The Armour Archive

wcallen

Mark location seems to be something that differs between our sensibilities and theirs. They seemed to just whack them in there where they would show. The location wanders a bit over time, but the idea is pretty similar. Right at the top of the breastplate. Wham! It does seem that the Germans didn't ...

wcallen

Tom B. wrote:I am interested is hearing James' opinion of the lance rest associated with your A-237 Breastplate

Me too.

Wade

wcallen

If you go to Germany I would always recommend Nuremberg, Coburg and Rothenburg - these 3 are pretty close to one another - and then Munich which is just down the autobahn from Nuremberg. The Germanische Nationalmuseum doesn't have that much arms and armour but is otherwise pretty interesting and th...

wcallen

I'll drive to VA Friday night and Schreiber and I will start early Saturday to get there. We'll be happy to stay with you or Tom again Saturday night, before heading out. I posted some tools on the classified board. Any of these can come with me. Long raising hammers are on my product to-do list. M...

wcallen

I updated the list to add requested items. I can probably make some sense of things...

I left off the later gauntlet, tell me which one and we can make sure you get a shot at it.

Wade

wcallen

Wade, Grettir and I should be arriving sometime around 6 on Friday night. I will call you if we run into any kind of delays. Cheers, Rob We will see you. The timing is really good... A little after 6 is when I will be wandering out to get James from the airport. If you get in early enough, we can r...

wcallen

The cuisse is a available.

Hmm, since we are pulling apart a suit, I should maybe include comparables..

Wade

wcallen

James will be in Friday night. Various people wandering in from semi-local crash spaces Saturday morning. It should be a good time, looking forward to seeing all of you. Look over the list and my site and make sure you are happy. I like to have a good list beforehand, but returning people know that ...

wcallen

All of this assumes that the resulting helmet is actually shaped just like your head. That isn't generally the case, they weren't building padding from even thickness foam, so the proper shape for different helmets will generally vary, so the exact size - the measurement of the steel - will vary. Th...

wcallen

If you are showing up Saturday morning, get to my place between 8 and 9 for coffee and light breakfast while wandering around staring at the things that I am not setting up for the session and talking with people about any and all topics. I will try to get people corralled into chairs some time arou...

wcallen

Address posted in the original starting post for the topic. If you need anything contact me by PM or email. Looking forward to seeing people - tell me when you plan to get in so I can be ready at the right times for everyone. And if you need transport from the airport, I will need to know flight tim...

wcallen

We have had our first cancellation. We won't get to play with the wonderful reproductions in Dan's collection. I was looking forward to that, but we should be able to keep ourselves busy with old stuff.

Wade

wcallen

Wade owns one that seems to be about 6.7cm wide at the wrist. His pictures does not reveal the shape of the opening but I am sure he can chip in with valuable information. http://allenantiques.com/A-186.html Mine is probably not the best example. The inner plate is a nice reproduction done by the T...

wcallen

The crew was appropriately motley, but entertaining. Eric is a hoot. I took a small assortment of things tailored to some of the sessions that were scheduled. http://www.allenantiques.com/Gruber2016.html As I was unpacking, it occurred to me that it might not be a really small assortment of pieces. ...

wcallen

That is a very nice piece of work.

Wade

wcallen

We might have Gruber fill out the list. I have pestered him... he is right down the road in Asheville.

On that topic, I got to meet all sorts of people this weekend. Joking around with Eric Dube is a blast....

Wade

wcallen

I keep doing experimental greave fronts and then throwing them in a pile. I have 2 pair of full ones on suits, 3 more intentional pairs of fronts (schynbalds) and then the experiments. I am not sure any of the completed ones were made the same way.

Wade

wcallen

Damn. Just damn. This is how one earns that "best dad ever" mug This will initially sound kind of counter intuitive, but I think that there is something to be said for reasonably complete plate as the best thing for a small person. Many people attempt to use leather or plastic to minimize weight. T...

wcallen

Oh, and we still want a picture.

