The Armour Archive

Konstantin the Red

I second the notion of getting helmet top halves and using those, John. I've considered tilting and modifying a deep spuntop cone myself, but the job's easier with a basc-top, and armourers do sell those -- "Okay, I did the hardest part, you can handle the rest." ------------------ "The Minstrel Boy...

Konstantin the Red

Actually, guys, I think both of those are period solutions, or approximations thereof.

Konstantin the Red

Neoteric, the short answer is: find an early 16th-c. doublet that you like from someone like Medieval Miscellanea, if they're still around, or your barony's sewing maven -- who will probably be essential in getting the thing cut right anyway -- and make up a lightly quilted edition of that doublet. ...

Konstantin the Red

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Templar: ... dunno what the metal is called in English. /johan<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Is it steel wire with a zinc coating to prevent rust? English speakers call such w...

Konstantin the Red

The linen thread should be both heavy and waxed with beeswax. Period leather would be vegetable-tanned, but even chrome-tanned can be made to serve if you disguise its edges with dye or conceal them: chrome-tanned's gray-green interior is a dead giveaway. Chrome-tanned does have an advantage, though...

Konstantin the Red

Here's what you do, Elias: pick a pattern for a c. 1150 long-sleeved men's tunic that you like. It will likely be something like a short bliaut, unless it's an entire hauberk you are padding, in which case it will be a rather less-short bliaut. Put a fairly large gusset under each arm to prevent it ...

Konstantin the Red

Any deep (or deepened) visor style will do ya. In something like a great or a barrel, you want enough depth fore and aft. I've never had a moment's trouble with fogging, and I wear athletic specs for this work. Because of this, I insist upon helms that have enough depth to them to accommodate my gla...

Konstantin the Red

Ioxuminous, I think your problem is that you are using rivets whose shanks (that part that isn't the head) are a bit too long for the thickness of metal you are riveting together. For articulation rivets which I think are what you are setting, that would be two pieces of plate and a small washer. A ...

Konstantin the Red

That is a bit of a stumper. While jousters are described as having someone in charge of the lances handing them up to the horseman as required, and any self-respecting tournament would have such functionaries, said functionaries might desire something to keep the lances conveniently at hand and upri...

Konstantin the Red

Matt: makes ya think, don't it? Build a lean-to at the back of the house, get some straw for a couple of beds, lay in a big supply of whole grain bread crusts and Campbell's Soup to feed a couple of apprentices... hmm, yeah... no trouble as long as I can comply with OSHA... http://www.armourarchive....

Konstantin the Red

Lame-type components are probably the best parts to start learning raising on. Spaudlers or the lames around couters are both good. Lames don't need much of a compound curve, but a shallow one helps their fit and function. Don't go too deep, though. How I learned to raise was with an anvil's face an...

Konstantin the Red

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Templar: Try ''Warm air pistol'' dunno what its called http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/smile.gif . i dont knwo if it works on metal... /J0h4n<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Th...

Konstantin the Red

There is chemical paint stripper. Using a disposable brush, paint it on the object to be cleaned. The paint will lift, wrinkle, and blister. Scrape the softened paint off with a putty knife. Repeat if necessary, until you arrive at flat bright metal. This chemical stripping may leave small patches o...

Konstantin the Red

Ooo, ooo! Armourcake like that makes me glad I have nipples!

.... <(:*~~~

[slink off embarrassedly, furtively wiping at chin]

Konstantin the Red

And this second helm project of yours will probably be a 13th-century barrel helm or greathelm. This is also a design that is easy to pattern in manila folder or tagboard. It's almost all simple curves, two of the plates being conical. Dish the top cap fairly strongly, say about an inch, which will ...

Konstantin the Red

I have a bargrill, centerhinge bascinet that I didn't like that way myself; I could slide my bunched fist between grill and chin, so the grill did not protect chin and face from a hooking upthrust that would have put a thrusting tip between my bargrill and my face, to the detriment of, well, everyth...

Konstantin the Red

Well, authentic Gaulish gear seems to have mostly consisted of an open-faced, no-nape helmet and a long oblong or elliptical shield. With or even without a pair of AstÃ©rix pants. A possibly useful literary source might be Tacitus, who penned an overview of northern European martial methods, gear, a...

