The Armour Archive

Adriano

Freiman -- I was actually considering a shoulder sling; thanks for the advice! Some of the guys in the SCA make me look puny; I can just see myself being yanked off my feet. Clinker -- thanks, I'll check it out. Y'know, I'm starting to consider the possibility of doing Pennsic this year. Depends on ...

Adriano

After reading this thread, I went to the History Channel website to see when the "Weapons" shows would be on again. I haven't found that yet, but I did see that tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 3) at 7:00 EST they have "Modern Marvels: Siege Machines". Might be interesting.

Adriano

Sure, I have tried it. If you want to win within SCA rules, you use them like two ice picks. Make sure that you have good gauntlets and then block with your fist and the back of your hands. Under Meridian rules, that would quickly cost you the use of both hands. If I had to go up against a spear or...

Adriano

I've heard of this one before. That is one beautiful crackpot theory. Like most really good crackpot theories, it comes from somebody who's respected in a completely different field than the one he's talking about.

Adriano

Also, I've found multiple layers of felt to be more comfortable than foam.

Adriano

Fighting: 1) Get back on the field. I'm still healing up from leg surgery, but hope to be back in armour by Fool's War in April. 2) Win the Silver Hammer Tourney (in Thor's Mountain). I've been going to this annual event since 1980 (my first event), fought in the tourney most of those times, and hon...

Adriano

Amen; I always bring water of my own just in case, but waterbearers and other people who volunteer for "support" duties (meaning they're doing actual work on their day off) are a tremendous help. It does add to the feeling of community.

Adriano

Thanks, Cathal. Good point about the thrusting tip -- what I actually had in mind was a mace with a stabbing tip, for the best of both worlds. (Made one with a Kong dog toy; really enjoyed it until they were abruptly outlawed in Meridies. That is, they outlawed the Kong toys specifically, not maces ...

Adriano

Problem: I gave up using a shield back around 1990. This is no problem in tourney fighting or an open field battle, but there are specific melee scenarios in which just about the only useful participants are shieldmen and spearmen. (E.g., fighting in the gateway at the Pennsic fort.) So I took up th...

Adriano

Well, if it's good, sound rattan you could shave it down. I've never used shaved rattan myself, but I know a lot of guys do. (I've also known some Magilla Gorilla-type dudes who just like swinging a big muckin' club.)

Adriano

Lamellar has certainly caught on here in Meridies, but you see quite a variety of armour styles. Sword-and-shield remains the most popular fighting style, with, I'd say, center-grip shields more than any other kind. That's for one-on-one; for battles I'd say we field mostly sword-and-shield, but als...

Adriano

My answer is that I haven't been stretching the coil out (before cutting it with a Dremel) but I'm going to after reading this thread. Why haven't I been doing it? Beats me.

(When I saw the thread title, I imagined it had to do with armoured nuns.)

Adriano

Well, the rings on the Bayeux Tapestry look huge!

Adriano

Wow; haven't seen a Wankel shield since the '80s, I think. One of those anachronistic terms (and designs) we use in the SCA for no good reason.

I remember the cover of one of the "Wizard of Id" collections showed Sir Rodney tremulously laying his sword in front of a Yield sign.

Adriano

I'd be happy with two leg blows ending the fight. Or even one blow. I've always hated fighting on my knees, and currently I'm recovering from a severed quadriceps tendon; the surgery fixed it, but I'm months away from fighting again, and may never be able to plop down on my knees in a carefree fashi...

Adriano

Seems like an unnecessary change to me. If you want to make SCA fighting more "realistic", I don't think that's the place to start.

Adriano

Now that I think of it, in the past I've also used two curved pieces of PVC pipe from the plumbing supply section at the hardware store; tape them together with the rattan shaft in the middle.

Adriano

I just take two short lengths of rattan, use a rasp to apply a concave cylindrical curve in one end of each (to get them flush against the rattan of the sword) and tape them on as firmly as I can with strapping tape.

Adriano

Oswyn -- we all laugh at Aiden's poofy girly sleeves, but he doesn't do so bad, does he?

So you're one of the Tech guys? Great; I hope to see you before too long at South Downs practice!

Adriano

Thanks, guys! Do you have a liege or someone whose standard you follow into battle? Have they complained? Or are your doubts coming from some other, a battle-brother? If someone with a right to an opinion has commented, you might want to consider it, but if these doubts are coming from within, put t...

