The Armour Archive

James B.

Thanks for the info Mac, I think I will hit the carpet store on the way home. I might have my gauntlets set up before MTA after all. James, Any hardware store (even the Home Despot) should have them. Mac Opps I meant to type hardware store, that is the problem posting at work where you can get dist...

James B.

I might be able to make it that weekend

James B.

Thanks for the info Mac, I think I will hit the carpet store on the way home. I might have my gauntlets set up before MTA after all.

James B.

I have a set of gauntlets that need some finger scales added to them but I am not sure what size rivet to order for that. I know I want flat headed rivets and the flat side should go under the plate and the shaft should be hammered flat with the mettle on top but I am not sure what shaft diameter to...

James B.

Fair go James! Where am I supposed to put jewellery I score off slain nobles, archer's pay is pretty good, but pillage is sweet. Ranif I have a reverse list of things people have that they should remove to help finish a kit off. 4) Purses on armored men. So far I have seen one image of a man in arm...

James B.

Amusingly, my modern hair style jives nicely with the illuminations in the mac bible. My beard should be, on the whole, a little fuller, but. um. that one i can't help. Beards are often out of fashion in the middle ages and yet among the SCA often worn. Many manuscripts only show beards on older me...

James B.

Well I am interpreting his rule to apply to different groups. He is frankly talking about portraying Joe Average in a group, if everyone in the 18th c community was an officer the battle reenactments of the civil war would be odd to say the least. If a War of the Roses group was all knights and no a...

James B.

Guran

I am not attacking the SCA or what you guys do at all, I only felt you were over thinking the rule; its logic still applies to doing upper class portrayals.

I was also pointing out there is room for many different types of portrayals of history and the people of the past

James B.

@ Char and James Granted. I was not trying to denigrate the artisans place at shows. My comment that they would watch "for a little while" was subjective. I am sure that some would watch for hours and hours. I have seen people stop and watch a guy sleep in his open tent like it was someth...

James B.

Combat shows draw a large crowd that stay til the end. Artisans draw crowds that will watch and enjoy seeing new things they haven't seen before. Yes, someone stirring a pot will cause people to stop and see what they are doing, for a little while. Go to a show and be a laborer/farmer. Stand in a f...

James B.

I have a reverse list of things people have that they should remove to help finish a kit off. 1) Sun Glasses. Less than .001% of Americans are photo phobic and they all seem to be in the SCA from all the lame excuses I hear about sun glasses. 2) The belt favors. Yes I understand they have a sentimen...

James B.

http://www.oxbowbooks.com/pdfs/books/pu ... merika.pdf

This is the first 30 pages of Purses in Pieces. pages 25-27 have pouchlets shown.

James B.

@ James B. Using your example, at a gathering of Nobles they would be wearing their best clothing, so, their linen hose. Are you reenacting a Noble in his own house or at a gathering of Nobles? Framing what you are trying to portray changes things. As far as vikings go (my own personal interest) re...

James B.

I am working on some drawing of doublets at this time, when they are done I will post them.

Alric there are some folks in your pictures that got it right, I just wanted to point were they are a bit off

James B.

The biggest offender that I will never gripe about though is modern wedding rings. It may not be right but somethings are just better left untouched. I have a proper stirrup ring for 14/15th c I often wear instead of my wedding ring. Sometimes I just skip the ring all together but I know some peopl...

James B.

Rule #3: Document for commonality. Dare to be average! The SCA portrays people of nobility correct? If you were to portray the "commonality" you would be portraying the peasantry of the Renaissance period. That would be boring IMO. Guran I think you are talking this logic too far. Think a...

James B.

Are those sneakers you are wearing?

Yes

You are a historical reenactor why are you wearing sneakers?

They are comfortable

Anyway it is a good post it sums up how the groups I participate approach reenactment and it is how I approach my participation in the SCA for the most part.

James B.

