The Armour Archive

Derian le Breton

A beverly can do curved cuts down to very small radii, provided you can manage the sheet of metal.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Do you have other evidence that this particular illustration is a flask? I looked at it and blew it up and it certainly looks like a small bag/cloth wrapped around something and tied to the staff. Is there some other evidence that flasks were carried on staffs? Just mildly curious. I believe the fl...

Derian le Breton

THEO!! Congratulations!

(Edit: excuse me, EikBrandr!

)

-Donasian/Derian.

Derian le Breton

Sure thing. I have photos of another half dozen or so molds, but they didn't turn out that well.

The stones vary in colour and apparent texture considerably.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

I've been extremely happy with my wedge tent from <A HREF="http://www.blockaderunner.com/">Blockade Runner</A>. They also carry wall tents, they use sunforger canvas, and their prices are very good:

http://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg31.htm

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Fascinating! The only ones I've seen in person are pre-medieval: m m I automatically identified the second mold as soapstone, given its greenish colour and "dusty" appearance on the unpolished bits, but the stone type isn't identified. I'm clearly biased, and I don't know very much ...

Derian le Breton

Softness is not really a desirable characteristic. One of the worst things about soapstone, is that it is too soft. This is probably one of the reasons it was not used for molds historically. Wha? The molds I've seen in museums sure look like soapstone. Is this a vocabulary problem (edit: as...

Derian le Breton

No comment.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

I was responding to WMA, actually. I suppose I ought to have used a quote to make that more clear. Apologies.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Okay fine, a public museum.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

If you consider the 13th Century "Modern", I guess you are right. I was thinking the late 15th, but okay. Etching may have existed that early, but it certainly was not the dominant technique. I haven't seen any proof that etching was used on armour prior to the late 15th century. -Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Understandable, thanks.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

------Notice that I said Proper Engraver, Temper, face,and belly angles If you look to grand master engravers who specialize in steel(gun engraving) such as Alain Lovenberg, or Philippe Grifnee, who also teach a grand master level engraving cource, you will see that they use a chasing hammer. Shrug...

Derian le Breton

2- A chasing hammer, to tap the point through the steel. trying to push the line will be like shoveling a ton of coal dust with a pitchfork. This method will also help keep you from slipping so much. Personally, I disagree strongly. I find I have much more control and fewer slips without a hammer. ...

Derian le Breton

If you're talking about working in steel, I will agree with Lawrence. Steel is difficult to engrave, and it was not often done. I don't know much about engraved armour (past my time period of interest), but steel coin dies and punch tools were very frequently engraved. I engrave annealed tool steel...

Derian le Breton

Also, unpowered gravers run the astonishing price of about $5 each. You'll want a sharpening stone, and possible a tool to hold the angle constant (though if you sharpen your own knives this shouldn't be an issue.)

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Hand engraving isn't really hard to learn, but you need a significant amount of patience since you'll be sharpening the tool very frequently. I can pull up a curl of steel several inches long, and I've only been engraving for four years or so... Etching is a modern technique, as are powered gravers....

Derian le Breton

Is the "linen" weave better for this application (CoPs and such) than the "canvas" weave?

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Hm, the 1320s would be a stretch then, probably.

Drat.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Related question: when and where are these jugs documentable for?

Thanks,

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

I've been wondering when that effigy was made. The armour looks quite advanced for 1327, compared to other effigies of that time period.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

From what I've seen, fashion for the other half of the 14th century (which so many people neglect) was considerably looser, except in the forearms.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

3, 5, 4 (in order).

Thank you very much for the explanation of how you cut the mold Mac! Fantastic work as always.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Honestly, I wish some of that stuff was in a museum.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Spring steel lamellar would be pretty darn neat.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Which part of the 14th century? Fashion changed pretty dramatically during this time period. <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Age-Black-Prince-1340-1365/dp/085115767X">Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince</A> is a reasonable place to start, but it only covers 1340-1365. -Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Also, the neck casting looks fantastic. Did you carve the block on a lathe?

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Too cool. That wonder stone stuff does look interesting. It's so regular and fine grained it almost looks synthetic!

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Some pictures from my trip to Istanbul last year of this type of armour:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/derianlebreton/2098748493/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derianlebreton/2098750847/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derianlebreton/594213433/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derianlebreton/2455318242/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derianlebreton/2455336780/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derianlebreton/2455334300/

Seriously cool stuff! Will you be decorating the plates? Most of the examples I saw in the museums had extensive calligraphy on them.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Yes im planning to use on a combat, but.. What if the helmet templed? tempered given an adequate strength for combat in this thick? You can make it hard enough not to dent or break, but a helmet really should have weight to it. If you are hit hard in the head, the extra mass of a heavy helmet will ...

Derian le Breton

That's what it says, but I've never seen anything that looks like that. He SAYS it's supposed to be central Asian, but the appearance seems to owe more to late-period Japanese armour than anything else. Certainly the solid bands with sparse lacing is a Japanese thing -- Central Asian would be actua...

Derian le Breton

Nice work!

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

The way I understand DOT style helmets is that they are designed in much the same fashion as crumple zones on cars. They protect and deflect up to certain degree of pressure. Higher degrees of pressure they crack and break, thus defusing the force through the helmet. "Diffusing," but yes,...

Derian le Breton

raito wrote:If it's supposed to be Japanese, then my eyes hurt, too.

A two second examination of the page in question shows that this is not the case.

-Donasian.

Derian le Breton

Norman!! Welcome back!

-Donasian.

Re: Engraving disagreement

Re: Iam an engraver