The Armour Archive

wcallen

When we did it the stuff came directly from Formax under the brand Satin-Glo. It is a white tube from them, but probably the same stuff. They seem to offer it from 60 - 600 grit. We always used 80. I bet some of the finer stuff would have been nice as a transition to buffing. I read up on it a littl...

wcallen

I can't be certain, but that looks like it is what formax calls 'greaseless compound' - we used to use one called PB-80. The same stuff is available in finer grits. It is basically one way to make a high tech version of a setup wheel. Or you can do what Tom does and use actual setup wheels (grit glu...

wcallen

When in doubt - claim a slightly different target. It is more like earlier 16th c. breastplates than it is liek a true peascod. Closer to this one: m There are a bunch of peascods here: m Click on each one to get more images. The other angles can help a lot to get a better idea of the droopy shape t...

wcallen

They are like the things in the Higgins. If only the ones in the Higgins were on an early 16th c. half suit...... Which is where they should be. The reference in the catalog is good. It shows a cheesy foot soldier in a cheap half-armour. That is where these arms deserve to be worn. He has lots of ni...

wcallen

Oh, yea. And remember to add 25% on top of the prices for commission. And then tax and shipping.

So this is a $40,000 hat. It may not sell for that much. Probably way over 20k though.

Wade

wcallen

They aren't 3 pairs of arms. They are 6 semi-related arms.

But I agree. I bet they will get divided after the sale.

They are ugly, but I want them.

Wade

wcallen

Hands off. They are mine. Well, probably not. But there are several lots in that sale that look interesting. The salade is way out of my price range, but some of the other stuff might, possibly happen. The armet is cool. I have received other images. It is significantly messed with over the years. L...

wcallen

Here are some pictures and descriptions of some authentic burgonets: m Several different styles but they all tend to have open faces (generally) and cheekplates. Early 16th c. through early 17th c. The most 'typical' shape occurs most on the late 16th c. As with everything else, lots of variation. W...

wcallen

Yup, we did that with brass (not pot metal) ones back in the day. We used 1/8" brass rivets. Looked pretty nice. Now I do what Tom does and whack them out of thin sheet using a shaped punch and lead block. They end up with a wonderful unevenness worthy of the real ones. Back to your method - le...

wcallen

1050. Also from Admiral Steel. I have some 1070 as well, haven't used it yet. I think the stuff has been pretty consistent. Certainly a lot more consistent than anything they would have used. I think that there are pretty much the 1050 guys and the 4130 guys. I go for 1050 because it is vaguely simi...

wcallen

Thanks.

I have some other ones too.

http://www.allenantiques.com/Small%20We ... ction.html

Actually, I have some more, but I never shot pictures of all of them

I have been selling some of the duplicates off at the Baltimore Arms Fair for the last few years.

Cian, you aren't all that far away. Maybe show up sometime....

Wade

wcallen

I just clean off the rust and use mine with some dings in it. Not the best idea, but we aren't making jewelry.

Wade

wcallen

I see them in the early/mid 14th c. I see them in the 16th c. (not common, mostly on jousting things). I do not know of any documentation to prove that they are correct for your period. That said... Would I prefer a good half-greave over hosen (or something tight) to the normal SCA nothing? Yes, def...

wcallen

Good question.

I wish I knew the answer. Anyone else out there?

I can offer some other random examples of heads that I have a hard time classifying:

http://www.allenantiques.com/images/SW-10a.jpg

Wade

wcallen

Glove fit and feel seems to vary person to person. I know that I always preferred some special horsehide gloves we found many years ago. Normal work gloves generally don't fit all that well at the junction between the fingers when you bend your hand. Some people care about this a lot, some don't. We...

wcallen

I have recently done more mail than I want to think about. I didn't want to work hard (but did more than I wish). What I did was buy rings and rivets and then assemble them. Once you have a pair of mail making pliers and if you assume you are starting from rings, riveted really isn't more trouble th...

wcallen

I have some app. 1/8" mail. It is riveted. I have some mail with butted links. They all appear to be relatively modern repairs/additions. I think that the stuff was used in Japanese armour, but that is an entirely different type of thing. Basically - European and anything else that is reasonabl...

wcallen

We generally cheated and used some of the rivets to secure the finger to the glove on this kind of gauntlet. That is easier to do if you plan ahead and leave the rivets out when assembling the gauntlets. Not really an option here. For sewing - I have some fingers from 16th c. gauntlets that show how...

