The Armour Archive

Egfroth

See http://www.larp.com/legioxx/squamata.html for Roman lorica squamata ("locking" scale), and http://www.tirbriste.org/dmir/ArmsArmor ... /0218.html for lorica plumata

Then there's the Ottoman armours below:

Egfroth

The problem with mail "pants" is that most knights fought from horseback.

Can you imagine doing that when you're wearing mail pants? Ooh! The chafing!

Egfroth

Byzantine "banded" lamellar had its steel plates laced to adjacent layers of leather. See http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=52942 . Plate size varied - see http://www.geocities.com/egfroth1/ByzAr ... 6424880530

Egfroth

And they would have been rare among the knights of the First Crusade. The Bayeux Tapestry, of less than thrty years before, shows only the two top people (William of Normandy and his brother) with them.

They don't seem to have come into common use until the second half of the 12th century.

Egfroth

Sorry - I should have specified - I need pics of original artefacts. I understand there's a pic of one in the book "Viking to Crusader", but I can't lay my hands on it at the moment.

Egfroth

The problem with Gaston Phoebus is that it's late 14th century. For the 12th and 13th I know of no leather leg-coverings. Boots don't seem to have got higher than the ankle. Yes, the scratchy military weight wool would be the right kind. However, you might find that even this is a bit too fragile fo...

Egfroth

I seem to recall seeing some reference that Vikings used clamps or vises made of two pieces of wood with a loose rivet through the middle, and a wedge driven in one end to force the jaws together at the other end.

Does anybody know anything about this? Preferably with pictures?

Egfroth

Actually, it's not quite as cut and dried as that. The "one in eight" mailshirts requirement was a one-off instituted by Aethelrede (the Unready) for a specific purpose. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us that in 1008, he ordered the production of ships and armour; Ã¢â‚¬Å“ . . . one warship from thr...

Egfroth

I totally agree. Another group at the same fair have been in existence for two or three years, and are still largely in spun dome helmets and crap gambesons and blundstones (yuk!). I'm helping them all to make spangenhelms, but it's like pushing shit uphill to get them off their arses and doing thin...

Egfroth

Jeez - gimme a break. Haven't even finished the second sleeve and now he wants a chest sash. There's no pleasing some people . . .

Egfroth

I agree - I was blown away by how far these guys had got in such a short time. More power to them - and they live in a small country town, so it's not as if they have research resources easily available (except, of course, the Net).

Egfroth

The "bra" still a mystery, but it should be noted that it is almost identical to a harness shown being worn by Sassanian kings in Persian representations fro about the 6th century onward. Whether it was a functional piece or just a stylistic convention, I don't know. However, it seems most prevalant...

Egfroth

A very good question. Certainly it appears that armoured warriors seem to be over-represented in the Hastings re-enactments - and, for that matter, the Bayeux Tapestry. You can, I suppose, understand it with re-enactors - if you've got it, flaunt it! But of course the best way to help change the pro...

Egfroth

D. Sebastian wrote:Edwin,
What were you doing with the duck?
Ptruges?

Um . . . are you really sure you WANT to know what he was doing with the duck?

Egfroth

I don't know what duck cloth is, and over here we measure leather not by weight but by thickness. I used leather about 1/16" thick for the klivanion itself, and also for the sleeves. The torso stuff is fine (you don't want to make it too thick or you add lots more unnecessary weight to the corselet)...

Egfroth

Well, it got the best bit - Kit being disqualified for unchivalrous behaviour. . . (Boo, hiss!):wink: And see below . . . Happy now, Kim? That bloody great axe is VERY nasty. The whole event looked pretty fun. Where are the pictures of the Ancient Greeks!? Sorry mate - I didn't get any shots of them...

Egfroth

Well, don't hold your breath. I'll have to draw up some diagrams - I'm not unlacing that thing just to take construction photos any time soon!!!!!

Egfroth

Just outstanding, in every way! How do I join your Fan Club? Cheers, Tim [Blush] I bet you say that to all the girls! Russ - yes, it's fairly tightly laced. I'm thinking of increasing the weight of the leather, as it deforms a little too much, and also doesn't really follow the shape of the arm pro...

Egfroth

Probably the best original source for this kind of equipment is the so-called "Charlemagne Chess-set" at m - look particularly at the knights and footsoldiers. I have some other pics of the same set, with more detail, and another one in scale armour from Germany (keeping in mind that the Western Emp...

Egfroth

You might try looking at the Gotland Artefacts section in the picture gallery at Frojel Gotlandica's site, particularly pages 16, 18, 31 and 32. I think they have some knives there. Unfortunately, there is no dating with any of the finds in these galleries, and it is quite obvious that at least some...

Egfroth

If it works properly, it'll be some indication that I may have got the reconstruction right. I think it will. Are you going to go with the St George shoulder/torso protection as well? That would look so neat, and I think it would be even more protective and functional. My interpretation of this pro...

Egfroth

I've done a reconstruction of a Byzantine armoured sleeve and pauldron - at http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=52942 - worth a look.

Egfroth

Perhaps Roesdahl meant that the broken-backed shaped knife we know as a sax was not common. As I understand it finds of this kind of knife are rare in Scandinavia. Regarding the "iron shielded ships" - I would first investigate whether or not the translation was correct. Perhaps it is poetic, rather...

Egfroth

I plan to do it eventually. Half the fun of doing this is finding out how it works once it's made. I have some ideas about how I'll carry it out, but I haven't yet finalised what I'll do.

If it works properly, it'll be some indication that I may have got the reconstruction right.

Egfroth

And yet more - "The Great Fort Battle" - actually a bit of silliness, fought over a kids' playground "castle".

Egfroth

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=52942

If anyone wants me to post construction pics, let me know.

Egfroth

And some more photos.

Egfroth

Well, not just mediaeval, but American Civil War, English Civil War, a few Romans and Ancient Greeks - you name it . . .

Egfroth

For those who are interested, I've posted my new pauldron and armoured sleeve at http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... 358#663358

Egfroth

Thouight I'd share this with you. It's based on a couple of 11th century Byzantine ikons. I've spent quite a long time trying to reconstruct the lamellar style shown on the ikons, and have finally got it to work properly - well, at least for one sleeve. The other one follows as soon as I finish it.

Egfroth

Nathan, I'd agree with your assessment of the kit of a First Crusader except for the idea that a spangenhelm was "retro". They are shown almost without exception on the Bayeux Tapestry (c. 1070-1080) and I think there's enough pictorial information around to suggest that they were still very much a ...

Egfroth

Timothy and Hew - thanks for the comments. And if you like the kit, wait till I add the Byzantine pauldrons and banded lamellar sleeves! (In a couple of weeks, if all goes well) Actually, I have the left pauldron and sleeve all but done - maybe I'll get a photo taken of myself with the klibanion wit...

Egfroth

So the ladies were mounted and the knights were on foot? That's about as submissive as it gets . . . !

Egfroth

And mine.

Egfroth

Saw it on a Byzantine ikon . . .

Viking era clamps/vises

X-Post - Byzantine pauldron and lamellar sleeve - pics

Mediaeval Fair in Australia - pics

My Byzantine pauldron and armoured sleeve