Just recieved the Plackard from Albion in the mail yesterday and am quite pleased with it. It was put together well with no hangups on the moving parts. It's got a great satin finish and a slightly 'used' look to it which I love. I hate mirror finish on baldes and armor so this suited me well. I really like the 'middle man' arms and armor in most periods. The only slight drawback (and this is absolutley no fault of the makers) is that on the sides, the edge flares out from my body a little more than I would like. I am however quite slender and for a non custom fit piece, this is to be expected. It came fully strapped and ready to wear. I did have to punch holes in the straps for the buckles but that was no sweat at all. Actually, I like that better. Ive had more than a few belts where the hole I wanted was right in between to two that existed. So this allowed me to put it exactly where I wanted it. I havent had a chance to get pounded with it yet, but it's quite solid and looks great. As reported countless times, customer service was great, and it arrived within the projected time. Thanks Albion! oh, the price is pretty hard to beat too for something thats fully strapped and looks that good.
http://www.albionarmorers.com/armor/mercenary/plackard.htm