Adriano

Not enough room in the thread title field for: In (SCA) melee -- as a matter of philosophy, should you do whatever it takes to be an effective unit and help your side win, or should you just have fun? Case in point: some years back I borrowed a spear at an event and found that I had a knack for it. ...

Adriano

20 years ago -- piece of cake. I used to fight like Hell in a resurrection battle, run to the res point, and get the Hell back in there; rinse and repeat as long as the melee lasted. Now -- I'm a fat old man in a leg brace; get off my back! But as soon as my leg is working again, I'm getting rid of ...

Adriano

Looks very nice; is there enough freedom of movement in the arms? One thing to do about the lacing might be to have the laces extra-long, so you could keep them in the holes, and just loosen it enough to take the garment off over your head; then when you put it on, just tighten the lacings and tuck ...

Adriano

And up it rises, because my girlfriend just brought the DVD home for me. It's nice to know that Stephen of Forth Castle is immortalized on DVD! (In the "Hollywood vs. History" segment.) Overall, I thought the movie looked really good. My problems were with the script. I'm not nitpicking minor anachr...

Adriano

Thanks, guys! Posted by Jehan: Welcome to the pass of despair regarding butted mail. The only cure is rivets. I suspect you're right. That's what I get for cutting corners. (Of course, when I started knitting mail, back in 1987, nobody I knew of was making riveted mail. Wearing any kind of mail on t...

Adriano

I've got a suspicion this has been thoroughly covered in the past on the AA; but I couldn't find anything with a search, so I hope you'll bear with me. I'm finally almost done making my hauberk. It's your standard SCA 14 gauge galvanized wire, 3/8" ID, butted. I've been fighting in it for years, and...

Adriano

Hope this isn't too self-indulgent, but I wanted to share: today I found that when my right leg is bent at 30 degrees (all my leg brace allows), I can straighten it without using my hands. Doesn't sound like much, but it makes me happy. In the days between the injury and the surgery, I kept trying t...

Adriano

14 gauge with a 3/8" ID seems almost the standard SCA butted mail. I use a Dremel with a heavy-duty fiberglass cutting wheel. (Actually, killed my Dremel and bought a knockoff at Target; several different companies make the same kind of rotary tool now.) Caution: if you use a rotary tool, make sure ...

Adriano

Thanks, Edric, and I hope we get to cross swords soon. Went for a post-op visit today, and got to see the incision: nice, straight six-inch line with 30 staples. I can start exercising the quad muscles now. Good news: when it's recovered I'll be able to use it like the other leg, which to me means g...

Adriano

I was curious if anyone fights with a sword only - no shield. If so, what kind of hand armor do you use? I wear steel clamshell gauntlets. If you fight without a shield you have to use your sword(s) both for striking and blocking, and your hand(s) will get hit. I wouldn't trust my hands to hockey g...

Adriano

Valstarr -- when you do get back in harness, please keep a close monitor on your foot, and how it feels. I'd also go with whatever kind of footwear provides the best comfort and protection, regardless of authenticity. Good luck, Dude.

-- Captain Obvious

Adriano

Great answers -- thanks, guys! Posted by Chef: Th odds of sucumbing to some sort of childhood illness, or accident of any sort are far higher than being crippled in war, and these dangers all people faced. The fact is that most of us alive today would not have survived into middle age in the late mi...

Adriano

Saturday before last, I was in the UK, and lucky enough to spend several hours in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Fantastic collection! It was great to be so close to some of the wonderful armour I'd only seen in books -- such as the amazing Greenwich armours made for Henry VIII at various poin...

Adriano

The surgery went well; I was home in a few hours. Last night was hellishly painful, but it's a lot better today. I'm in this neat Mad Max-looking hinged leg brace. My beautiful lady is taking care of me, but I'm mobile on crutches already. I'm gonna have to be careful with that knee from now on, so ...

Adriano

broinnfinn: Feel for ya. I am still waiting to get back into armor from my pregnancy break. I can't top that! Good luck; hope you're properly kitted out and on the field again soon. Today's my birthday: 45. Surgery tomorrow morning; dude's gonna suture the tendon together, then drill two holes vert...

War Shield 2: Door Shield

In (SCA) melee -- individual or unit?

Hardening Butted Mail

Questions occurring from visit to Leeds Royal Armouries