[MR] learning on borrowed armor

[Becky McEllistrem]

This recent armor discussion reminded me of a question I've had for a long time.

Sorry if this was discussed and I didn't see the subject as I didn't have a lot of time for the current armor conversation and had to delete a lot.

I tell my friends who are interested in SCA to try visiting different cantons, going to meetings of different cantons and seeing where they are comfortable with this most because each canton develops its own culture, etc.

Along the way they meet people who are very willing to help them out with garb, gear, tentage etc. and then armor.

So now MR. Newbie has borrowed armor and started to learn how to fight.  He's authorized and is starting to get pretty good - not really winning tons but doing pretty well.  At what point do you say "you really should get your own suit of armor and get well versed with that instead of borrowed armor"?  If you get really good with armor that is not your own are you in a sense setting yourself up to fail?

Sort of like the horseback rider who wants their own saddle, or the golfer who wants their own set of clubs.  Obviously you want to get people suited up in their own armor as soon as possible, but is it really bad to learn and maintain on borrowed armor - especially if a canton has several loaner suits that nobody's using.

How big a change is it to flip to new armor after having used borrowed armor for months?

Rebecca