The Armour Archive

any review on these guys? their stuff looks great for great prices.

Bry wrote:any review on these guys? their stuff looks great for great prices.

One word: Awesome.

My experience with him is from about a year ago, although I have been in contact with them this year as well. Just make sure you discuss with them what you are getting and what use you will be giving it.

I got from them a fantastic set of breastplate with faulds and tassets.

It is being relegated to when I start fighting longsword and spear (which is actually a more appropriate use for the armour itself). It is very well made, pretty to look at and accurately historical. Protection is phenomenal. This is not sports armour. This is armour, the real thing.

Allan is very knowledgeable (ridiculously so, but low key, so he flanks you with an obscure comment on armour that appears in some forgotten book) and was able to deliver to me the above in a week or ten days between first call and armour at my doorstep. (I asked him to do this promtply and he was more than responsive)

After a very minor issue arose following my first use of the armour, Allen sent me extra straps, rivets and even the tool to cut the old ones.

I would buy from him again with no hesitation. Top notch product, superb customer service and very, very timely delivery.

Rowan

I think it would depend on what you are buying.

I went to their site and some stuff seemed ok and priced average. Other stuff was way over priced and weird looking.

InsaneIrish wrote:I think it would depend on what you are buying.

I went to their site and some stuff seemed ok and priced average. Other stuff was way over priced and weird looking.

I never said cheap

Some of their stuff is really costly, whether it is priced above its value is relative. As for weird, the weirdness comes from it being later that we are used to see. I understand they are pretty good about documentation.

Rowan

I have a fair amount of Allan's armour. The best thing is that he gets it to you FAST, and he's reliable! None of this waiting around for months and months wondering if your armourer even got your emails and info (other than cashing your check).

Not all of his stuff is dead on the money, as he's making for the larger market. But if you pick and choose, or just ask, he can pull together some pretty darned decent armour, at a reasonable cost, and in a very reasonable time. My gorget, pauldrons and vambraces are made by him, and while for the most part kind of heavy (mild rather than spring steel), they are great for jousting. I would think that they would be fine for SCA fighting too. Allan has even modified other pieces I've had that were poorly done (a breast and back from Illusion that I traded into) to make them workable.

BTW, Lloyd Clark uses Mercenary's Tailor for his pauldrons and vambraces too, and they hold up well to balsa and other forms of jousting.

As Allan states up front, he's making munitions-grade armour. It's not perfect and it's a little heavy for living-history grade armour, but it's better than most I've seen out there, and again, he's fast and reliable. I'll probably have him make up more for me in the future, too.

Cheers!

Gordon

Allan has made quite a bit of my jousting kit over the years and I can give him a grade of A+ on every piece. It fits great, looks and functions like the period piece and Allan is simply the greatest person to work with.

Allan custom made this 15th Century arm harness for me (and the legs too, but you can't see them):

[img]http://www.sirclisto.com/camelot/ca55.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.sirclisto.com/camelot/ca53.jpg[/img]

I have had a number of different sets of armour over the years, all for jousting and "live" steel combat and I highly recommend Mercenary Tailor.

Will absolutely back up everything said here. Allan is fast and honest. He isn't going to disappear into the night like so many before him.

His stuff is great and rock solid. You won't be sorry.

~dev~

If allan did stainless i would be all over his stuff. Ive bought a few things from him and they would only lead me to want more. Next thing im getting from em is those nice finger buckelers.

I've dealt with Allan on several occasions over the years and have always found him to be helpful and friendly. Much of their product line might miss the historical mark in terms of fine shape, proportion and etc. However, Allan is knowledgeable and is directing his product towards a specific niche in the market which isn't covered by the likes of Historic Enterprises, Patrick Thaden, Museum Reproductions, etc. He succeeds in this quite well.

I would recommend Allan's work as well. He is a pleasure to work with.

Lloyd wrote:Allan has made quite a bit of my jousting kit over the years and I can give him a grade of A+ on every piece. It fits great, looks and functions like the period piece and Allan is simply the greatest person to work with.

Allan custom made this 15th Century arm harness for me (and the legs too, but you can't see them):

[img]http://www.sirclisto.com/camelot/ca55.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.sirclisto.com/camelot/ca53.jpg[/img]

I have had a number of different sets of armour over the years, all for jousting and "live" steel combat and I highly recommend Mercenary Tailor.

Lloyd I want your horse

MJBlazek wrote:Lloyd I want your horse

that is a BFH big friggen horse


as to the original topic, any ideas if Allen would work with customer provided materials?

sha-ul wrote:
as to the original topic, any ideas if Allen would work with customer provided materials?

Not a clue, but he IS always open to talking about minor customization of things, so it's worth an email to find out.

Cheers!

Gordon

sha-ul wrote:

MJBlazek wrote:Lloyd I want your horse

that is a BFH big friggen horse


as to the original topic, any ideas if Allen would work with customer provided materials?

Well the guy I am learning to joust against has a BFH too... so it would even things out.

Rittmeister Frye wrote:

sha-ul wrote:
as to the original topic, any ideas if Allen would work with customer provided materials?

Not a clue, but he IS always open to talking about minor customization of things, so it's worth an email to find out.

Cheers!

Gordon

I have sent him an email to see if he would be interested in working with 4130.

Anything under 17 hands is a pony

Or like my daughter said when we went to the Midwest Horse Fair last year and were watching the Quarterhorses, "Look, Daddy, they're like horses only smaller"

alot of good reviews, awesome.. thanks all