The Armour Archive

Tom Knighton

And, because no one has invoked the name for the third time...

BLANKENSHIELD

Sorry, but the guy has always tickled the hell out of me.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled banter with a thinly veiled insult of the SCA/LH

Tom Knighton

I've never raised a helmet, but mostly because I've never *tried*. It takes a couple tools that I don't have, some training, and some practice. They'd have lots of all of those! Certainly raising a complete helmet is technically more complex than spangenhelm parts, I'm just not sure if either metho...

Tom Knighton

Now you have an Empire that is trying to cut costs. That doesn't explain the apparent mass production of gilded silver foil for covering helmets! Matt, Do we know that there was a mass production of foil for helmets? I've been thinking about this discussion here, and the similar one over at FAR, an...

Tom Knighton

That doesn't explain the apparent mass production of gilded silver foil for covering helmets! Fair point. I've always been a little dubious about this. I know modern armorers can raise a helmet in a day, so my usual assumption is that an ancient armorer could do it faster than that. Plus he'll turn...

Tom Knighton

Persian envy. I know the Byzantines did copy a great deal from them so I'd not be surprised if that happened. That said they already had fabricae all over Europe so the shift would indicate some change that was either huge and affected the mass of soldiers if it were fashion or some type of technol...

Tom Knighton

Maybe someone cut the cheese?

Tom Knighton · Re: Crazy Aiden's Custom Shields Emporium! UPDATED-5-28-13 Very nice!

Very nice!

Tom Knighton

Jon Terris wrote:Wait, that baby looks like it has rolled edges on every plate - you know what that means.................

Give me a B.....!

Blankenshield? Nah. It doesn't suck enough for his stuff.

Tom Knighton

Jeppe, I mentioned the similarities to the Coppergate and Pioneer helms on another thread here at AA just recently. The subject came up with regard to the Shorwell helm. As for the SCA helm, I was curious in reproducing this helm minus the "gems", not a generic ridge helm. FWIW though, in case someo...

Tom Knighton

Sounds as plausible as anything to me. As for the routes of the traditional spangenhelm, you're right about their origins. I believe the general consensus is that most of the Roman era spangenhelms originated in Persia and were adopted/blatantly ripped off by the Romans. You pose some interesting qu...

Tom Knighton

FWIW, this style of sheath survived at least until the 18th century. A lot of knife makers for the fur trade era use this style with their knives, and those are where I encountered the tutorials, so that might help broaden search parameters a bit

Tom Knighton

Oh, I understood you fine. Unfortunately, I typed my response on practically no sleep and the fact that I was trying to agree with you was completely and totally lost in the process.

My apologies. Not sure WTF was going on in my brain then

Tom Knighton

Actually, the seam runs along the side of the knife, provided Derian is thinking the sheath type I think he is. It's called a center seam sheath. There are quite a few tutorials on the net for making them.

Tom Knighton

Actually, both terms are modern inventions. Basically, a ridge helm is just a sub-classification of spangenhelm, but as I understand it the only factor making it a ridge helm is the "spang" running all the way front to back versus falling under a central piece as in most traditional spangenhelms. In...

Tom Knighton

Teaching Latin to middle schoolers? I'm doing good to get my middle schooler to take out the trash

Tom Knighton

Hi and thanks for the review, Hmm that is strange the belt was too big, I always build them an inch smaller than the buyers measurement so they cinch up nice. Its easy to take them in at the back, just drill out the rivets and punch new holes. Let me know if you want me to send you some rivets to m...

Tom Knighton

The Burgh Castle helm has those same side bands, and I've never heard it described as anything other than a ridge helm. Also, Berkasovo I has bands running along the side as well, though those might purely be decorative. I don't have any views inside the helm, so I have no way to actually tell. Edit...

Tom Knighton

Is there a reason you wanted the bottom row overlapping up, and the rest lapping downward?

Other than that, it looks nice. Never seen lamellar laced quite that way, so very interested to see how it performs.

Tom Knighton

I may be interested in the books as well. Please send a list

Tom Knighton

Actually, it looks like it's both. Vendel 14 and Valsgarde 8.

