The Armour Archive

Egfroth

Fascinating. I have a pair of hose under construction at the moment. Maybe I'll try this method with them.

Egfroth

It's amazing how protective a simple thing like a nasal is - it seems to block almost every kind of "swung" blow to the face, no matter what angle it's coming from.

Egfroth

What original and reconstruction are you working from? I made mine up as I went along - basically by making a pair of fabric "shoes" and sewing them to the end of the hose. I wouldn't contemplate putting a seam on the bottom of the sole. A good way to get blisters, IMHO. But if there's a reconstruct...

Egfroth

Mord, I agree with you - up to a point. Well a couple of points, actually. First, the specialisation would have varied from place to place and region to region. What was true for a fourteenth century English village might not be so for a village in the 11th century Danelagh. Did the forest trees bel...

Egfroth

It's at Wayne's place just north of Kinglake West. He's got this humungous pine forest on his property and we're slowly building what will eventually (we hope) be a Viking village.

At which point NVG Vlachernai will be hosting events, feasts etc there.

Egfroth

To show what can be done with just an axe or two when you are dealing with green timber - in this case freshly felled pine trees . . . this is the sidebeam to support the roof of the kitchen we're building to serve the longhouse we'll eventually be putting up. We are learning on the job, and hope to...

Egfroth

You're right, of course, David. In fact Maeryk did bring the issue up, at least regarding timber. My reply was: Maeryk, I'm talking about the steam (and later petroleum) powered industrial revolution beginning in the 19th century which made our world as it is today. I agree that there were several m...

Egfroth

Russ Mitchell wrote:Egfroth: So how does the grain run in relation to those split planks?

Um . . . not sure I'm with you. Do you mean the fence rails? Or something to do with the kitchen we're building?

Egfroth

I agree. In fact, I made that point in my first post: if it is supposed to be impressive - such as jewellery, helmets, swords etc - they would have taken the trouble to make it look good and smooth. I think that would apply to stonework for churches and the nobility. Though I went on: But for everyd...

Egfroth

Just thought I'd update this with some photos I took a few days ago of a split-rail fence just down the road. This was made recently, using only an axe (even to cut the slots for the rails).

The old skills haven't been completely lost, even now.

Egfroth

I seem to recall an old Anglo-Saxon riddle that gave you hints in poetic language, and the answer was a byrnie (mail shirt). Can't lay my hands on it right now, but if I find it, I'll post it. Then there's Shakespeare's Henry IV Part II, in which Prince Harry, holding his father's crown (and referri...

Egfroth

Quite right, quite right. My mistake.

Egfroth

Hmm, yes. Though there have recently been suggestions that the Chamoson helmet could be as late as the 12th century. Also, ridge helmets date back to Late Roman times - they and spangenhelms were in use at the same time. The 4 to 6 panel spangenhelms are thought to have originated in Persia and been...

Egfroth

I did some research on this a few years ago, and I finally came to the conclusion that the evidence is SO thin - and SO equivocal, that you really can't reliably assume that Crusaders wore anything but mail. There is the so-called "Charlemagne Chess-set" , apparently made in (Norman) Italy at the en...

Egfroth

I'm only aware of a single Byzantine representation of splinted armour. It is in the Madrid Skylitzes Chronicle. Of all the hundreds of warriors shown in all of Byzantine pictorial art, only one is shown wearing splints. The only other representation of splints I know of from art from anywhere near ...

Egfroth

No, you didn't imagine it - they appear all over the place. There's two below, both Frankish. One's 10th century (though the helmets may or may not be spangenhelms), the other is (I think) c. 800. Then there's the looting of bodies scene in the Bayeux Tapestry (the top panel at m has two of them), b...

Egfroth

while we are on the subject. I am currently in the process of trying to hem some maille which will be attached to the bottom of my lamellar. I measured it all out and stiched it on. once it was done I noticed the hem was about an inch shorter due to the contraction of the stiching. I'm going to red...

