The Armour Archive

Adriano

Beautiful work. I had no idea they had folding knives.

Adriano

I'd feel remiss if I didn't recommend my friends at Castle Garden Creations. Well-researched, expert construction and reasonable prices.

Adriano

I've been tagged on the shin hard enough to crack a soccer shinguard in half. Thinking of making splinted greaves; would glue some felt to the inside for padding.

Adriano

Wow -- the site looks gorgeous from the photos. Funny -- about a year ago I heard that there wasn't going to be a 40-year event.

Too bad it's 2600 miles away!

Adriano

I was in a six-man melee tourney, and was circling for an opening. I've got good peripheral vision, which has helped in many a fight, but sometimes I rely on it too much. I became aware of a dark shape back of my right shoulder, and leapt to the conclusion that an opponent was sneaking up behind me....

Adriano

You guys look great! (So why can't $50 million movies get it right?)

Adriano

I'm sure this has been brought up before, and maybe even been done. Howzabout having one day, say Wednesday, at Pennsic for an all-day battle? Everybody on the main field at 10 in the morning; fire the cannon; unlimited resurrections; fire the cannon again at sundown. During that time, individual fi...

Adriano

How about the movie "Hearts and Armour"? I always thought that the armour was pretty well done and I loved the gambesons in it. Saw that in the 1980's on VHS; wish it would come out on DVD. Interesting version of Orlando Furioso , with some hot chicks. The Eisenstein 1938 Soviet morale-booster Alex...

Adriano

Wax on, wax off!

Seriously? "Don't think too much." My best fighting has always been on instinct, combined with kinaesthetic memory.

Know your Range! (Said to a 6'5" guy with monkey arms and a 44~ish sword)

Think I know who that might be.

Adriano

I also recommend Panther for looks and durability. I believe you can download an Adobe version of their catalogue from the website (complete with prices). Now I'm really missing my Bell Wedge. Had to sell it a couple of years ago when things were really tight. If you've only used modern tents, you s...

Adriano

Congrats, Vitus! And, I'm envious.

Adriano

Wow -- 700 fighters would have 244,650 potential one-on-one matchups. If you had 350 fights going at once, I guess it would just be possible to do it in a day. Quite an idea. At the end, would they all be better fighters -- or just really tired and spaced-out? Or both? I'm already jazzed about going...

Adriano

I like the every-man-for-himself battle -- if it were shieldless.

Here's an odd idea -- Bridge battle; timed; resurrections -- with the kicker being that whenever you resurrect, you switch sides. The balance of forces could swing rapidly one way or another.

Adriano

Posted by Aaron: With a longer pollaxe I was thinking a wide swing, with a quick snap back (like starting a lawn mower) would deliver a good shot to the back of the head that can't be blocked (or seen). Maybe I'm thinking to much and just need to fight someone. As noted before, I'm pretty sure that...

Adriano

Aaron -- in a quarter century of SCA fighting, I've never had any trouble telling when I'd been hit by an axe. That might be different if I wore more rigid torso protection. FWIW, Thrusting with the points of the bit are likely SCA-isms. I have found no evidence that this was ever done in history. I...

Adriano

Aaron -- I guarantee, if you hit me with that thing, I'll call it. Are there not many axes and polearms at your fighter practice? Maybe you could let everybody take a turn both throwing and receiving blows with your axe so they'll be able to make the mental adjustment. Cool-looking weapon, anyway.

Adriano

Is silk a possibility? Maybe that would have been only for the very wealthy.

Adriano

Never mind that -- I want the ice cream coupon! The book costs ten cents -- the coupon is worth ten cents -- Holy Good Humor, fellas, you can't lose!

Adriano

I started out fighting right-handed, standard sword and round shield. Hurt my right shoulder and fought leftie for a few years, then took up two swords. Shieldless and ambidextrous for the past decade and a half (though I'm making a new coffin shield for Pennsic, strapping it for my left arm). If I'...

Adriano

Huzzah!

Adriano

Irish -- I think we just have different mental hangups when it comes to swordwork (actually, you don't have any; I'm the one with hangups). I originally made a six-foot greatsword, but found it too unwieldy with an 18-inch grip. Then Meridies changed the rules, but by then I'd turned it into a six-f...

Adriano

Forgot to say -- be prepared to wear yourself out using your greatsword. It's got to be among the most tiring weapon styles in the SCA. Footwork is essential; you absolutely can't plant yourself and slug it out, as we often do in sword-and-shield. Blackbow is probably right about the thrusting tip; ...

Adriano

Lucian, I see you're in Trimaris. Here's what the Trimaris Marshal's Handbook, available here, says:

[quote]F. Greatswords

1. Greatswords shall be constructed of rattan of not less than 1 Ã‚Â¼Ã¢â‚¬Â

Adriano

I used to do well with a strapped round shield; it did require a very active defense style, though. I'd be using it still if I hadn't developed bursitis (or something like it) in my left shoulder. It always seemed like a good shield for newbies because you really have to learn to anticipate and reac...

Adriano

One of my few advantages as a fighter is that I'm pretty much ambidextrous on the field. We have a fair number of lefties here in the South Downs (Atlanta, GA). I would guess that the percentage is higher than in the general population, but don't have any actual figures.

Adriano

Well, your current leather kit already looks better than a lot that I've seen in the SCA. If you want to try metal, you might consider something just on the torso, and keep the leather on your limbs. If you could switch those pickle barrel plates for steel plates, you'd have a pretty authentic "coat...

Adriano

I think Jones makes a very strong case for his picture of the Knight. I also came away from the book with even more regard for Chaucer.

Adriano

I can't tell you how much this thread is making me want to armour up and fight. My leg feels almost ready; just want to be sure it won't buckle if I have to move quickly. Fool's War for sure. In the SCA you can safely exercise the killer instincts we all have. You can block a sword blow to your gut,...

Adriano

What were your initial goals? Gosh, this takes me back. Or it would, if I could access the old memory banks. I started fighting (or rather, the new shire of Nant-y-Derwyddon started holding an attempt at fighter practice) in 1981. Don't think I had any clear goals beside having fun and not hurting ...

Adriano

Posted by dukelogan: ok, so no, you can not cite an example of someone being injured from body to body contact. Me; sprained ankle when I was knocked off my feet by some enormous Atlantian in 1984. And that's when I was a young whippersnapper; nowadays I wouldn't want to chance it. I'm still recove...

Adriano

Apparently I missed this one the first time around. So, five years late: Posted by Bascot: Getting used to the armour while performing physical tasks is helpful. I always wear my maille shirt when I ride my horse or mow the lawn. When we go hiking, I wear as much as is sensible, ie.. if on a primiti...

Adriano

Sounds great, and I actually plan to be at Pennsic XXXV; doubt if I'll ever qualify, though. Even when I get my splinted vambraces and greaves done, I'll only look acceptable from the ground up to my neck (I assume bar grills are verboten). Let us know when you have a date and time set; I'd love to ...

Adriano

Has it really been almost five years since we've heard from Clay, AKA Prince of Darkmoor? Their website doesn't seem to have been updated in a few years, either. Anybody know if those happy maniacs are still doin' their thing?

Adriano

Otto -- I don't know what to say to that, except that you're not abusing your opponent by winning a bout, as long as you fight honestly and don't hit with excessive force. It took me a long time to figure that out. Losing a lot is part of the learning process for all newbies. For me it's been a majo...

Adriano

I don't know if you'd call it "medical", but I've found the UnderArmor brand underwear really helps on a hot day.

I like the Icy-Hot stick-on patches.