The Armour Archive

RandallMoffett

it might also be good to point out that as far as has been studied there is no relation to the thinner or thicker armour and heat treating of it in historical pieces. I keep hearing this myth that armour got thinner with heat treating and it just does not have any real substance to it. Maybe in the ...

RandallMoffett

looks good. Is it the start of a harness?
What do you plan to do with the helmet top?

RPM

RandallMoffett

anyone can be a spy. fishermen and merchants seem often to have played the part of spy as well.

RPM

RandallMoffett

Enrico, Having lived in York the trip is a must. For a 45-1hr ride in a bus it is a must. You can get a same day bus fare on a coastliner at the bus station (just 10 minute walk from the RA) for 6.50 pounds if it has not gone up too much (last time I was in York we were straying by York College so i...

RandallMoffett

Well.... just a quick comment. I think there are scans that pick things like slag out so in theory forge welds should be possible to find as well. It may just be one of those things we have to wait to see. Unless someone hear knows the process and owns a very expensive scanner that can do it.

RPM

RandallMoffett

nathan, Bales were a part of the trade and sales system in england and would have been strickly regulated like beer and bread measurements etc. They sell half and quarter bales so it seems to have been fairly exact. I think I can find a table with some looking that would have all the equivilents. Ba...

RandallMoffett

Bob, Yeah I was thinking more for war, I should have said that I suppose. I have not seen any depictions from circa 1280 though. If you could post or PM me the citation that would be helpful for me in the future. I just found reference to a visored helmet in the patent rolls in the 4th quarter of th...

RandallMoffett

Martletman, That is not completely right. Colors could be very bright and vibrant. Keeping said colors was more difficult and would fade or not stay in the material without mordants, which make the dyes adhere to the material. I saw a demo of this at the university at an arch event using some dyes a...

RandallMoffett

early 14th is what I tend to think of for it. Till about 1350 at the latest.

RPM

RandallMoffett

James, looks good to me. did you padd the arms or elbow at all? Do you think less linen layers with cotton wool would be accomidating to you. I have found my under gambeson works find under my armour. It is cotton padding with two layers. Thicker chest, thinner arms. I was refering to the 15th as fa...

RandallMoffett

The only garments I know of that seem to have been worn under armour do not seem to be that thin and included padding- raw and cotton wool etc. The curator of fabric/textile armours at the R.A. had a great deal of info regarding this topic and thickness for under armour. An article soon will be out ...

RandallMoffett

skev,

you should come by. We will see you there.

RPM

RandallMoffett

thur. 10-11. I will be the one with the stroller/push chair child and wife.

look forward to seeing you all there.

RPM

RandallMoffett

here our our demands or the helmet gets it.......

Looks nice to shoot at. I hope it can stay the bullets and find a good home. If I remember the knee halbard shot it was not per se pretty after.

RPM

RandallMoffett

Hal is right! My first helmet got reincarnated..... looks much better now.... oh wait no it doesn't I never finished it ant it is sitting on a shelf still.....
What does the inside look like. Looks good for a 1st helmet.
RPM

RandallMoffett

I had avoided saving effigies as they had been so stable before but 2007 has not been a good year for them... Dang it was such a good resource...

Thanks for the response.

RPM

RandallMoffett

Hugh,

Thanks for sharing. Works for me.

RPM

RandallMoffett

steve, the land/vassal ritual continues in later periods. When a lord dies his heir goes to swear fealty etc. A good example is the english kings and aquitaine. When ever a king died someone was expected to make this errand. Edward III did it for his father. A knight can always be stripped of his la...

RandallMoffett

So did it disappear again?

Any info?

RPM

RandallMoffett

Steve, the AS culture had a strong gift giving trend. It is possible it happened but it was not from what I have read the normal way he would gain his arms. Besides large scale land ownership = wealth which = ability to buy arms anda rmour. What would the poiint of giving him tracts of land be if no...

RandallMoffett

I cannot find my copy of the AS Chronicle but it has a system set forth in it that explains what is expected as far as arms. The armour and helm is determined by owning sufficient hides of land. 'A tree trunk is generally more resistant to cutting than flesh, and it doesn't move or fight back. ' Fel...

RandallMoffett

Steve,

per the AS chronicle it seems to indicate all freemen would own weapons and be availible to the levy.

I figure most freemen in the AS period could afford a spear and shield fairly easily. Another aspect is that not all men were freemen in AS society....

RPM

RandallMoffett

I wish I were closer and had some free time. I could make up some elbow cops and cut out splints pretty easy but will be out for the next month on some business and some time out to get some air. I would recommend making the spun to have a peaked front visor or something. Think great helm for exampl...

RandallMoffett

In london it is clear they have uniforms in a way made up for the soldiers. In this: Riley, H., Ed. Memorials of London and London Life in the XIII, XIV and XV centuries, being a series of Extracts from the Early Archives of the City of London, A.D. 1276- 1419. London, 1868. pages 189-190. In this i...

RandallMoffett

I have seen a few different dates. D. Nicolle puts it at 1361 I think. I usually figure it between the 1361-1376 dates. If the edifice was finished then it had to have been before that date if it was original to it. I have not really done any looking into it myself but have just looked over others o...

RandallMoffett

There is one in the RA fromt he 1st half of the 15th with the assorted bits of early 15th armour. I have no pictures I can find but I will be in the area in a week so I will see what I can do,

RPM

I want to make a fluting tool. Is it a little HF one?

RandallMoffett

I am a full time researcher right now and my topic is civic military organisation in the late middle ages so I spend alot of time with records between 1300-1500. Right now I am looking at 1300-1550 but that is to show thet henry VIII was not the first to build up fortifications to defend the coastal...

RandallMoffett

Your in luck. The city of london as well as a few others have detailed accounts on how this works. In London each gate had two watchmen at night both with torches. To keep the peace at night was a small select company of 'good men' who were chosen and organised and lead (in theory) by an alderman. I...

RandallMoffett

DAvid, that is interesting. I would love to look at the sources on that. So much shifting through things helps to find it if someoen has already found it for you . Sounds interesting. David are you in a 15th century reenactment group? I think I might have crossed paths with someone by that name in Y...

RandallMoffett

In the calendar of letter books of London it clearly states that leather is used in the construction of armour of 'plate' construction, greaves, gaunts, etc. I guess it is more of a suit as the guild is going after people who use inferior leather under their mark and after it gets wet or a few uses ...

RandallMoffett

yeah the tudor rose was a combination of the white york and red lancastrian rose if I am thinking of what you are so it would not have been till after 1485 where it would have been the 'tudor' rose. Before the mid 15th the tudors were really not high players. It still is a amazing feat that jasper T...

RandallMoffett

No I agree, you got it well. I have a pair of popeye arms I made.... if I just had bigger forearms....
Funny is In late armour most are just rolled basically, just a simple curve no detailed forming at all. I suppose it was just to save time or something.
RPM

RandallMoffett

Jason pretty much got what I was going to say. The arms are just simple guttered defences. outer area covered on the upper and lower arm. My guess is that the shoulder rondel is thepoint of the shoulder defence and its location is meant to be that high. It possibly was slightly dished circle but it ...

RandallMoffett

Egfroth, I agree thyey possibly wouldn't but there are a number of authors from the early 100 year war that lists the welsh spearmen with some armour so I figure if a Welsh peasant could afford a helmet or something then one from Holland perhaps could as well. THough it does not mean the helmet was ...

RandallMoffett

what does the bit look like?

I want to make one now!

RPM

Where is Gothic EYE???