Konstantin the Red

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by dkaardal: But if I do keep it like it is now for a while, I'd like to know if it's even vaguely a period thing to do... http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/smile.gif Dak. ...

Konstantin the Red

Jean Paul, I am of the mind that we should not complain, but teach, and be helpful; that is why we are here. If we can't do either, best que nous taisons nos geules, which is a very rude way of suggesting we shut up -- "shut our snouts" being a concise English rendering of the phrase and its pejorat...

Konstantin the Red

Actually, there's hardly any more than that to it, unless perhaps you'd like to soak the crosspieces in water and clamp them into place, let dry, and tape them. Maybe you'd care to take a rasp to the rattan stick and file a couple of flat spots on either side. A way that conserves a little rattan, t...

Konstantin the Red

Especially if they are either Lesbian, or Lumberjack.

"... A Lumberjack!..." --M. Python

Konstantin the Red

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Saint-Sever: How is your riveted maille holding up for the SCA folk that are fighting regularly in it? Naturally, it will be more resistant to "moth holes" than butted maille, ...

Konstantin the Red

Justin, Price's TOMAR is probably the place to look for compression joints -- though I'd say that riveted mail patches for the inside of the arming coat's elbow have just as much bragging rights -- just in a different century. Carmel, I am very impressed also. Clearly, you've gone to the trouble to ...

Konstantin the Red

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by dukelogan: the second movie was the biggest travesty in a sequel that has ever been made (with the possible exception of that horrible prequel episode one, yuck!) regards lo...

Konstantin the Red

I've never seen a historical piece that was that lumpy. This skullcap has a bad case of bag-o'-marbles and no patina. I'd lose enthusiasm for bidding on this item at about the $2.50 mark.

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"The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone..."

Konstantin the Red

Now why on earth did you not see that gorgiera as being of brigandine? Not that brig is any more likely to be comfortable on bare skin than a bishop's-mantle of mail... ------------------ "The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone..." [This message has been edited by Konstantin the Red (edited 02-12-2003).]

Konstantin the Red

Um, QT, are you also searching sites like M.A.I.L., and The Chainmaille Board? Those are the people who have the directions at their fingertips and can furnish you with a quarter-bazillion relevant links. (this site is the first site I've hit tonight that I've encountered your question on) http://ww...

Konstantin the Red

I, for one, devoutly hope that a revised edition may someday come out, to make what is a vital work a fully accurate one also -- encountering "the Higgins Armoury" rendered as "Higen's Armoury" was nothing less than a shock. I blame poor editing for that one; neither author nor editor apparently kne...

Konstantin the Red

It's in Price's TOMAR -- pattern, method, side views, X strapping in the back, the works. Anyone you know got a copy? If not, 53 bux from Amazon. That may be a big enough order to qualify for free shipping.

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"The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone..."

Konstantin the Red

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Samuel: you can make your own out of shelf pins found on woodcraft.com web site.. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> And here's a direct link to Woodcraft's shelf pins. Looks like...

Konstantin the Red

Il lui faut Ã©tudier anglais par tous les annÃ©es suivants d'Ã©cole supÃ©rieure, c'est bien sÃ»r. Le temps, et l'effort, va guÃ©rir. I don't know how many years of school English young Evil has got -- I'd guess about two. But if he tries hard, and keeps trying to talk English to us, he'll soon rise ...

Konstantin the Red

Eh, at that price you could freely do whatever you want to the horn, without fear. The horn's shape is really the important part -- it should be quite round in section for general bending work, which is the horn's function -- it tapers so you have an infinity of radii within its parameters, and allo...

Konstantin the Red

Xander is describing a wire brush, power drill type. Available in steel and brass bristles. Quite good at removing light to medium rust. Heavy rust has a good chance of having pitted metal beneath it. No hope of a good finish in that circumstance.

Konstantin the Red

So would somebody care either to give details, or a link to their rules of combat, armor standards, and so forth? [edited to add] So I punched a few keys, and got this: http://www.belegarth.com/ Go to Rules. Now who has something about the style of the whole thing? Looks bofferific to me. [This mess...

Konstantin the Red

Do they have a steel face? It's a very typical method of anvil construction: cast steel or cast iron for the body of the anvil and the horn, and a hard steel face welded onto the top. It makes a good, working anvil. Bring a hammer and test the anvils for bounce: a light tap on the face with the hamm...