Do you travel about much Steve? I fly over at Ferry Meadows P'boro alot and have quite a few WS4LK's which include American Revs, some chinese Albas and a few other designs by custom builders. I can throw up what ever you like and you can see what you prefer. If you pick a sunday when the local kite club are in session its usually a good turnout.
I'll try and give you an impartial review here and leave my politics etc out of it
4mkites on Ebay sell quite decent Albatross Rev type kites. But they have a probs, the main one is size, he sells 3 different sizes and only one is 1.5 sized with interchangable spars etc with the Rev. Also the material they use varys from nylon to a version of icarex they call PC40.
The "dyneema flying lines" are also very poor, they are way too heavy and knot up at the slightest wiff of a twist in the line. Those lines on a rev newcomer could be enough to put them off for good they're so heavy and bad. Handles are very good, weights are around the same as a Rev although the Alba spars are more consistant in weight I've found.
The kites themselves are very well made, are all stitched (no prints) and fly almost identical to Revolution's 1.5 series. Last year I flew my Alba twice as much as my 1.5b and the Alba still looks like new, the Rev looks looks worn particually round the leading edge.
If you get the right kite and replace the lines you can get a bargain flyer, but it'll always be chinese and you'll always wonder what a Rev is like and want one if you get into it.
With a Revolution kite you get a great package but at a price. The handles and lines included are great you also get a DVD and if you buy a 1.5b you get a set of light spars along with the regular ones. In light wind they come in very handy and if you add the cost of them up you'll understand a little more of what you're paying for. Its a nice package and opening it all up when you get it delivered is quite satisfying for the first time. Of course they all fly really well and you know that because its a Rev you're getting exactly what you should do, if it's not flying right its probably technique or setup plus you can go ask on the Rev forum and they'll help you/say welcome to the darkide like a bunch of sheep. If you are considering an EXP dont, get a chinese Alba instead.
Second hand Rev's tend to have been well looked after but watch out for people who sell you them with crappy chinese lines or well worn leading edges, the line thing seems to happen alot atm and the people that do it should burned at the stake.
Quality isnt quite what it used to be IMHO, I heard they changed their manufacturing base to mexico but that might just be rumour and they wouldnt tell you or anyone else if they did. I'd go as far as to say Albatross and many of the bespoke sail makers do a better job now with quality, I've also found they need repair sooner than Alba's.
Thats my opinion, many I'm sure will think different but its 2.20am and I need sleep