The Armour Archive

T. Finkas

cool. i'm looking forward to more photos!

T. Finkas

Cool shield! Heck...cool presentation!

T. Finkas

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. When this stuff is finished I will post photos of the whole kit together...you can bet on it. Paul, aw shucks---but I know you could do this too Besides, it's much easier than it looks when you use this thin of metal. You should try it! ...my winter project will b...

T. Finkas

Thanks! About "war belts"... just consider that the Scythian belt never seems to even approach the dimensions of the well-known SCA belt that looks like the WWF prize. At least, not that I have seen! If anybody knows differently please show me 'cause I love to learn. I've seen Samnite ones that may ...

T. Finkas

In my mind it would be better...but that's me.

T. Finkas

Jeez, for 3 grand (or perhaps much less) you could get a skilled hobbyist armorer make you a set just like that in metal! You could probably get the whole shootin' match...armored boots and all!

T. Finkas

My SCythian scale armor project is similar. My scales are cut from steel strapping. Since the scales are tall rectangles, the end appearance will be much like lamellar. I have only just started and trying to make the process easier. Hand cutting the steel strapping into scales using aifcraft snips i...

T. Finkas

Here's my first effort: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/finkas/ScythianBeltPlates-1.jpg Actually, only one piece is completed. I doubled the image using Photoshop to show the two halves of what will be a Scythian belt closure. Keep in mind this is very thin brass...almost "foil". Cheers, Tim

T. Finkas

My Scythian "soft" kit is moving right along. I've finished a hood, jacket, and trousers. But the jacket really does not look correct to Scythian iconography without a proper Scythian style belt. I chose to make a "piano key" (my term) type belt of brass scales over leather, with red leather edging....

T. Finkas

Yeah, that Phrygian is great! Well, they are all pretty great

What a treat, looking at these---wish I had the "mad money" to buy one...

Cheers,
Tim

T. Finkas

Saverio,

It's fun to see folks like you that are so "into" this area of history and impression. Very cool. Very inspiring. Thanks for frequently sharing photos of your stuff---and please keep it up!

Cheers,
Tim

T. Finkas

Re-enactment? I'd say yes. That form of helmet lasts until modern times (consider WWII Brit or Polish paratrooper helmets) and pops up all over history. In my opinion is it vastly under-represented by re-enactors. BTW I used to wear one in my impression of an English yeoman archer of Wars of the Ros...

T. Finkas

http://saverio.mediumaevum.com/maedhoc2.jpg

Interesting image! Is this the inspiration for the pleated angel-wing sleeves that have made their rounds amongst Irish re-enactors/ costumers? I could see why...

Cheers,
Tim

T. Finkas

AA's Owen does that! Well...something like that. His even have toes drawn on...

T. Finkas

...My idea of a less expensive Boar's tusk helmet (yes, I've thought abut repousse) would be to get the helmet plain and stretch leather over the top, and then tool the tusk look into that and dye/paint it accordingly. I think that'd turn out pretty sharp looking and also give it a bit more of an o...

T. Finkas

Greg, Sounds like fun. A few notes and suggestions: ---They probably won't let you do the sandals for SCA combat. You may need to rethink that bit. ---Consider doing that scale suit as leather scales. You should probably be able to build the skirt long enough to provide some thigh protection. ---Wha...

T. Finkas

Torvaldr,

Have you shipped these yet? Please send me an e-mail to confirm you got the PayPal payment and if you have not yet shipped these out, please let me know when you do.

Thanks,
Tim

T. Finkas

Please don't do this and don't let any of your friends do it either. Just take the sewing machine away from them. Maybe take a sledge hammer to that sewing machine just for safety's sake. And it wouldn't hurt to break their fingers so they can't hand sew... Just kidding...okay, maybe I'm not kidding...

T. Finkas

In the fabric district in Los Angeles, I could regularly get 100% shirt-weight linen for as cheaply as $3.50 to $4.50 a yard. Colored linen was perhaps as cheap as $5-$6 a yard. And you bought quantity you could probably haggle 'em down from there---all the merchants are Middle Eastern and they love...

T. Finkas

T. Finkas

Yer lookin sharp, dude!

T. Finkas

Now that is GLOBOSE! Nice one, Dan---I wish it was for me! LOL

Cheers,
Tim

T. Finkas

Cool Helmet!

T. Finkas

I did a thread about this 3-4 months ago with some good responses. Look here: m and here: m ----- So where am I at on this with my personal kit, you ask? With Pennsic looming on the horizon, and SW Pennsylvania experiencing some record heat? heheheh... Just after those posts I abandoned the hand-mad...

T. Finkas

Yer killin' me dude.

Nice!

T. Finkas

I note that the spaulder photo posted by saign includes (in the background) what looks to my eye to be a hand-held electric metal-cutting power shear. What happened to the oversized scissors bolted to the work bench or the hammer and chisel they used in the olden days?

T. Finkas

T Finkas I've actually never seen that movie,and that was a design that we recieved from sony online for lucan of everquest 2 Lucky you! The film was a piece of doodoo just like that breastplate I made <laugh>. But it wasn't my fault. Actually, somebody else made it for the film King Solomon's Mine...

T. Finkas

Thanks again for the pics, Ugo. You make me want to try repousse! Very inspiring...

Cheers Always,
Tim

T. Finkas

The central plaque on this Breastplate looks like it might have been "inspired" by the POS one I did for Henry Silva for King Solomon's Mines back in the 80's. How many times did you watch that film? LOL

Tim

T. Finkas

Is the bell/bowl of the goblet cast pewter or beaten/spun pewter? I have a well-informed buddy who used to rant about any cups or goblets with a cast bell as being wrong for representing a medieval or renaissance period vessel. Let me add that this guy was a pewter/silver collector with museum quali...

T. Finkas

Remember that there are several styles of gladatorial helms from around the first millenium BC/AD that would qualify as "fully enclosed". I know this is not your agenda but it is sometimes useful to broaden one's scope a bit.

T. Finkas

E-Mail Sent

T. Finkas

That Shamock helm..well..it sham-ROCKS!!! I love that thing and wish I had a trade for you.

T. Finkas

Torvaldr,

They are hardened leather, right? Please remind me what process you use to harden these and what the thickness is.

Thanks,
Tim

T. Finkas

Remember, Heracles is both a Greek and a Scythian. According both Greek and Scythian legend, Heracles had 2 sons. One son fathered the race of the Hellenes and the other spawned the Scythians. Cool, eh?

Tim

Scythian "War Belt": Photo of Finished Kit Added