Wade

wcallen

Cotton gloves are good. Well, if the piece is really eaten up you may find that the gloves catch and pull. Nitrile gloves work too. Personally, I don't like them because I sweat to much. Proper atmosphere limiting moisture in the air is good. Light shouldn't affect iron... I store most of my stuff j...

wcallen

We are generally approaching the same end result. Pictures would help. Do as little as possible. Knowing whether it is active, red rust or nice stable black/grey stuff would help a lot. I mostly don't mess with anything unless it has active rust, and even then I try to be careful. I am no profession...

wcallen

I recognized the basis of the armour. I stare at it while I am at the Wallace each time. A nice original, and a nice interpretation by Jeff.

I really need to meet him sometime.

Wade

wcallen

For me the equivalent is usually wandering around the shop with my hand waving (as if it were using a hammer) trying to find the one I know I want to use for that particular next few whacks. Sounds like the "tip of the tongue" phenomenon. "I know I know the word, and I know what it starts with, but...

wcallen

How do you get into those complex flutes where two or more converge Mac? Are you really able to get into that with those pads? The important thing is that when two flutes intersect, one of them is effectively "above" the other. Here is where the center back spray meets the armscye flutes. The relev...

wcallen

I added 2 B&W breastplates no one has seen (except Tom) which have gussets and faulds, and I added the new burgonet with lining. I have an exceptional B&W burgonet on the list (the one with the closed chin). If we don't have enough burgonets, I can add a recessed band B&W to contrast with the raised...

wcallen

I will pick some B&W - you want B&W burgonets? Breastplates? Both??? I now have 2 decent lined burgonets. Both are black, but one is the one-piece one we played with before, the other is a 2 piece skull. And the lining is better secured, so I should probably let people play with it instead of the on...

wcallen

Tease.

Half way done, no pictures, no idea what "half way" is supposed to be.

In my experience, if you have something that is rough from the hammer and looks to anyone else like you are almost done, you might be half way done. Maybe.

Wade

wcallen

Maybe you will have some really cool hammer blanks with long faces.... This! With the eye struck and sized for a 12-14: machinist hammer handle. I'll buy 6 at the right price. ;) Hey! I asked first. :) I have some long-ish hammer heads, but most of them are heavier than I think the hammers I normal...

wcallen

Mail sleeves. Here are some pictures with marks showing the tailoring: http://www.allenantiques.com/M-15.html http://www.allenantiques.com/M-16.html There was some nice discussion on how to copy these earlier... I expect Tom could find it pretty quickly. I found the discussion about mail skirts roun...

wcallen

Let's see the tools. I probably don't need them, but I am always interested in cool stuff. I expect others will be interested. Maybe you will have some really cool hammer blanks with long faces.... I am using a version of the same burner architecture Tom uses in his furnace. Made up of plumbing part...

wcallen

oh how, oh how could I have done this so well.

John wants to see some gussets.

7 breastplates on the list right now. One has gussets, and they are a little weird. How could I have done so badly accidentally?
We can find you some gussets.

Wade

wcallen

We are getting closer to the event. Tell me what items I should add or remove from the list. Anyone who has attended before knows that I pull out extra pieces as needed, but I do like to have a general framework for discussion laid out beforehand. That way I can start setting up and people have some...

wcallen

The most stupid idea I can come up with. C-clamp your forge to my forge. Mine is secured to the wall, so it shouldn't fall down. But wait, wouldn't just getting the one that is there working be better?????

I digress.

Wade

wcallen

Oh, and I think I have the Eric Thing forge to a point where I can light it up and play with it. I actually lit it once and it ran fine, but the lower part was totally useless. A few more screws and playing around and I hope it will be available to play. It would be a real shame to ask John to drag ...

wcallen

My lovely wife reminded me that I ended up (thanks for the help Tom) with a woodstove that I can't use at the moment. And it is stupidly heavy. Tom can attest to that. If someone wandering in for the study session wants one.. and you are coming in with a truck, I expect we will have enough people to...

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