The Armour Archive

Fearghus Macildubh

Gaston,
I just had an aha now I get it moment reading your post. I hadn't considered the "make the best with what you have to use" angle. I did read somewhere that throwing the spear was a holdover from the Germanic tribal legal code, but it was on a website, so YMMV.

Fearghus Macildubh

Our ruleset makes two weapon more effective thn it was in a medieval European context, otherwise there would be more evidence of it. Now, Renaissance cut and thrust, that's a whole nother thing. What is it about the rules that you think makes it work better in the SCA? (I'm rather new to SCA fighti...

Fearghus Macildubh

There are several manuscripts that show one or both of the combatants in a judiclal duel holding a drawn sword and buckler like in the above drawing. Most everyone I've talked with about it thinks that it's showing how to carry all the weapons that are required in a judicial duel. Hurl the spear, gr...

Fearghus Macildubh

According to Heredotus, IIRC, the Scythians were supposed to make goblets out of the skulls of defeated enemies, gold plating them and putting jewels in the eye sockets. He claimed they also made cloaks and saddle blankets out of the skin of thier enemies. I don't know if archeology supports any of ...

Fearghus Macildubh

Don't play flag football on astroturf for squadron sports day. Luckily therapy and scar tissue are holding the knee together, but running is an exercise in pain.

Fearghus Macildubh

Great website! I'm thinking something along the lines of William Fitzralph captures the ideal I am shooting for. http://www.themcs.org/armour/knights/Pe ... 201323.jpg

I wonder if that decoration is repousse or cuir-boillei?

Fearghus Macildubh

So, I'm unpacking my SCA stuff and I was digging around in my garb bag and found a surcote I threw together for a demo years ago. I put it on and belted it when my wife called me upstairs to look at something. Both she and my daughter said "Where'd you get that? It looks good." "You l...

Fearghus Macildubh

I know this is the <i>Armour</i> Archive and all, but armoured combat isn't the Society's only combat discipline; it strikes (har har) me that quarter staff stuff would be great for some of the historical martial arts programs in various kingdoms. 2 beer penalty for a bad pun. Still I agree, staff ...

Fearghus Macildubh

The problem with period staff technique in an SCA armoured combat context isn't its inherent dangerousness nor its relative "yeomanry" status. The problem is due to our ruleset and equipment. We use wooden clubs to simulate swords and other weapons. What is a staff but a wooden club? How d...

Fearghus Macildubh

What about Polish?
http://www.polishhussarsupply.com/HorseArchery.html or
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/PolishH ... illery.htm

Fearghus Macildubh

Dan,
Did you get my 2nd PM?

Fearghus Macildubh

Man, if I hadn't just moved, bought a car and paid for 3000l of heating oil, I'd be all over this. That is exacly the kind of sidearm I'm looking for. Dangit!

Edited to add:
My lady wife rocks! PM sent.

Fearghus Macildubh

Cluny is going to give you the most medieval bang for your euro. Not that much armour, but tapestries, chests, chairs, effigies, combs, boxes oh my! Also, if you have the time the church of St Chapelle and of course Notre Dame. Finished before the 14C but the churches were part of daily life in Pari...

Fearghus Macildubh

m You're in luck. Warriors did an episode about the Teutoburgerwald. German reenactors and archeologists showing weapons, shields and clothing of the period. m They're focus is the 2nd century onwards, but it does give you an idea of the look. Another group with a broader time range and links. m

Fearghus Macildubh

It all depends how addicted to oxygen you are. If you don't have a custom fitted helm like Blackoak, IMNSHO, you need a gorget. I used to fight in a bascinet with an aventail and underneath I wore a low profile padded leather and spring steel gorget. I found the combination to be teh awesome. The od...

Fearghus Macildubh

It would help to know when the effigy was carved. I'm a big fan of scale armours and they are seen scattered about in the 14C, mostly in the earlier quarter of the century as a layer over mail. Like Kilkenney posted, there are also a decent number of illuminations and miniatures showing scale faulds...

Fearghus Macildubh

One of the best "mundane media" treatments of the SCA I have seen. Well done!

Fearghus Macildubh

I fight with a 4 foot axe from time to time. I second those that wrote of it as a bayonet. It is definately a get in their personal space sort of weapon. I've seen some video of fokos drills on youtube and I think it will translate to SCA fairly well. Duke Stephan of Bellatrix would fight at our pra...

Fearghus Macildubh

I'm in the process of moving, so I can't dig out the book, but there are several visored great helms in Nicolle's Arms and Armour of the Crusading Era.

Fearghus Macildubh

I nip armchair quarterbacking in the bud when I see it in folks I know, especially if they are newbies I've brought in to the SCA. There are so many ways a shot can look good, yet not be, that it isn't worthy to speculate from the sidelines, yet alone the list field.

Fearghus Macildubh

My pre-acclimated "Dear Sweet Baby Jesus, Texas is Hot" kit, sans surcote. Von Sussen helm with camail, padded bishop's mantle (got tired of waffle shoulder) leather body braclet, padded tunic. Really no excuse for how bad it looks. I've gone back to my old scale hauberk and spangenhelm, w...

Fearghus Macildubh

I used a disk of heavy leather with two slits cut into it. I pulled the horse hair, still attached to a bit of raw horsehide, through the slits. I then cut off the rawhide and tied horse hair streamer to itself with sinew. I covered the sinew in some light leather, wrapped with copper wire. Then I a...

Fearghus Macildubh

I agree with everyone who said it seems too big. I can see a droop in the center and back where it buckles to the front piece. Can you buckle it tighter? Most images seem to show lamellar as pretty form fitting. But these are just adjustments to make the kit look "right", it's already very...

Fearghus Macildubh

A topfhelm more than likely didn't have any type of aventail or camail, being worn over a maille coif instead. Aventails in Europe seem to coincide mostly witn the devolpment of the cerveilliere or bascinet. there are some exceptions like the Valsgarde helms.

Fearghus Macildubh

So it would have fit me before I became a fat bastard, lol. Thanks for the honest reply, Russ. It sucks that it wouldn't fit, but I don't have to feel bummed about letting a good deal pass by.

Fearghus Macildubh

Spiff looking and historicaly accurate to boot, ya can't beat that! You guys are making me line up all sorts of improvements for my kit when I move back to Drachenwald.

Fearghus Macildubh

I second Edward Wagner's book. You can sometimes pick up a used copy on Alibris or Ebay.

Fearghus Macildubh

Dang the fact that I am moving and money is tight, but I have to ask. How big is the blackened scale breastplate? I wear a 48 Long uniform top, would it fit me?

Fearghus Macildubh

Frakkin' awesome!

Fearghus Macildubh

My splinted leg armour has a strap that goes over the hip socket to my web belt, which is held up by some "combat suspenders" I picked up years ago. There is also a strap up front. I've got a history of back problems and this is one of the few setups that doesn't aggravate my back.

Fearghus Macildubh

Your other option would be shaping a ginormous hunk of rattan into the shape of the battle sword. The quillions could be hollow cast brass or aluminium. The ceremonial sword rocks.

Fearghus Macildubh

For my laced scale hauberk (think scale shaped lamellar) I made a shoulder yoke out of heavy leather and laced the scales to that. Plus I've always worn a turtleneck shirt under my armour to prevent chaffing around the neck and shoulder area.

Fearghus Macildubh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victual_Brothers

A while ago I found a website for a German group reenacting the Hanse and the Vitalienbrudern. Here are some pics of them on board a reconstructed Haseatic cog. I really dig the kettle helms.

Fearghus Macildubh

And it really depends on what your padded garment is doing. My gambeson for my scale hauberk is dead easy, just a tunic with a layer of cotton padding sandwiched between two layers of linen. The cotton padding is doubled on the shoulders. Simple stuff. But when I was doing 14th century, I purchased ...

Fearghus Macildubh

My armour pics are organized by culture/time period or sometimes type of armour. So I have folders for Polish Hussars, Greco-Roman, Fantasy, Early 14th cent, Lamellar , etc. I do have folders just for helmets, guns, and weapons as well.

Surcote and armour