ModernChivalry.org
Main => The Armoury => Topic started by: Allan Senefelder on 2012-02-01, 23:31:52
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Just saw this on myarmour.com http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=25202&sid=4c369e0f6e9296ff5ac9f138205d5ea4 (http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=25202&sid=4c369e0f6e9296ff5ac9f138205d5ea4)
Not the first or the last of this you'll see as the economy continues to crap out.
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Are GDBF and CAS Hanwei the same thing? I ask b/c the maille I want on Kult of Athena is from GDBF/CAS.
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Now where the hell am I gonna get a new Norman sword... I ain't going for Albion thats too out of my price range. Now I'm angry, everyones shutting down and everything else is out of my price range...
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sigh
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Bummer! I'm really sorry I didn't buy another Tinker practice longsword last year when they dropped the price to $112! :'(
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Well, crap! I'll keep my eyes open for an announcement from them, since I'm still listed with them as a dealer. This is hugely disappointing, and doesn't bode well for this industry as a whole.
CAS/Hanwei has been a great middle-ground option, with some wonderful improvements in the last couple of years, including training blunts and the like.
Are GDBF and CAS Hanwei the same thing? I ask b/c the maille I want on Kult of Athena is from GDBF/CAS.
GDFB is actually another company based out of the UK, and CAS/Hanwei was their US distributor. So the GDFB stuff will likely still be available, but it may involve overseas shipping, unless they get another distributor here. I'd love to see KoA become that distributor if CAS tanks.
I'm still waiting on riveted rings from KoA as well. If they can never get them, I'll be irritated since I already bought the tool, and the links simply never restocked.
Now where the hell am I gonna get a new Norman sword... I ain't going for Albion thats too out of my price range. Now I'm angry, everyones shutting down and everything else is out of my price range...
Well, truthfully, I'm worried about Albion as well. They've been quiet about it, but I suspect their sales are hurting too. And they've fallen way behind this past year.
What I'm worried about is that this explosion of inexpensive and widely available gear these last few years may have been an anomaly in the long-run. The market may not be able to support it. This sort of "renaissance" of armor and arms revival may not continue the way we've gotten used to.
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Now where the hell am I gonna get a new Norman sword... I ain't going for Albion thats too out of my price range. Now I'm angry, everyones shutting down and everything else is out of my price range...
Ulrich, go on KoA and see if they have any still in stock; I'd get it now while the iron's hot. This is sad, sad news...but not unexpected.
I'm with Sir Edward, I am hoping our higher end retailers are able to weather the storm...but no one's spending as much as they used to because the future seems so uncertain, what with the still declining job and housing markets.
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What I'm worried about is that this explosion of inexpensive and widely available gear these last few years may have been an anomaly in the long-run. The market may not be able to support it.
To be honest Ed what they are is what alot of people can afford after 5 years of being economically strangled. Its not that people don't still want the nicer high end stuff, they simply put no longer have the money. 5 years of going backwards cannot possibly yield a positive. By way of example, 4 years ago The Mercenarys Tailor made $65,000, and had one full and three part time employees. I just got my 1099 for last year from the company that I had used to process credit cards. They processed $28,300 last year. With Paypal payments and checks sent in the total for last year was just under $34,000 or just about half of what we made 4 years ago. Everybody still wanted the goods when we closed, but no one has any money left now.
If the mid and low end suppliers are now taking the hit, I have no idea where you'll be getting your stuff in a few years. Best I can tell you is, I know everyones broke but just like when I was doing the industry visibility giveaways, support your makers today so they can be there for you tommorow.
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It's definitely a scary trend.
On some of the threads out there about CAS/Hanwei, it's sounding like they may just be shutting down for the winter, and then will resume with higher prices. We'll see how it goes.
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They just responded on myArmoury:
I just posted this to our FB page and working on getting it to the website as well;
We have been advised by Hanwei that they were unable to complete their new factory building before winter weather halted construction, and as a result they have stopped production until April. In addition factory prices will increase once production resumes. We believe that the increases are partly due to sharply increased labor and material costs in China but have been given no information beyond this. This temporary disruption in product from Hanwei will have no affect on our GDFB or Rawlings polymer sparring sword lines. Thanks from everyone at CAS Hanwei for your continued support, we'll do our best to keep everyone up to date as we get further information from Hanwei!
Let me know if you have any questions.