wcallen

Answers: The pin works because all of the pieces are a little flexible. Generally I think that the inner plate flexes in to allow the vambrace to open, but a little bend in each plate in the right direction is possible too. I generally just push on both parts and the piece opens. I get the pieces al...

wcallen

Follow any or all of those methods. When you get it back to the original size, then you need to adapt it to fit the intended wearer and to make sure you will get the shape you want and the methods you are planning to use. Just because a pattern worked for one person doesn't mean that it will work fo...

wcallen

That is a hinged hole that engages onto a turning hook. I haven't seen that done on a authentic armharness. As a general pattern, I see: 14th and 15th c. Strap and buckle. 16th and 17th c. pin on the inner plate that engages a hole in the outer plate. Sometimes on very high end pieces they add a hoo...

wcallen

Munions would be cool and not something that is done a lot. An alternative that is actually 16th c. (unlike the quasi-14th c. ones in the picture) would be more like this:

http://www.allenantiques.com/R-28.html

Pretty simple stuff. Replace the morion with a burgonet and you get a cool half armour.

Wade

wcallen

This is amazingly common. I end up having to do it all the time. For example - a cut and paste from a web site - Payments may also be made directly to our bank: HSBC Bank Plc 38 High Street Dartford Kent DA1 1DG United Kingdom IBAN Number: GB78MIDL40190481632140 BICMIDLGB22 Sort Code: 40-19-04 Accou...

wcallen

The second pattern is closer to right. One real issue is what period vambraces you are trying to make. For example - mid 16th c. : m really are basically tapered tubes. But they also did ones with more dish like: m The outer plate needs to be longer than the inner plate (so your elbow can bend). It ...

wcallen

Clarification on the spaulder/rerebrace thing. For very late 14th/early 15th c. style arms as seen on lots of English brasses and effigies it is postulated by several people that you can make these using pieces that are permanently attached to each other all the way from the spaulder to the wrist. I...

wcallen

Yes, pictures please.

Somewhere those of us who don't play Facebook can get to.

Wade

wcallen

I have seen at least one example of a purportedly real 15th c. spaulder that did not use leather straps. Just for fun, I built a pair that were all on rivets. They are quasi-pauldrons. You can see them here: m They seem to work ok. I don't see any sign that this is a normal thing to do. Sabatons see...

wcallen

What we are talking about are various forms of 15th c. breastplate. They were generally pieced top and bottom. They were done with a leather strap in the middle - and a buckle (classic Italian style), with a slot (most of the low end ones in Churburg seem to be that way) or even with a bolt threaded...

wcallen

In short, nope. "Ventral" plate is a plate that sits over your breastbone. Covers the center front of the ribs. The backplate is the strapped to this plate and the breastplate is then bolted to the ventral plate. It would basically pull you into the backplate in a way that might take some ...

wcallen

Note on adding material when you don't have enough. First, add more so it doesn't happen. You got that in one. Next, for most periods - at least post 1490 ish, you can add a gusset if you need more in the arms like this case. They don't tend to use so many rivets, but the idea is the same. As you go...

wcallen

Everyone seems to have a different opinion these days. We in the U.S. seem to have become a little obsessed with who has right to what. At least until we find that some item from China is cheap, then we go with it. I used to make armour for a living with Aaron. Even when we were working we were alwa...

wcallen

I vote that Jame's picture is correct, the other one is wrong. Longer tail in the back. The side with the crease in the back (happens to be the longer one too). That makes this basically a salade with a brim, not something no one has done anywhere else. And I think you see better. That is certainly ...

wcallen

As you said, those are knees. So not quite answering the question. There are various other german bracelet cops if the Max fashion. Also late 1520's or 1530's. They would have been floaters. Just for fun, why do you ask? These are very different styles of armour. I would guess that you are looking f...

wcallen

Not what I would do, but your mileage may vary. For instance, I have seen no sign of these actually being attached on the sides by anything other than leathers. Also, the curves on the 2 plates are usually very different. The top is much flatter than the bottom (this is all relative, of course - com...

wcallen

As always, it depends. I assume you are making a breastplate like the several in Churburg or in the Tower that came from Churburg (I know, Leeds - I am old) - a 2 piece breast with the bottom riveted to the top. Going to do the one with the face embossed into it? It is so ugly, but still tempting. B...