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Moncal vs. Strider Armor?


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Hey guys,

 

I'm a bit of a noob to the TB world. Looking for TB armor/helmet and I've narrowed it down to Moncal's or Strider's new upcoming armor/helmet.

 

I know Moncal has been known to have poor response times but they're in the US which is where I am as well. I'm sure Strider's new armor is awesome too, but they're in the UK.

 

Moncal's helmet is part fiberglass/ABS. Not sure about the new Lonewolf helmet though.

 

Wanted your feedback/thoughts on both of these. To me, they both look pretty awesome.

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I have both sets. Full set of MC with armour and a Strider kit with a LW helmet. My pick is strider and his helmet.

 

MC has a long,long wait time. CFO will be offering the strider kits. So it'll be a quick turnaround.

 

Accuracy wise Strider. MC has rounded the neck of chest plate which makes it a bit more accurate. The abs MC is what kills it for me. Yellows quick and becomes brittle.

 

That's where I stand on it.

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I'm 100% with Stroker on this. I think MC is the second most accurate kit you can get, and with such a long wait time and other drawbacks, why not go with the best?

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Ok cool...good to know. Thanks for the feedback!

 

Is the LW helmet full ABS? I just hope the new Strider/LW helmet has a fairly speedy turnaround.

 

MC just happens to have an extra armor ready to go which is another big reason I'm considering it.

But eesh if it yellows and becomes brittle...yucky.

But doesn't all ABS have that potential? Or is it because theirs isn't as thick?

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Ok cool...good to know. Thanks for the feedback! Is the LW helmet full ABS? I just hope the new Strider/LW helmet has a fairly speedy turnaround. MC just happens to have an extra armor ready to go which is another big reason I'm considering it. But eesh if it yellows and becomes brittle...yucky. But doesn't all ABS have that potential? Or is it because theirs isn't as thick?

 

All plastics will yellow eventually and long exposure to UV will certainly accelerate that process.That said, the general consensus seems to be that MC's plastic tends to yellow much faster than other vendors.

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25 page thread on the 501st forum with complaints about Moncal ;)

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Been wanting to upgrade from my SC since I saw the strider armor in the comparison thread.

 

I’ve pm’d strider, but no response.

 

 

 

How does one purchase a set?

 

There is a interest thread up for the CFO/Strider Armour. No helmet yet as I still have to work on that. But I’m nearly complete on the armour moulds. Just a couple to mount to boards and a few tweaks and I’m done. Just ordered some pinseal abs for Monday and will start working down the list.

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Yeah, I think there are better options than MC. They are a great group but the wait time and service is a lacking. KS is the least desirable kit, for a number of reasons. The SC kit is great and their service is unmatched. The new CFO/Strider kit looks very promising as well! :)

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I have MC armor and had just finished assembly of their new in-house fiberglass/ABS bucket and its fabulous. I have had no issues with yellowing and i now own 4 of their armor kits. I know they changed their ABS supplier a bit ago and this may have dealt with this issue for many, but yellowing is a lot to do with what you treat the plastic with, and UV exposure, etc.

Their wait times have been an issue in the past, but they also had some medical issues and some staffing issues that they were dealing with at the time. They were also working with another armorer for their former Biker bucket, since they did not formerly produce their own, and they have done away with that lag time as well. They do have a new staff and are working on an in-stock ready-to-ship policy. The medical ordeal being taken care of, and the new staffing and supplier have done a lot for them in recent months. They expect this to take care of the wait time considerably.

I consider their armor the most accurate of any supplier out there and i think you should give them another shot at coming through. Its been a tough road for MC. Quite a few setbacks in the last decade or so. But i think this is the turnaround they were looking for.

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  • 3 weeks later...

What is the consensus on the new CF/Strider kits vs. original Strider kits... same/better/etc? Anyone have one in hand to compare yet?

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What is the consensus on the new CF/Strider kits vs. original Strider kits... same/better/etc? Anyone have one in hand to compare yet?

I not aware of anyone having a kit yet. Last I heard Mark was fixing a couple of things.

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I just received MC armor and I really like it. I used to have SC which was really small. The ABS for MC is really nice and thick. I don’t see how it could be brittle. And I always spray a uv protective sealant on my are to help prevent yellowing. I really like my MC

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I just received MC armor and I really like it. I used to have SC which was really small. The ABS for MC is really nice and thick. I don’t see how it could be brittle. And I always spray a uv protective sealant on my are to help prevent yellowing. I really like my MC

Yes it's thick. However it tends to age quickly. Also the main problem with mc is the plastic becoming brittle. The yellowing and cracking was even brought up by the owner of MC. It was from bad plastic.

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  • 2 years later...

I know this is an old thread ...

however..

 

I have a moncal biker Kit set armour and helmet.

 

Everything is included in the kit and is nicely trimmed. looks great and now for the bad things well for me and others it seems....

 

the plastic yellows crazy fast i mean it was inside my house on the table in the middle of the room and it yellowed badly.. used armour white however and its gone back to a decent white. i will look into what i can do to protect it from UV.

 

Helmet great shape but the resin helmet for me was again a issue It has been in my pile to do list in my reception room when i came to test fit the parts the helmet is warped slightly and has a slight crack where the straps go thru, it is trimmed very nice . I contacted Cal said about the yellowing and helmet and was told not to leave it in the sun and that was it, its not seen proper sunlight yet.

Pros

Full kit everything needed.

trimmed nicely

Quite accurate.

Cons

bad plastic yellowing fast

hate the resin helmet 

painfully slow for response times on email 

Slow shipping and turnaround

 

I have since gone to CFO to replace my helmet for the lonewolf spoke to mark about the plastic etc he said he would of replaced it for me and mark from CFO responds very quickly, his shipping is good as he gets a discount from DHL and passes it onto the customer. he has quick turnarounds. This is why I dealt with him as his customer service is good i am located in Japan.

 

I am so disapointed in my Moncal helmet and dont want to finish it as its so depressing for me. As for the Armour I hope it does not yellow and become brittle yeah it will not last forever  get that but it should not yellow when its in a room within the first month.

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This for a recent MonCal kit and the new rotocast helmet + ABS visor that he released in the last year or so?

I know that MonCal used to have some issues with his ABS supply yellowing abnormally fast. I had heard that he found a new supplier and this wasn't as much of an issue anymore. Regardless, it's unfortunate to hear about your experience. You should be happy with the Cf0/LoneWolf helmet -- it's one of the better ones out there.

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Great choice with CFO/Lonewolf. I’m sure you’ll be pleased!

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Quote

This for a recent MonCal kit and the new rotocast helmet + ABS visor that he released in the last year or so?

I know that MonCal used to have some issues with his ABS supply yellowing abnormally fast. I had heard that he found a new supplier and this wasn't as much of an issue anymore. Regardless, it's unfortunate to hear about your experience. You should be happy with the Cf0/LoneWolf helmet -- it's one of the better ones out there.

Yeah its his rotocast helmet its nice dont get me wrong just I had those issues, i also repalced the greeblies on th tank topper as cals was a bit smaller..

Still i am happy with my armour now its back to white!

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  • 2 months later...
On 11/26/2020 at 1:32 AM, p4ntb0y said:

I am so disapointed in my Moncal helmet and dont want to finish it as its so depressing for me. As for the Armour I hope it does not yellow and become brittle yeah it will not last forever  get that but it should not yellow when its in a room within the first month.

send me the helmet, Dan. I would love to finish it.

I have 5 MonCal armor kits finished that i have worn over the past 15 years. I have no yellowing on any of them.

Seriously, if you want to get rid of your MC bucket, let me know.

 

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