Review: SPES - Axel Pettersson jacket

[Reinier]

I just prefer a back zip, mainly for aesthetic and safety reasons. My aesthetic may not be your aesthetic. But if you tell me there is enough overlap, I will believe that.

Also, if you attach a string to the back zip, you will not need help putting it on or taking it off. I am using a Leon Paul coaches plastron, and have been using that for a few years now; I have never needed help getting in or out of that.

[admin]

For the record, the SPES AP jacket has a massive overlap, in fact the entire chest is one great overlap.
It's one of the main selling points of the jacket actually - on the chest it is double-thickness.

[admin]

Something I want to add to the review of the SPES AP jacket is that the stitching is not great quality. Some of my stitching has come out already and one of our members had a faulty zip.
Otherwise it is still performing well, though clearer instructions on how to clean them would be very welcome!

[Mark T]

Hi Matt,

I'm finding that just using the handwash/delicate setting on my machine is working just fine ...

Mark T

[admin]

Now that's very useful to know, thanks!

[Magnus Hagelberg]

Had some stiches go up on mine too.

And I'm just waiting for the Zipper to give up as I intend to change it for a sturdier one (wish they would have made it with a larger one from the start)
Also added a strap to the zipper, so I can get it open when flushed with adrennalin and still have gloves on.

[Axel]

I met Andrzej from SPES at WWOC and me, him and Scott Brown had some really good discussions on improvements for the jacket aswell as ideas for other products.

Amongst other things we discussed a leather apron fastened with velcro to cover the chest, belly and shoulders similar to the Leon Paul coaching jacket. This is also for aesthetical reasons but most importantly in order to protect the fabric and stitching form tear, for example from jagged blades.

It also adds another layer of protection, from having used the leather covered Leon Paul jacket both with and without the leater cover I can say that the leather really adds to the protection. The one concern is that it will add too much weight, we'll see.

Hopefully I will have the new prototype for Swordfish. I'll pass on the concerns regarding the zip, it has happened to me too.

Edit: hopefully SPES will be at Swordfish in person.

[Payson]

I think it would be great if they prewashed the fabric to promote shrinkage and fulling of the cloth before they cut and sewed the garment. That would address one of the issues involved with washing the jacket, as shrinkage after it has been sewed together can lead to problems from differential shrinkage of the different natural materials (thicker canvas outer, thinner lining, wool stuffing) and lack of shrinkage of synthetics (zipper, velcro).

[admin]

FYI, we had another zip break at training last night. They REALLY need to upgrade the zips.

[Motley]

I met Andrzej from SPES at WWOC and me, him and Scott Brown had some really good discussions on improvements for the jacket aswell as ideas for other products.

Amongst other things we discussed a leather apron fastened with velcro to cover the chest, belly and shoulders similar to the Leon Paul coaching jacket. This is also for aesthetical reasons but most importantly in order to protect the fabric and stitching form tear, for example from jagged blades.

It also adds another layer of protection, from having used the leather covered Leon Paul jacket both with and without the leater cover I can say that the leather really adds to the protection. The one concern is that it will add too much weight, we'll see.

Hopefully I will have the new prototype for Swordfish. I'll pass on the concerns regarding the zip, it has happened to me too.

Edit: hopefully SPES will be at Swordfish in person.

Thanks for the update Axel, so I assume that some kind of v2 is in the works shortly after SF?

[Axel]

definitely .

[Mearcstapa]

And I'm just waiting for the Zipper to give up as I intend to change it for a sturdier one (wish they would have made it with a larger one from the start)
Also added a strap to the zipper, so I can get it open when flushed with adrennalin and still have gloves on.

I got one (in Hobbit size) in the post today, along with the occipital protector.

Regarding the jacket, I strongly agree with Magnus' sentiments above - the zip, as they would say in the vernacular, looks ass - in fact, it was done up wrongly (i.e. misaligned - the long bottom tooth on the 'male' side was not fixed into the socket at the bottom of the 'female' side) even when I took the thing out of its packaging. Something gnarlier - YKK? - would be appreciated, and to be honest I'm surprised by how cheap the zip feels given the apparent quality of the jacket as a whole.

The occipital jobby seems fine - I had to bend it a bit to get it to fit inside my mask and it makes taking the thing on and off a bit of a faff but I'm quite pleased with the level of protection - more 'soft padding' on the inside would be welcome, but I can probably knock something up to do that.

Even with my weedy 10-year-old-girl arms I struggled to get SPES's forearm and elbow protectors to fit either over or under the jacket's sleeves - with someone to help I could have got them over, but the fit was a bit loose. If I put them inside then the elbow/upper arm bit of the pad limited the extent to which I could bend my elbow in, so I am considering cutting it off. I was also disappointed by the lack of elbow joint padding on the arm-guards - if you bend your arm, there is only fabric between your elbow (bone? Knowledge of human physiology poor) and any incoming strikes. I am planning on getting rid of the extra elbow/upper arm flap so I can use skate cups instead. We shall see.

Overall:
Jacket - approve, except zip
Occipital protector - approve, needs minor tweaking by me to optimise
Forearm/elbow guards - a bit pointless - if given the choice again, would buy Vectir plus skate cups for elbows.

[Jamie]

I intend to be ordering one very shortly!

Or a feder...choices choices,,,

[Derek Wassom]

My zip broke while fighting in Dijon. Should I try contacting them, or just replace it myself?

[admin]

We have about 12 of them in SG1 and the zips have broken on 4 of them!.... This is despite the fact that they don't all have the same type of zip. It seems that SPES are just using crap zips, which on a product of this price is very disappointing.

[Peter S]

The zip on mine failed minutes before the check in at the SwordFish tournament. I had to be hurriedly sewn into the jacket to compete.

I talked with Andrzej very briefly at the end of the event (mostly to vent) - he said that the zips were going to be upgraded to something tougher. I've since installed a new zip myself.

[Mearcstapa]

I had to be hurriedly sewn into the jacket to compete.

Desperately inconvenient I'm sure, but pretty cool.

[Mearcstapa]

Has anyone made any modifications to their jackets except replacing the zips?

I have found that it is difficult to get a good fit for arm protectors (I have the SPES ones) around the forearm because of the amount of spare material. I unpicked the seam and resewed it so that there is a double thickness of padding around my outer arm and the sleeve fits much better, but it has made in damnably difficult to get my hand out once it's in. I am now considering some kind of elasticated lacing to maintain the fit but allow me to get undressed without the aid of some sort of squire.

If anyone else has tinkered with their jackets I would be interested to hear about it.

[Mark T]

Have you seen Anton's customisations in his HEMA Review?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPtg4lkAas

Some interesting ideas there ...