The shapes of the pouchlets in Purses in Pieces have worked for me. In my stitching process I typically punch the holes to stitch the outer and inner pieces together to know where my edge will be then I attach the pouchlets before I assemble the outer and inner pieces together and turn them. I mostl...

James B.

Alric, I presume you are aware that many of the folk you photo'd are wearing kit that is VERY post-Agincourt? It is true of much of the clothing too. Most are wearing 1450 and beyond outfits and not 1415 clothing at all. They are solidly War of the Roses and not Hundred Years War. Doublets in that ...

James B.

I recently found a good link for the Cowdray engravings ( http://userweb.port.ac.uk/~fontanad/maryrose/ ) (18th-century engravings of wall paintings originally done in the 1540s). They're another valuable resource for the era. I was reluctant to use them at first until I found the engraving based o...

James B.

Some quotes on slashed hosen: Referring to extant hosen in the Berne Historical Museum dated to the early to mid-16th century The netherstocks are made of yellow fulled wool and have brown soles to the integral feet, while the upper stocks are also yellow fulled wool lined with linen, which has been...

James B.

Here are some images of soldiers from this time frame:

From the manuscript Cotton Augustus III Dated around 1520 and The Embarkation at Dover by an unknown artist, c.1545.

James B.

Will you be listing the sources? Here are my main resources at this time: # Before the Mast: Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose (Archaeology of the Mary Rose) - Full material items such as shoes, jerkins, hats, chests, and other common items the crew on board had when the ship sunk. # Dress at the...

James B.

La Belle is working on doing an Agincourt camp for next year.

James B.

There is also the option of making a case that would fit smokes and a lighter or a cell phone or all of it. Case making information is also in Purses in Pieces.

James B.

I concur with Karen on getting Purses and Pieces it is an awesome book. Baron Alcyoneus's video has good technique for sewing however sewing on the loops like he did and closing the top with cord is incorrect. The looks are part of the body and the opening is always closed with a leather thong threa...

James B.

Lets start with clothing basics for this time period. The most basic men are depicted in a doublet and hosen without a jerkin or gown. Most men seem to wear a jerkin and those of higher rank have gowns. Here are some observations I have. Hosen: Hosen are a bit odd in this time period, you have men w...

James B.

I never thought the minimums were good protection for the new fighters; they basically cover up the hard to fix areas of the body (skull, upper spine, elbows, knees, wrists, hands, and groin). If you feel you are good enough to not cover the rest it is on you; you know the dangers. All I know is thi...

James B.

April 16/17 is MTT and the 23/24 is Blackstone for SCA folks or Fort Fredrick for reenactors.

If you go the 2nd or 30th I may try and make the trip.

James B.

In the MoL Shoes and Pattens book it states that at certain times in the 14th and 15th century that poplar (I believe) was banned from patten making because poplar was the common wood for arrows. Alder was used often for pattens and Jeff J has had amazing results with alder wood. I will have to look...

James B.

Karen Larsdatter wrote:Also, gel insoles are great inside turnshoes. They add a little bit of shock absorption, and a little bit of cushioning.

+1

James B.

I don't like wearing pattens at Pennsic, I always feel like I am going to turn my ankle. Even leather pattens are a pain for me; I just wear my shoes. I have a couple of light wool outfits I wear through most of Pennsic; I hate how bad linen wrinkles but I may keep one tunic this year for really hum...

James B.

I was finally able to get on this morning and download all the documents.

James B.

There was a French website with a bunch of arms and armor book on PDF that was floating around a while back; I was hoping someone had the link handy.

James B.

The problem is there is just not much (any that I know of) evidence to support that, Could you please clarify this; do you mean not much evidence of chopping/cutting through plate armor with a sword? There is plenty of evidence of bec de corbins going through, axes, spears even in tournament settin...

Finger scales for gauntlets, what size rivet to use?

English Soldier in the War of 1542â€“1546 (Mary Rose Archer)