Shadowdale Creations Star Trek Cage Uniform Review 1/14/08
As mentioned in my previous review of Shadowdale’s First Contact vest, I’ll continue this time with a review of the Cage Uniform received from them. The uniform consists of several parts, only some of which was hand crafted by SDC.
SDC provided the uniform pants along with retrofitting an existing tunic with a more accurate collar.
Shadowdale provided the Cage pants, and retrofitted the tunic. The field jacket was previously purchased from Adam29 back in the day.
Following the format already developed, I will detail 3 parts: customer service plus detail and accuracy, and fit. Each will have an equal contribution to the overall score of the product
Customer Service: How smooth was the transaction? How was communication handled? How were potential issues resolved?
Similar to the First Contact vest already discussed, this Cage Uniform package was part of a lager costume order placed in February/March 2007. For the sake of reiterating, the online transaction was characterized by a quick and seamless set of emails, culminating in a smooth migration to payment via paypal.
What was unusual about this transaction was my requirement to have my existing Cage Tunic (originally purchased from Adam29) altered to accommodate a better looking and more accurate collar. What I originally received from Adam29 more closely resembled the flatter collars seen in the second pilot, and with the command insignia replicating the Cage-era already on the tunic, I needed a fixed collar.
“When you have no one else to turn to”…… reminiscent of the A-Team, SDC comes through. I asked if they could retrofit the collar, and at no point was there any hemming or hawing about the difficulty. No issues with matching fabric colors, or issues getting the collar properly fitted onto the existing tunic. They just got it done. From what I gather from other customers and custom orders, this seems par for the course.
Next onto the Cage-era pants, and here is where some issues creep in – but not due to SDC. As the folks were working on the pants they contacted me a couple times on length of the pants. Another good example of proactive customer service that I hope the team at SDC continues. This is a big issue since the Cage-era pants are longer than the ¾ length seen (more or less) throughout the series. It was a wonderful experience to have a tailor double check and verify measurements which we did over the span of a day or so. Emails went flawlessly. Well, I wish I could say the same for my measuring skill, which goes to prove the notion we all know that whenever you are getting measured, have someone else do it. Duh. The crux of the issue was I apparently can’t measure (must be that pending metric system getting in the way …right?).
When the pants were received they were too short, and closer to the TOS length. We quickly negotiated a fix (in 1 or 2 emails), and along with new measurements and I sent the originals back. Folks, if you wonder why SDC may miss deadlines from time to time, or seems to have a long queue, this seems to be it! The folks go out of their way to try to make things right, something few others do. And so, their que is often delayed by “redos” and “fixes” that happen and pop back into line when they might not have been anticipated when original time lines were quoted. So really, it’s in part their customer service that may be adding to delays.
On the negative side, a couple deadlines were missed along the way, but in this case those issues were outweighed by their dedication to fix the products
RATING 4.5 out of 5
Detail and Accuracy:How close is the replica to the screen accurate or screen seen?
The Cage-era pants are unique from the Series pants, in more of a charcoal vs. black. They also are longer with a bit of a front crease seen in some of the attached pictures. The bell on the pants seems to vary from photo to photo, with some almost non existent, and so we opted to include a subtle one. As I mentioned, SDC made a second pair of pants for me, and the second pair in addition to fitting properly, seems an even closer match to screen captures!
For the Cage tunic, the folks replaced the existing collar with one allowing for the slight roll and bend more characteristic of the Cage. Nicely, it can be worn flatter if desired, and in fact, if you look closely at the Cage you’ll see a couple instances of a flatter look to the collar vs. the bubble or roll seen on Pike’s uniform.
RATING 5 out of 5
FIT:
The Cage tunic turned out great, and the collar looks and fits well. The ability to wear it rolled or flat is a very nice addition. One issue I did find is when wearing the collar rolled, the collar zipper digs into your neck a bit for an uncomfortable feel. If the zipper stopped a bit lower, and finished off with hook and eye closures for a tight seem that might alleviate a small inconvenience.
The uniform pants look great, and are the closest to screen caps I’ve seen. The fit was excellent, and the all too important length of the pants was spot on.
RATING 4.5 out of 5
Overall
My experience with Shadowdale on this second part of my initial order was a positive one, despite the hurdles thrown in due to my own measurement fiasco and some delays. Two very important aspects of their business conduct and culture again surface. First is their “can-do” attitude – exemplified in their willingness and ability to retro-fit an existing costume tunic. The second aspect is again their “make-good” ethic. When an issue came up that clearly didn’t rest with them, they went on to make sure things ended up positive. As I pointed out in the last product review, SDC is a small operation, and their reputation has given them quite a long line of customers. Some times mishaps happen, and it’s their willingness to work with customers – their good will – that also impacts everyone’s time tables. That something we should understand and appreciate since it happens infrequently in this hobby/business.
OVERALL SCORE 4.7 out of 5
NEXT UP: Hostages, Terrorists, and the Star Trek V Assault Uniform!
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