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Ulrich, found this for you here: http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/Tinker_Norman_Sword_Sharp_29-SH2426.html (http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/Tinker_Norman_Sword_Sharp_29-SH2426.html)
Go get'm, Brother.
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Well, truthfully, I'm worried about Albion as well. They've been quiet about it, but I suspect their sales are hurting too. And they've fallen way behind this past year.
Do you have any idea how Albion and Albion Europe are structured? I often go to the Europe site because it's frankly alot better, it has more photos, more information about the swords etc... but what I notice is that Albion Europe has a TON of swords in stock at all times. I'm just guessing they are having supplier issues here that they might not be feeling iEurope right now, but I always assumed the two companies are owned by a common entity. But yeah, still waiting for the sword I ordered in September, last update had an ETA of shortly after the first of the year, but it's Feb now so...
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You know, I've never been clear on how it's structured. I've been guessing that they treated it like a franchise, in that the European shop is separately owned, but paid to have access to their designs and methods. It's just a guess though.
Albion over here definitely had some supply issues this past year. They couldn't get their steel for the training blunts for most of the year. Now, they had issues getting their sharps rolling. I just asked them again about the sword I ordered in September, and when they replied yesterday, they said the steel had just come in that day. Now they have to catch up on doing the CNC blanks.
That does make things difficult-- when the materials arrive months late.
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At least we're understanding enough to realize the issues of supply and demand w/regard to raw materials...hopefully, all of their customers do, too.
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Well this recession has cost me about $75k personally and I'm just one man.
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They couldn't get their steel for the training blunts for most of the year.
Mike and I talked about this not long before I closed. What happened is that some factories that make the steel they use have closed, due to the economy ( what recovery? ) making it very tough to get ahold of. They were left hanging for literally months until thier supplier could track down new sources and I believe it can at times still be sketchy.
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Well this recession has cost me about $75k personally and I'm just one man.
So far, it has cost me nearly twice that. I should say us, as my wife is included in that sum. That's just the house, I stopped looking at our retirement funds back in 08 when I saw there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.
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I didn't lose nearly that much in my retirement as I decided to move mine into a much safer fund after I bled $20K in one quarter at the start of the economy melt down. :-\
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It really is a shame to see that these guys are struggling.
Just thought I`d mention, if any of you are after good quality, reasonably priced swords for combat then you could try Armour Class.
Our group swears by them.....
http://www.armourclass.com/ (http://www.armourclass.com/)
G.
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i always liked armour class. there kinda hard to get a hold of on this side of the pond. i've handled one though. i had a choice between one and a Paul Bins. I got the Bins but likes the class just as much
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Anyone have any experience with Marshal Historical? I've noticed they've popped up on KoA lately.
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Anyone have any experience with Marshal Historical? I've noticed they've popped up on KoA lately.
I noticed them too, and noticed a lot of things dropped off of KoA. More than popped up. :(
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i always liked armour class. there kinda hard to get a hold of on this side of the pond. i've handled one though. i had a choice between one and a Paul Bins. I got the Bins but likes the class just as much
With the complicated weapon laws in this country I`m not sure if exporting may be an issue for Armour Class ( although I can`t see why that would be) maybe there`s just so much competition over there that they haven`t broken through yet ;)
I have an Armourclass hand and a half, broad single hander and a knightly single hander (passionately knick named Lightning as it is so light)
Paul Bins swords are also very nice and equally as popular here,I have considered one myself. You made a nice choice Sir Wolf, how do you find it?
G.
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viking shield.com used to carry a few different versions of his. 3 of us ordered the same sword but each one looked different enough that they were the same type but werent ahaha it was very cool. like having a custom sword :)
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damnit i was going to order a flail from them >.<
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You should still be able to. It's just that things will be spotty for some number of months.
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I'll look into it
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Now where the hell am I gonna get a new Norman sword... I ain't going for Albion thats too out of my price range. Now I'm angry, everyones shutting down and everything else is out of my price range...
I know & fight with a local armorer. He makes quality custom stuff. If you want crusader period armanents, particulary broadswords, he's reasonably priced but it takes time. He frequents the CTRF mostly.
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Now where the hell am I gonna get a new Norman sword... I ain't going for Albion thats too out of my price range. Now I'm angry, everyones shutting down and everything else is out of my price range...
You could get this one; the H/T series are a good batch of swords, much better than Hanwei's standard offerings in fit, finish, heft, balance and overall aesthetic. You can probably find it for cheaper, like at KoA if they still have any in stock.