Official FOTK Vendor feedback page

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Hi folks - right now only Jimmi is on the list of vetted "where to buy" FOTK armor.  Below is a list of other makers that we are aware of.  We'd like to get your feedback on the other makers as well, so we can categorically decide whether or not to add them.  Please do reply with any experience you've had - good or bad, and if there is anyone else we should add in.

 

Thanks!

 

Current list:

 

ANOVOS

Jimmi

KB

Backstage

850

FNArmor

Mimic

 

 

[heartstopper85[TK]]

I have MIMIC Armor on Order; at first his communication was not great and there were lots of missed target dates. Has fixed the problems by slowing down the orders taking in hiring help and taking sides jobs to help material investment. I haven't had a problem since with communication it was been night and day. I will have the first half of my armor in hand by the end of the week. Still lots of pieces yet to be received. Right now there is only one spot open and I think once MIMIC is done he will be done making armor. Which will be shame to see those molds go to waste. Doesn't seem like it has been profitable for MIMIC to take on this huge of a project.

 

I also have KB First Order Tie Pilot Armor on hand if it's acceptable I can comment that the armor is easy to work with. It came for me in 3 weeks everything was there and accounted for. KB has been helpful throughout the process. Even if I had questions on our FB build group I got tips from his helper on working with the armor. I'm excited to see the improvements being made and appreciate the effort put towards gets the armor correct. 2 of our members are going to be building KB kits in near future so I'm sure I'll have my hands on his kit again in near future.

[sandtrooper[501st]]

I joined the MIMIC run last week but am at the bottom of the waitlist.  Curious about how the TD will look for the kit and the helmets.

[Peregrinus]

As I am building a Cardinal costume, I have the ANOVOS Standard Line kit on order, plus I had to secure boot armor. I initially approached Jimmi, as I didn't yet know about other vendors doing Phasma stuff. After he replied to my initial enquiry in the affirmative, he said he'd get back to me with a price and that was the last I was able to elicit a response from him, via any avenue. That was six months ago.

 

I since moved on to KB, who also answered in the affirmative, and gave a price point. I ordered a set of Phasma boot armor in December. Then he moved his shop (which I hadn't known he was about to do). I waited until some times after he was set up and running again before reminding him I was here -- not impatiently. He assured me he'd have the pieces pulled by "the end of the week". That was mid-February. Since then no word on those, though I have asked him about other things and gotten prompt responses. I don't know if my order has fallen victim to his supply issues. He hasn't replied to that question.

 

Until I can tackle my stupidly-ambitious plans for an eventual SE-44C blaster, I am going with 850's. They weren't listing it as in stock, so I asked about it and they said they'd be able to cast one up for me no problem, but it'd be a couple weeks. That was late December. When I asked mid-February how it was going, they sent a pic of blaster bits next to my printed-out order. After another couple weeks of no shipping notice, I asked again -- also not impatiently -- and they said they'd accidentally 3D-printed a Death Trooper SE-14C, and those were the parts pictured. They were in the midst of doing the right blaster. I mentally noted 3D printing is different from casting, but I care less about the method than the accuracy, and I trust them on that front. I can work with either.

 

Meanwhile, back on the ANOVOS front, we're all still waiting, yes. But I've been following what's been happening throughout, and am hopful they'll make their current -- if vague -- target of beginning shipping in the March 21-June 20 range. All the delays have been armor-related. The helmets are already done and approved and on-site. The soft goods that ship with the armor kit -- the joint gaskets, the belt, and the pouches -- haven't hit any snags and are, as far as I know, all approved and waiting on-site, as well. The last update we had on the armor was in February, when they said they were going to miss their previous March 20 target. My only concern is some last-minute downcheck from Disney screwing things up. At which point, I might drive down to L.A. and just ask for it minus the packaging.

 

So I guess my takeaway from those vendors is... Mixed reviews? I am ultimately glad Jimmi went quiet on me, as I prefer working with plastic over fiberglass. I trust KB, 850, and ANOVOS to all eventually deliver and, while I'm impatient to get started working on these things, I have plenty to work on at home already, and I'm not going to die, go to jail, lose my job, have kidnappers kill my loved one, or otherwise have dire consequences for having to wait to get my plastic soldier dress-up pieces. I've waited up to two years before, and I'm not even to the one-year mark yet with ANOVOS, let alone the rest. So I'm in the balance point between frustrated and sanguine.

 

--Jonah