Just to let all everyone know that I picked The Mercenary 's Tailor to make my early crusader helm based solely on Jean Thibodeau's recommendation and boy I was not disappointed. Allan Senefelder and his staff bent over backwards to make my helm from scratch customized to my own specifications and it was delivered to my doorstep literally 2 weeks from the day I ordered it. The helm is built like a tank and just screams quality with all the extra's and detail.

It was the best experience I've had yet with all the historic hardware I've ordered. Mercenary's Tailor has another fan and that's me. Thanks Allan and Thank you Jean very much.

Here are some pictures of the helm from which mine was based:

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Well glad it worked out so good and Allan does his best to give the kind of quality service he would like to have from vendors when he has been on the customer side of a purchase that seems a bit too rare unfortunately with custom work: He really wants to make sure that he can deliver his standard product as an off the shelf ready to ship as much as possible and when he does accept a custom job that he can deliver quickly.

Anyway, I appreciate the mention and it does make me happy if I was helpful in making your decision what and where to have your helm made.

Allan and the Merc tailor do great work and they really care about their customers. Here is a link of our latest adventure with our friend Lee Jones: http://lakeontariofechtchule.webs.com/articles.htm

Cheers,

Todd

The Mercenarys Tailor is great and Allan does a wonderful job regarding customer service.
Our whole club orders all the metal armour parts from him - never regretted it.

Herbert

He is a great craftsman, and it is only with a heavy heart that I had to part with a few of his things :/

M.

+1 to pretty much everything that's been said here already. I'm quite happy to have added Allan to the short (but growing!) list of industry folk that I've had the pleasure of talking to/buying from. (My latest bit of kit, a Viking shield, arrived today in the post.)

I had the chance to chat with Allan a bit on the day I ordered it (he actually called me, since I thought I'd dialed a wrong number after I tried calling and got his machine--those who've heard the message will understand why), and was amused to no end about--amongst other things--his thoughts of IT-types. And that's coming from an IT-type ;)

In other words, myArmoury's institutional recommendations for vendors come through with flying colours yet again.

Here is a pic I thought I would share of a custom helm and viking shield Allan made for Lee Jones. The viking shield is this pic is made of bass wood, if I remember correctly. I believe the helm is prussian?

[ Linked Image ]

I moved my reply to "show your kit" thread...sorry

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=160233#160233