Review: SPES - Axel Pettersson jacket

[Oli Barker]

I have been using one of the Axel Pettersson jackets for a few weeks now and I am very happy with it. My only criticisms are that it is a bit long in the arms for me, and that the neck is considerably more open than my old Paul jacket, rendering the use of some sort of gorget pretty much mandatory.

Overall, however, the freedom of movement in the upper body is vastly superior to that of my old jacket, as is the padding on the arms and sides/back. Given those positives, then, the negatives I mentioned are minor points and easily coped with.

I have been using it for rapier (steel, obviously) and sword and buckler (both nylon and steel).

[SeanH]

Oli I put the bib of my mask inside the collar of the jacket, which made wearing them together a lot more comfortable.

[Axel]

Oli I put the bib of my mask inside the collar of the jacket, which made wearing them together a lot more comfortable.

I've started to do this too and it works well, it also removes the gap between bib and jacket, adding some throat protection.

[admin]

Doesn't that stop you turning your head?

[Axel]

Not so much that i notice it, though the bib slips out from time to time, the jacket was not really intended to be used like this, people started to do it on their own. I suggested to SPES that they should make the collar wider and higher to make this even easier, dont know if they picked up on it though as they are developing throat guards separately.

[Oli Barker]

I'll have to give the bib-tuck a try then - thanks Sean!

[SeanH]

Glad to help, Oli!

Matt, I found that wearing the bib outside forced the base of the mask mesh against my chin, which was far from ideal, hence the switch to bib-inside. Head-turning isn't a problem thus far.

[Laurent]

Finally, I have ordered the Fehtschule Gdansk Gambeson after I must say, much thinking.
At least one of my friends will get the "Axel Pettersson" fencing jacket instead.
Thanks all for your feedbacks.

[TyHar7]

Do you still have to order these on email, was looking at ordering on the website but couldn't find a option for the UK for delivery or billing address?

[Payson]

I think you have to register an account first and then you can put in a UK address. You can pay with Pay Pal or by bank transfer. The shipping info they provide on the website for UK is for UPS and the price ranges from €25 for up to 10 kg at the low end and €34 for up to 30 kg at the upper end.

http://www.histfenc.com/staticcontent/27/delivery-cost

They seem to want you to use the "Customer opinion" box to write any explanatory messages to them, like measurements, or bespoke options. I think it would be hard to avoid some basic email exchanges to be sure of the price including shipping and to get their Pay Pal or bank account information.

[Laurent]

In the billing data section, at the bottom of the right hand side column there is a "name of country" section set to Poland by default. By changing to another country, the post and packing informations are updated automatically.

[TyHar7]

In the billing data section, at the bottom of the right hand side column there is a "name of country" section set to Poland by default. By changing to another country, the post and packing informations are updated automatically.

This is the drop down menu I was referring too. There doesn't seem to be a UK/britain/england option in that menu, which kind of worried me. Actually quite a few european countries a missing from that list so I wasn't sure if I should leave it in default or email them directly still as per earlier posts on this thread?

[Payson]

I just realised that the countries in that drop down menu are listed in Polish. Great Britain in Polish is 'Wielka Brytania'. Lukas who works there speaks pretty good English.

[TyHar7]

Well I did look for Anglias but was totally ignorant of that translation . Thanks for the help.

[Payson]

Sure, no problem. I think it is great that people are putting in the effort to design and make equipment for us.

[MugginsToadwort]

I got my Petterson style jacket a few weeks ago. I like it very much, especially the bright red bit! Arms a bit long, but that was solved with a set of ties to fix it above the elbow. Dealing with the guys at SPES was also trouble-free.

Ensifer gloves arriving soon...

[admin]

Axel, or anyone, I am intending to get one of these jackets but I don't know what size I should get? I am 185cm tall more or less and somewhere between Anders' and Axel's build, I would say... I'm guessing either Large or Extra-Large?

[Michael S]

http://histfenc.com/staticcontent/35/sizing has the standard sizing measurements.

[admin]

Cheers!

[Magnus Hagelberg]

or, you can go for custom.. they charge you extra, but you can have it made to measure.