad

I'm still working on getting a shirt myself. Any idea if they happen to take VAT forms?

Thanks for the review. I'll have to bump up the shirt size.

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Baron Arland the Bastard
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/rivetedmaille

Strange. I contacted them, and was informed they wouldn't sell to the US. We're lawsuit-happy, evidently. I wonder what gave them that idea...
-B

They told me the same thing, I told them they need to sell in the reinactment circles with the standard disclaimer "it ia costume peice not intended to protect" sort of deal I hope to hear from them again, however I think the may be looking for a US dealer.

The issue is cost. They would be hit with an export tax along with the 17% Value Added Tax. Not to mention the extra hassle of having to ship international mail with customs. That's why you need to with an Amermican Service Member or DoD Civilian, so they can ship it back American.

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Baron Arland the Bastard
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/rivetedmaille

Cad I have an image from a sample piece they sent mehere. My understanding is that the rings are welded as the ring closes. The rig that does this must run a charge through the wire and it but welds itself as it closes. You can see slight discoloration from heat in a couple of the links in the image.

[This message has been edited by Thaddeus (edited 03-14-2001).]

Regarding international shipping:

Arland is correct that the receiver in the US would be liable to an import duty. How much is dependent on how the package was labeled (sporting goods equipment?) and the mood of the customs officer that day. I don't think a VAT would apply, though -- that's only for someone who buys it in-country (its the European equivelent of sales tax in the US). I know that if you received delivery in Germany and they provided you with a VAT form, then you could carry it out in your luggage and file to reclaim the VAT (17%, as Arland says) at the airport on your departure. You would then be liable for duty when you arrived in the States -- if you declared it, and if the total value of the goods you were carrying was valued at over $500 (I think).... -c-

Right. If you knew an American Service member they could buy the item of maille (up to $5,000) with the 17% VAT tax removed. I'm not sure if it's still 17%, but it was back in June 2000 when I left there.

The big problem is if the company would allow you to use a VAT form. It's quite a bit of extra work on their end.

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Baron Arland the Bastard
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/rivetedmaille