The Armour Archive

RandallMoffett

Sounds like you have gotten some good advice about the possession of lamellar by a scandinavian. Construction I can tell you some of my thoughts. Having looked into a few examples of authentic scale/lamellar (not sure what to call it really as some museums have different terms they use) in britain t...

RandallMoffett

Dave,

if you cannot find it I can get more info on it. It is really interesting as it covers most lands controlled by the Prince Edward and shows the lines of power from Prince to local villages. IT also has some cool military info as well.

RPM

RandallMoffett

DragonOrder, No problem. Most early gauntlets seem to have been made of smaller plates. Usually the earliest ones I have found in Illustrations and effegies with guantlets usually date to around the early 1300's not 1290 but it is likely they went from small plates to big not big plates to small (as...

RandallMoffett

Register of Edward, the Black Prince, Preserved in the Public Records Office. 4 vols. (London, 1930-3).

I do not know if it has been published since. It was put out by the PRO, 1930,1931,1932 and 1933. Thats all the info I have at the moment (out of my bibliography)

RPM

RandallMoffett

Bartok, Most of them are not compiled in book formate but are in loose rolls still and are in medieval cursive basically. I could point you to a few that are translated and in books if you would like to look at probate inventories. ONe , the one from york is very good and has some of the plate/mail ...

RandallMoffett

Here is a good online source, m This has the letter books of london and the Plea and Memoranda for the city. London is a good place to start as plenty of primary sources and also it tends to get the decrees first. Very good place to look in fact. as far as inventories. These are tricky. I study Engl...

RandallMoffett

Bartok, not to argue but it would be highly unlikely a knight would NOT have a COP after 1320. Rarely is their an inventory of a knight w/out a COP after this date. In fact Common townsmen even owned them by the early 1320's (Case in point two quick references to just some men in Southampton the Pat...

RandallMoffett

Adam,

I had never seen check pieces on them before but thanks for the correction. Any cool examples you could point me to? I'd love to add it to my list of assorted armour misc.

RPM

RandallMoffett

Adam,

where did you get such heavy linen? I have looked but never found any. I always end up with canvas (cotton). Do you have pictures?

RPM

RandallMoffett

by 1320 Blair says that no knights inventory lacks the plates or Coat of Plates. From my readings of original sources I think he is right on. By 1320 a great majority of knights owned them and it can be inferred that they wore them to battle under their surcoat. The more primitive the better. Go to ...

RandallMoffett

Thanks Doug. I have been meaning to construct one but I am not sure about the neck lames and if the helmet it fluted or it is brasswork. I really love the Taymouth Hours. It has some really nice artwork and it is fun to be able to read the text as well

.

RPM

RandallMoffett

Egfroth,

I am in agreement with that statement, that was my point. Excluding the great lords and their households I do not think it would be common pre 1200.

RPM

RandallMoffett

As Egfroth said ( the MS is at the latest 1230/5 or so from what I can tell-almost middle of the century). My though on face plates is that it likely cam about in the 1170's-80's and seems to appear pre 1200 in mostly seals for great lords. There are a whole range of seals from the 1170's on that de...

RandallMoffett

Wow Doug thanks. It is in remarkable condition really.

Is the skull two or one piece? It looks like the ridge is attached to the skull to me....

RPM

RandallMoffett

I agree. Early 14th century helmets are underrepresentated. There are tons of variation in bascinets (which I where I would go). Look at the Taymouth Hours or the Queen Mary's Psalter here:

http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminated ... simple.asp

my favorite.....

http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminated ... IllID=5896

RPM

RandallMoffett

I actually got to work with about 3-4 dozen original lobstertail helmets for a while. There seem to be two main designs. Complete one piece bowl. The minority of the ones we had were of this nature. The majority were two piece where on half simply overlapped the other and was rivetted to the other h...

RandallMoffett

I go from end to end. The problem you can get also is too deep on the lames so make sure you use a light dishing form then adjust the depth toward the end.

RPm

RandallMoffett

I assume most are oval as your head is not round (usually) and from what I can tell the later evolution of the mac helmets look oval as well. It is hard to be sure though. I do not recollect any view besides front and profile for this type of helmet..

RPM

RandallMoffett

Brennus,

Very, very cool! MY wife and I were thinking it would be cool to either buy, make or rbuild a house to make it castleish. That is awesome. Keep me posted on it. I would like to hear how you have done it.

RPM

RandallMoffett

Dan,

not to break this thread but what is the earliest known group to use scale?

RPM

RandallMoffett

Signo,

You should put the pattern on the AA pattern archive. It looks cool! Chalcis has some cool armour that very rarely gets done. The odd looking ones are the ones I think really stick out (which if you are in a combat group may not be good....)

RPM

RandallMoffett

Vlad, Just a few things perhaps to look at. Head to toe armour existed at the lates by 1400-1410, depending if you include fabric covered armour but by the late 14th it basically was in existance. It is not until the jupon goes circa 1410 that is is visible. Blair and others seem to follow it existe...

RandallMoffett

Egfroth, Is it the large collar that you do not like? The conical top is a 14th century thing but other than the large collar that connects the brim to the skull with so many rivets it is not too bad to my eyes. I do not think it looks too much like the illustration but as far as this type of helmet...

RandallMoffett

Graham,

Here are some early bascinet pictures to answer your question.

http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminated ... &NStart=13

Especially this knight in basically plate limbsand a very interesting bascient and gorget.

http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminated ... IllID=5896

I hope you go early but being so poorly treated I will not blame you if you do not,

RPM

RandallMoffett

Graham, I know of a large number of MS illustrations with bascinets from the 1st half of the 14th. If you find the Taymouth Hours Ills. They are great and have at least two types and lots of drawings of them. I cannot find my CD with them currently. I have made a few early bascinets. There are plent...

RandallMoffett

I think if one looked into it hard enough that piracy has always existed, even today. In the area I live piracy was a part of life. It seems some ealry 14th century english ship owners were adding castles to their ships permanently as well as substancial spears and crossbows for dealing with such oc...

RandallMoffett

This gun is used into the late 15th of this style.
RPM

RandallMoffett

Maelgwyn

My friend has not emailed back in some time. I assume out on holiday. Thanks for the Osprey information. I will keep looking. Thanks again,

Randall

RandallMoffett

I should mention Reynold's book is a big fat one so you may need to really have a vacation to get through it....

RPM

RandallMoffett

For the upper starta you could look up Susan Reynolds work on Feudalism, 'Fiefs and vassals: The Medieval Evidence Reinterpreted". She makes good points that a static inflexible feudalism never really existed though I think she goes further than I would and anyone can make an arguement about any poi...

RandallMoffett

Brian,

My wife and I have been married four years.... she just now is starting to change the conversations away from armour/arms/armies/fortifications/history to other things with great skill... she does put up with a heck of a lot married to me though!

RPM

RandallMoffett

Maelgwyn, I could not find either book in the usual places I look. For osprey usually I go to a few books stores in town. For books a series of libraries, though I did find the book on the library loans but it will not be here before I go on vacation so I may have to wait to get back first. My frien...

RandallMoffett

Otto I think has it. These armours were made until fairly recently and it likely is 18th, 19th century as butted is often fairly common later.

RPM

RandallMoffett

Alan,

What ever happen regarding the swords laws in scotland?

RPM

RandallMoffett

It has spread and mutated so much who knows if we can stop it now......

It is a sad, sad thing to see such goings on. I have seen some of the best living history (as well as participated with) here in the UK. It is always sad when the taint of hollywood seeps in.....

RPM