Therion wrote:

I'd love to know more about that coat of plates. Is that front-opening? What is it based on? Is it like a Kusnacht?

And that's a great kit. It's almost exactly what I want to look like someday.

That's so cool. Awesome work!

Is there a copy of the most up-to-date SCA weapon regulations online anywhere? The most recent copy of the Marshall's Handbook on sca.org is from Nov. 2008. Is there a more current one? Specifically, I'm interested in the rules for low-pro thrusting tips on 2-handed weapons. Are they legal now? I ha...

I'm starting to like that idea more and more. That'll mean less edge finishing for me, and less fiddling and fussing when putting them on. Sewn closed it is.

Well, I'm trying to spruce the ol' kit up and hopefully start getting a little more stick time than the none for the last year or so. I'm working on a pair of gamboised cuisses right now, to increase my accuracy a little as well as pad my tender legs a little bit. My question is how best should the ...

Thanks for the great find! Bookmarked.

Neighborhoods vary, but when I had a roommate who was an armourer in a residential part of Tulsa, we learned that shutting things down by 9:30- 10:00 or so went a long way toward keeping the peace. YMMV

FWIW, my first armor was a plastic and canvas Wisby 1 that was constructed with copper rivets and burrs. The canvas held up pretty well, all things considered. I didn't even use washers under the burrs on the canvas side.

I'm pulling the trigger on this one.

Unfortunately, I think the shipping to Dallas would make it cost-prohibitive.

Nice work. I started fighting in a boffer group, and I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. It's a lot of fun in a different way from SCA heavy fighting. Keep up the good work.

PM sent to voice my interest.

I love those gamboised cuisses. Now I want to chuck the pair that I've got 80% complete and start over on some just like yours.

I don't think there's anything that's 'for everyone.' Breathing, maybe, but some people seem determined to stop doing that, too. I think there's nothing wrong with encouraging the reluctant to try it, but high pressure doesn't do anyone any good. Blaine's right that the desire goes a long way into m...

Moderately related data point: I fight in a sugarloaf-y helm with a 1" vision slot. It does wrap around my head pretty well, so peripheral vision isn't much of a problem. I don't mind it at all in melees. It never seems to slow me down that much. It's in single combat that it's kind of a pain. I rea...

I just gotta say, you guys are chock full of WIN! This is immensely inspiring to me. Regardless of whether I ever participate in somehting like the COtT, it makes me happy to know that there are people doing it. And if I get my kit in better shape as a result, then hopefully I'm better off for havin...

I think letting it sit in the sun for a few days is your best bet, at this point. I've heard of people treating mattresses that way to get rid of smells I'd rather not contemplate. Vinegar might be a good idea, too, in conjunction with sunlight. You may end up smelling like a pickle, but that might ...

I've never had a lower canon on my arms that I've really liked. They're always uncomfortable, though not to the degree that it really affects my fighting ( I think). I started fighting in a plastic-and-canvas Wisby 1 COP. It was nice thick barrel plastic, too. That thing was horrible. When I went to...

$15.00

$20.

The art museum here in Tulsa hosted a show some months ago called "The Land of the Winged Horseman." Had some really neat stuf from Poland starting from the sixteenth century, including armor. The docent had to come tell me to keep at least three feet away from the exhibits...

I've started dying all my leather stuff dark brown, and have been really happy with the results. A good oiling (neatsfoot then mink oil) will darken whatever color you have, including the natural color.

Edmund

An English Wheel will shape a shield nicely, I'm told.

Edmund

I use a clone punch (I'm not sure if it even has a brand name) and I've never had any problems with it. I haven't tried it on anything stouter than 14 ga, though. My former roomate, who was an armourer of some skill, had an actual Whitney, but he said he liked the clones better because the admittedl...

I think that lacing the sleeves is the only way to go, or at least some method of keeping the underarm flexible. A guy in my Barony had one made that attached under the arm, but not on top. he has an elastic strap (not period, I know) which runs over the top of his arm to pull the sleave seam snug t...

All the sallets I've seen made have been two-piece AND indescribably difficult. There are a lot of complex compound curves in there.