The Armour Archive

Due to my circumstances of lacking what I need to make my own armour right now, and being in desperate need of new gauntlets, I broke down and decided to buy a pair from Wild Armoury.
I just received them this week and here is a full review.

Communication - Pre-payment: 5 out of 5. Intitial communication was excellent. Was very exacting in making sure that he had the details needed to begin the project and updated me regularly with a quick email or picture during progress.

Communication - Post-payment: 0 out of 5. Horrible. No other word for it. Follow up customer service was atrocious. This alone has very likely turned me away from every ordering armour from anyone and just suffering through until I can make it myself.

Cost: 5 out of 5 - Hard to beat the price for hourglass gauntlets of "spring" steel.

Product: 3 out of 5. This is where it is a little hit and miss. The cuff was done exactly as I asked, as was the choice of leather and color. Even the finish was correct (though I think there is a definition difference between what I call satin, and what he calls satin.) The main issues are in the circ of the wrist\/hand opening. It is perfectly round and almost big enough to fit both hands through. The metacarpal shape is off. The graduation of the edge at the knuckles is too straight. There isnt enough "decline" as it moves to the pinky. The "lip" of the cuff at the palm of the hand comes up into the palm, which is a significant hinderance to weapon movement. Overall, he did achieve the right general shape and certainly captured some of the finer details, but with the functional issues, I can only give it a 3 of 5.

Overall, I would give 3.5 out of 5.

Hi Kenwrec,

Thanks for the review.
Do you happen to have any pictures?

Cheers,

Max

Wow, thats rather unusual with Maxim, he has ALWAYS been great at communication with my stuff, I hear from him once a week and he is usually sending me pictures of my kit currently in production...

UPDATE -
After having used them now for 2 1/2 months, I have to say that I am overall very disappointed. At 1 practice a week and 2 events, I have had to repair the stitching 7 times, repair 4 different rips in the finger lame leathers where the rivets tore through and have a crack in the right metacarpal plate. It just gives tell to the quality of the materials that were chosen.

I am still impressed with the look and attentions to detail that he gave and taking heed of the requests that I had for those details.

Sounds like you got what you paid for.

There was a recent post that the armourers from Wild left to form a new company, maybe that's the issue here?

sounds like steel mastery.

Armour and Casting had their armour workshop leave due to different visions. Wild Armoury is Maxim. Have you contacted him with your issues? Because these issues should not have occured within this timeframe.

Cheers,

Max

I have contacted him, but have yet to hear from him.

As to his Grace's comment...I am aware of the cost of the gauntlets, but the promised quality that came with that price has not been met. It is as simple as that.

Kenwrec Wulfe wrote:UPDATE -
After having used them now for 2 1/2 months, I have to say that I am overall very disappointed. At 1 practice a week and 2 events, I have had to repair the stitching 7 times, repair 4 different rips in the finger lame leathers where the rivets tore through and have a crack in the right metacarpal plate. It just gives tell to the quality of the materials that were chosen.

I am still impressed with the look and attentions to detail that he gave and taking heed of the requests that I had for those details.

Good day, Keith!

I just now read your letter. Can you send me a photo of the crack in your gauntlet?
I havn't such problems with my gauntlets earlier. I checked the leather in the workshop and had no such problems.
I can show our correspondence through the e-mail to the public (including dating of letters), so people could see how regularly I'll answer. You paid $ 30 for delivery through the half-world, and is not my fault that it was so long. At the same time I has sent a package to Australia with 3 liners and cuirass to the U.S. and these two parcels were delivered at 14 and 10 days. Why your package has been delivered so much longer - it's a question for the postal service.

Best regards
Maxim Suprovich
WildArmoury

M.Suprovich wrote:

Kenwrec Wulfe wrote:UPDATE -
After having used them now for 2 1/2 months, I have to say that I am overall very disappointed. At 1 practice a week and 2 events, I have had to repair the stitching 7 times, repair 4 different rips in the finger lame leathers where the rivets tore through and have a crack in the right metacarpal plate. It just gives tell to the quality of the materials that were chosen.

I am still impressed with the look and attentions to detail that he gave and taking heed of the requests that I had for those details.

Good day, Keith!

I just now read your letter. Can you send me a photo of the crack in your gauntlet?
I havn't such problems with my gauntlets earlier. I checked the leather in the workshop and had no such problems.
I can show our correspondence through the e-mail to the public (including dating of letters), so people could see how regularly I'll answer. You paid $ 30 for delivery through the half-world, and is not my fault that it was so long. At the same time I has sent a package to Australia with 3 liners and cuirass to the U.S. and these two parcels were delivered at 14 and 10 days. Why your package has been delivered so much longer - it's a question for the postal service.

Best regards
Maxim Suprovich
WildArmoury

Max,

I understand the postal issue. We resolved that some time ago. Please see the dates of these posts. My current issue is the quality of your materials, not your work. I will photograph the crack and the current level of the stitching's unravel and breakage and email them to you.