The Armour Archive

Cet

Beautifu work!- There will be a good number of your banners ont eh field at Pennsic this year by the looks of it

Cet

Cool. Feel free to contact me by e-mail. Let em know if you'd need help getting the drafted pattern translated into a CAD format.

Cet

The tinned brig nails form the order Bob put together came to about 800/lb.

Cet

Hi Jeff,

If you are doing most of the brig plates to a standard pattern I can get a quote for laser cutting them for you.

Dave

Cet

On a polished finish the weld is usually indistinguishably for the surrounding metal Weld to base metal color difference is more of a probem with patinated ( .i.e blued or russet) finishes. I hot planish welds on pieces made from heat treatable steels but I don't find it a necessary step on mild or ...

Cet

The Ice Falcon aventails are long enough to frame the face similar to the long version from Knutt- they are patterned differently than Knutt's ad don't get trimmed for bascinets as his need to.

Cet

Tool wise you could get by with a hammer, a cold chisel and a file for cleanup, and you'll need a piece of steel to back up the metal while you do the chiseling ; any chunk of plate would do-you don't need an anvil. Sasha has an essay covering cutting with chisel ( as well as other tools) in the ess...

Cet

When I painted doing auto restorations I spent some crazy time wetsanding.
It does build character

I did a 63 Caddy sedan once I'm not sure character is the word I'd choose

Cet

I most oftenuse 220, 320, 400 and then 600 grit belts followed by black rouge on a sisal buff , then black rouge on a spiral sewn muslin buff and then white rouge polish on a spiral sewn muslin for the finishing step.

I changer sanding angle with each grit.

Cet

If I was in a shop where I had the paint materials available (as opposed to having to by the stuff just for the job- which would be expensive) and I could do it on an off time it would be in the $20/buy me lunch range assuming I was doing it for a friend. For just some guy of the street probably tw...

Cet

I think narrow bars as on hilts might scrape it but rattan and other spears against the shaft would probably just scuff- consider how many dents and digs you;'ll see on newer cars where the paint is still intact. I haven't tried it on spears but I've painted a lot of cars and the occasional shield. ...

Cet

If you have someone who can paint them with quality automotive polyurethane and a good undercoat flaking from flex shouldn't be much of a problem.

Cet

5052 is significantly softer than the 6061 T6 material which is typically used for armor. You can expect it to dent and deform from typical SCA force levels.

Cet

My medieval bell from Tentsmiths has stood through gale force winds with just the stakes and uprights with no problem.

Cet

I'm confused by your use of the term "kit' do you want pieces to assemble yourself or are you looking for ready to wear pieces?

Cet

Is there a minimum haft diameter? 1.25" and really anything thinne rwould be too wippy even on a shor taxe. If possible leave some skin on two sides of the haft below the head. Did battle axes typically have an eye tapered to be wider at the top? I'm more familiar with polaxes where that doesn'...

Cet

"Indecently short coat", eh? I can see that your gravitas has grown through the years. Let us not speak of the hoseless days of yore.

Best forgotten

Cet

Like Tlast, I use the dish soap trick and a rubber mallet to hammer the head onto the shaft when I make a polaxe- for the dag I just hammer the head down till there's about 6" or so of rattan sticking through it and then construct a tip using foam discs contact cemented (shoe goo works well) to...

Cet

Is this for SCA? What make Axe head? Single hand or two?

Cet

I think what we have here is a coat cut and quilted like an arming doublet, but without arming points, and intended for wear by itself without having harness over it. I think it's a jupon worn over armour based on the dagged edge of what I believe most likely the coat of plates fauld showing undern...

Cet

Klaus's original thesis, the one that is probably more central to the original question, has not been disproven though I didn't say it had and I agree that it has more supporting evidence than his later one. A third solution would be to wear a longer garment as a third layer over the indecently sho...

Cet

one obviously can't wear leg armor over a long gown Two flaws I see in you reasoning: A) This figure of Edward is armed- not pseudo armed- and is there for distinct from civilian wear. You would need to provide example of mature men wearing similar clothing outside of a martial context to prop up y...

Cet

This is a fashion for young men- mid/ late teens maybe early twenties Older fellows like us should be wearing a longer layer or an older fashion if your very conservative.

Cet

Duke Ronald can do blanking from whatever material you'd like.

Cet

Christophe, We're running some test pieces which I'm provisionally pleased with but it may be a while yet before I do a run of full sets. I haven't determined if it's viable cost wise given the pace of sales. Gideon, These are just the finger plates so whether folks make gauntlets acceptable to thei...

Cet

I'm an idiot at posting but if you e-mail me I will send you some othe rpics form MS777 as well as the statue pic

Cet

I don't think the picture of the fellow in blue represents an uncovered coat of plates as several other tr figures in the manuscript wear identical amour in various colors ( ie I don't think the blue indicates metal). Somewhere I have an image of a more likely candidate for an inside out coat of pla...

Cet

Excellent work Chris. I look forward to seeing the whole tkit together. How long did you soak the leather before forming?

Cet

Sweet. Will you be leaving them black aside form the gold bits or polishing them?

Cet

I think I know the one you want, if you send me an e-mail I can scan it for you.

Cet

Hi Matt, I'm sorry to hear you have to call it quits. I hope you will continue to do armor at a pace that works for you just for your own enjoyment. You keep getting better and better and it's always a pleasure to see new pieces from you. You are an exemplar of responsible business practice for folk...

Cet

It seems to exhibit a striated corrosion pattern more typical of wrought iron rather than a modern rolled steel that doesn't exclude fakery though it would mean it's a bit more thoughtful fake.

Cet

Glad to see you're back at it Adam. Cool hat too

Cet

I like to see a machine designed with a concern for aesthetics as well as function.

Cet

Oxy/acetelyne welding of stainless is best done with A Dillon (also marketed under Cobra and Henrob) style torch as the is less free oxygen in the flame to react with the chromium and other alloying elements. The Dillon torch was invented by an Aussie IIRC so you should be able to find f one if you ...