Egfroth

Yes, I've done it - with fairly heavy woven woollen braid. It was done (as far as I can make out) by the Carolingians and by the Normans and English during the Conquest. See m - especially the second page. You can see me wearing it at m (though you have to look closely). Also, gold coloured edging r...

Egfroth

Thank you Sorry everyone about my stupid spelling error. No, don't be. I should have put a smiley in to show I wasn't serious Some of the people on this forum have MUCH worse spelling than that. There are some (who shall remain nameless) whose posts are almost impossible to decipher. Heck, at least...

Egfroth

For the best summary of the shape of "barrel" helms I've seen, look at m Also, there are patterns in the "pattern" section of this Archive that'll give you what you you need to be able to make your own. So you're a Taswegian, are you? Do you belong to a group? I'm up in Victoria - maybe we can get t...

Egfroth

There is a thriving association of Viking/Norman Conquest clubs across North America who fight with steel. Most of them are currently at the first big North American re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings. Next year a large number of them are travelling to England to do the same - but this time on t...

Egfroth

I seem to recall a reference to Richard Coeur de Lion wearing one, but I don't know the source of it.

Egfroth

Not sure these two points haven't already been covered, but I'd like to re-address them: 1. Leg protection. As a man at arms, you almost certainly wouldn't have mail cuisses. You'd just be wearing woollen hose, as you would in ordinary daily life. Portraying this while actually protecting your legs ...

Egfroth

Not strictly what you asked for, but the general region and time are about right. Khazar limb defences from Southern Russia - http://www.geocities.com/normlaw/khazararms/

The Khazars were in their prime from about 700-1000, so it should fit in with what you want to do.

Egfroth

A good first helmet, and certainly much better than the first one I did. Keep at it - looks like you have a great future in armouring.

Egfroth

grimstone bar wrote:Buran gets the cookie.

To me they look like Cheech and Chong's distant relative, they are also smiling.

That doesn't count. Everybody's smiling in the Mac Bible, even the guys getting disembowelled and eviscerated.

Egfroth

That's them. More stuff (photos!!!) at http://tgorod.ru/index.php?contentid=252 - sorry about the Russian, but that's where all the archaeology on the Khazars is being done.

For a history of the Khazars, see also http://geocities.com/egfrothos/Neighbours which also has links to other stuff, including shields and even what looks like a boss.

Egfroth

The latest spangenhelm I know of other than a kettle hat dates to about 1200 - something like 270 years before the sallet came into use. So I think sallets are out.

But four panel kettle hats appear in the Maciejowski Bible.

Egfroth

If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a bishop's mitre. But it can't be . . . can it?

A little irreverent humour by an illuminator?

Egfroth

Oh well, I don't have a choice. My wife refuses to make anything for me any more (she doesn't share my hobby) and her sewing machine has needed a service for the last 2-3 years and she won't let me touch it till it's been serviced. So I've got in the habit of hand-sewing everything. Quite restful, r...

Egfroth

Cervel is French for head, or skull. Cervellie're means "head-thing" - effectively, "skull-cap". And the answer to the second question is rigidity - and two layers of protection rather than one. You're probably right with your concern about glancing surfaces, and I can't answer that except to say -...

Egfroth

Actually, I found it very interesting - even if I'm not convinced there's necessarily any connection between these facets of the cultures than utility, it's still quite fascinating seeing "parallel evolution".

Egfroth

Is that ALL? For heaven's sake - I'd always thought it was much more obscene. Thanks, Chef for the information, though it's rather shattered my illusions . . .

Egfroth

Not if you go by the Bayeux Tapestry. Both rulers have helmets indistinguishable from those of others. However, I believe that the quality and elaborateness of the decoraration would make the king stand out - even if it didn't have a "crown" as such.

Egfroth

Yes, I think hidden armour is really your only option if you really want it to look right - including knees and elbows.