Who knew?

Tom Knighton

I've always been of the opinion that a craftsman who is trying to understand the middle ages has an obligation to understand the period techniques. In some instances, that understanding may well be actually using the period style equipment. However, at some point, reality has to set it. For example,...

Tom Knighton

I seem to remember one of the Valgarde helms being built somewhat similar to the helm in that illustration. Maybe Valsgarde VIII?

IIRC, its outer most piece on the sides is in the center, with plates layered from there in either direction.

Tom Knighton

Maybe, but I took it to mean the Irish. I'm pretty sure chef is familiar with Norse voyages this-a-way

Tom Knighton

The Inuit weren't in Europe. They live in a significantly more extreme environment that may have forced the issue where as many European nations could just wait out bad weather. It's not a matter of advancement necessarily, but need. Did they actually need to come up with something for such foul wea...

Tom Knighton

In all fairness to chef, he did note earlier in that paragraph that the Irish were the ones who lacked the capability.

Tom Knighton

Not my style, but I like the work.

Thought I'd say that by way of a bump for the man from close by. We South Georgia types have to stick together

Tom Knighton

Just something to throw on this thread for someone wanting to recreate this era. I came across a mention of the Shorwell helm last night. It had apparently been misclassified as a pot for some time. It appears to be a simple helm that some have described as a spangenhelm, but has a band running from...

Tom Knighton

MJBlazek wrote:I swear my keyboard at work hates me. Or is at least trying to make me look like an idiot.
I really don't have the same typing problems on my home computer.

Or else it's all a clever plan by your employer to make you not even WANT to log onto AA while at work

Tom Knighton

Ernst wrote:
MJBlazek wrote:... but typing "triangular fuald" is easier.
Apparently not easy enough.

Isn't that how it always goes?

Tom Knighton

I don't think Maelgwyn comes around here any more, but over at this thread: http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=43867&start=35 He offered this tidbit about his opinions: Brilliant as many of the interpretations posted have been (some very sharp kits), what makes them Romano-B...

Tom Knighton

But it helps if you can get as much information as possible before making that guess.

And that is where things get dicey

Tom Knighton

Oh, yes, there have been 20 or 30-page discussions over on RAT and other places on this topic. The best ones go something like this: Snipped through a buttload of reasons I don't spend a lot of time on RAT Yeah...and all that stuff keeps me from getting the the stuff I need to get too. Sometimes it...

Tom Knighton

I could have sworn there was a post here yesterday attributing some of that to Byzantine artwork, but as I didn't write it, I have no clue either way.

Tom Knighton

Not quite. There is ONE Late Roman reference to the construction of the "thoracomachus", a garment of heavy cloth worn under armor. It includes an outer layer of "Libyan hide" for waterproofing, though yes, the wording is ambiguous and it may mean a heavy cloth garment and a separate hide garment. ...

Tom Knighton

Now Matthew, that was not the answer I was hoping to get from you considering some of the past discussions you've been part of.

I get the distinct impression that I'm good and thoroughly screwed...or I'm going to have to break new ground. Either one

Re: Never mind...

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: Royal Cheese

Re: Crazy Aiden's Custom Shields Emporium! UPDATED-5-28-13

Re: So, who did this?

Re: Anyone have any info on this late Roman helm?

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: Kitchen Knife sheath pattern

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: Kitchen Knife sheath pattern

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: 16th Century Highlander

Re: Pitbull review

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: Lamellar Embellishments.

Re: Roman gear for sale

Re: clinker spangen patterns

Re: Question on tool philosophy and "the craft"

Re: clinker spangen patterns

Re: Pre-Columbian Irish settlements

Re: Medieval rainwear

Re: Pre-Columbian Irish settlements

Re: Phrygianish, shovelish.. Cheapish.

Re: I want to be a Romano-British warrior (5-6th century Bri

Re: Lordly armour

Re: Lordly armour

Re: A discussion of Post Roman Britain

Re: A discussion of Post Roman Britain

Re: A discussion of Post Roman Britain

Re: Question: Viking/Rus striped pants

Re: Medieval rainwear

Re: A discussion of Post Roman Britain