The Armour Archive

Ok well I'm switching to a stock format soon. One of the things I'm planning to do a run of is coat of plates kits.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of sizes I should be making and how many of each.

I can easily do things in 2" chest circumference increments. I'm planning to make quite a few all at once. I'm guessing something in a range between 38 and 52" chest circumferences would work. But figuring out which sizes get what quantity made up is the tricky part.

I'm fairly sure that the 44-46 sizes would be most common but I'm really just sorta guessing.

Sizing for height is adjustable through assembly from about 6'2 and down and I can make extra horizontal plates for people taller.


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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Back when I worked retail while attending college (20+ years ago...), the rule of thumb that was used for ordering stock was the following:

Sm (34-36): 1
Md (38-40): 2
Lg (42-44): 2
Xl (46-48): 1
2X (50-52+): 0

Now, based on my perceptions of the distrubution in the SCA, I would skew this upwards. My first guess would be:

Sm (34-36): 1
Md (38-40): 1
Lg (42-44): 2
Xl (46-48): 2
2X (50-52+): 1

-Keith/Austin.

My suggestion, and what I'm planning on doing eventually, would be this:

Make 5 or so of each size. Offer them for sale, and be prepared to bang out more of the mediums and larges than anything.

Modern businesses believe that inventory is death. It's a lot more convenient and cost efficient to have car parts delivered to a factory the second they're needed than it is to keep a warehouse up.

By contrast, you are not only carrying small, high dollar items, but you probably have enough storage space to house fifty cop kits if you have to.

Take it from a guy that has had to buy small armor: if you can cater to the over and undersized, you may be putting yourself out a little, but people will remember that.

HELMUT

Hey how did you know I was planning my first run of coat of plates kits to be 50 of em.

Anyway stock isn't really death for me. Reason being the more of something I make at once the less time it takes to make each one.

Skips the setup phases between steps. Also means I know where I just set that hammer.

Anyway if you're one of those people who are at the extreems (big or small) please post how extreem that is. ie. is a 38" chest about the smallest. I know there's guys with bigger then 52" chests. So I might make a couple that are even bigger.

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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory