The Armour Archive

Klaus the Red

I think that Seattle Knights is the least of their problems, IIRC. The real problem is the vendors of junque. I got the solution to that right here, pal. Unfortunately, it's probably a supply-and-demand thing. Tourists are unlikely to shell out their money for un-sexy wool Bocksten tunics and expen...

Klaus the Red

Oh, no arguements there- I think we're comparing apples and oranges. They've obviously got a very different mission, which is doing all-purpose fighting shows both mounted and on foot, and their repertoir seems to cover a wide range of ren-faire type events. So clearly their kit is not aimed at 14th...

Klaus the Red

It might be pushing the time-off envelope for some, coming as their faire does from late July to late August, bracketing Pennsic- but it would also be a good opportunity for those of us who live (or who will live) on or near the west coast to do a really focused 14th-century-only weekend in a tailor...

Klaus the Red

After we've had our fun, we could offer to put on a pas d'armes at the end for the benefit of their tourist trade...

Klaus the Red

even these were not "excat" copies

...so the cat still has a set?

Klaus the Red

A smidge. I have a Wisby type I with a single rows of plates down the spine.

Klaus the Red

What I don't understand is that the effigy appears to be well into the 14th century, possiboly even early 15th, so whay such a basic helmet?

I would put him at early 14th century myself, judging by the arm harness.

Klaus the Red

Thanks- my current one weighs in at about 12.5 lbs. Not such a dramatic difference, but good to know.

Klaus the Red

No worries here... my rant is done, I'm happy it's producing something useful.

K

Klaus the Red

Those are nice. I am always more inclined to buy something original made in the style of a given artifact rather than a slavish copy of the artifact itself, so long as the materials and techniques are authentic.

K

Klaus the Red

It looks like they're good for tourists, but I don't think they are set up to host a crowd like us.

Klaus the Red

Matt, what's the approximate weight on a COP kit without dag plates in a size 44-ish? I'm more than capable of making one from scratch myself but my personal project queue is so long (not to mention the work for clients) that I'm considering getting one of yours just to expedite matters. My old COP ...

Klaus the Red

SÃƒÂ...quÃƒÂ©? I know nahthing!

Klaus the Red

I'll put up fifty bucks for anyone living within striking distance of Prague who wants to risk the wrath of the Czech police by scaling the statue in the dead of night with paper and a crayon to do a rubbing of the body armor.

Klaus the Red

Sorry, convoluted enough for ya? In other words: the English word "links" means "left" in German. So what is the German word for "links," ie, "follow this HTML to other sites"?

Klaus the Red

...and come to think of it, wie sagt mann "Links" auf Deutsch (ie, html links) since the English word translates to "left"?

Klaus

Klaus the Red

I've had very good results from the 14 oz. and I'm going to test the 11 oz. next. Heavier than 14 (ie, the black 18 oz. stuff) I don't recommend for garments, but it should make a solid foundation for body armor. The fabric from Hempbasics may in fact be very nice, and you may not experience any pro...

Klaus the Red

Well, I'd like to be able to review their products. Unfortunately, their level of service was such that I never ended up buying anything. The story goes something like this: Mid-March: went on their website looking for potential arming coat material, liked what I saw. Many varieties of hemp canvas a...

Klaus the Red

I see it. I noticed it in the front as well, but initially thought it was a rolled edge on the chest plate(s).

Klaus the Red

That's not too bad. I think I can see where Thordeman was over-defining the edges of the small plates for the sake of clarity. The transition between plates on the statue appears more gentle and rolling, and it's starting to look more like an exterior covering to me.

Klaus the Red

Effigies seem to depict both types (with and without an extension of the cover over the plates)

I was also thinking of the Munich covered BP, which is much the same general shape as the Prague cuirass but appears to have some excess fabric overhanging the top edge and the shoulder strap lames.

Klaus the Red

I wasn't talking about the spaulders at all- I know the spaulders on the Wisby armor were separate plates added on the outside. I was referring to the general construction in the vicinity of the arm hole, and how you can't see any fabric there, just the plates. But you have a point about the nails, ...

Klaus the Red

Actually, I reckon he's right. This is a photo of the front from the catalogue of last year's Medieval Prague exhibit at the Met (though the statue did not actually make the exhibit!), and the line drawing from Armour from the Battle of Wisby. Thordeman has a photo of the back too, but it's so murky...

Klaus the Red

Thusly:

Klaus the Red

There is at least one figure in the Romance with silver-coloured plates - ie not fabric covered. It's in AAMK in the 14th century section. Hmm. There's just the one image from Alexander in the book, showing a whole troop of mounted figures, and the caption does say "two knights wearing plates attac...

Klaus the Red

Perhaps it was braying for forgiveness?

Klaus the Red

You know, as I look at this alongside #13, I'm starting to think you're right. The transition in #13 between the plates is quite smooth- from straight on, without seeing the visual cues at the top and bottom edges where the plates overlap, it really does look like it could be a one-piece BP with app...

Klaus the Red

Leaving aside the maybe-strips on either side for want of clarity, what I'm seeing in the center is a wide strip that is shaped over the keel of the breastplate from the stop-rib downwards, but is flat above it. In Hefner-Alteneck's interpretation- always to be taken with a grain (or twenty) of salt...

Klaus the Red

the nice thing is the stages of erection from donkey onwards

Grimstone, what you do in the privacy of your tent is none of our damn business.

Klaus the Red

Anyone want to go to the Bayerisches Museum in Munich and settle this for us?

Klaus the Red

I don't see the "thinner-than-the-stop-rib" part- if the center stripe is, for arguement's sake, 2" wide, then the other two would be 1", proportionally. I'll buy that maybe the left and right stripe are in fact decorative edging on subsidiary plates, but then what does that make the center stripe? ...

Klaus the Red

Points are more likely to be ripped out if they're just sewn to the surface. It really helps to have the thickness of the coat material working in your favor as an anchor. Eyelets also mean you can remove the points for easy replacement and laundering. (You do plan to launder it, don't you? Say yes,...

Klaus the Red

OK, I've got von Bickenbach in my files. Photo's kinda fuzzy. Mmmaaybe that's segmented. I see the lines, but I don't see distinct "platedness" going on there. I think what we're seeing is more likely to be three applied decorative vertical stripes, maybe latten. There's certainly a big stripe down ...

Klaus the Red

I'll take your word on Konrad- my files are at home and I'm at work. The anomalousness (anomalosity?) of Churburg 13 for me comes from the fact that it's essentially a globose BP in sections, not really a COP at all. While the segments which wrap around the ribs in back are of the same general confi...

Klaus the Red

True, but I would make that more closely related to a globose BP than a COP, and it's such an anomaly anyway that I would hesitate to use it as evidence for anything other than itself, if that makes any sense.

K

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