The Armour Archive

Ernst

Whatever you wish to call it, it's going on over his bascinet.

Ernst

Alcyoneus Just a warning, many items in religious art are wrong. Wow. That's a really broad stroke. So we really can't rely on most of the images we find in medieval Bibles, psalters, cathedrals, etc., unless we can verify it through a second "non-religious" art form? I understand that you use "man...

Ernst

I use points to hold the ailettes in place. The points are not attached to the gambeson in any way. I found the aiglettes very helpful, as well as marking the links to be passed through with brass/latten solid rings. I run the lace through the mail before donning the hauberk. I've never tried suppor...

Ernst

Caithlinn, Thanks for resolving the verto/recto question as well as giving the shelfmark. Looking at Erik's post on this (searched under "looting house") he correctly listed the 20, but I failed to key it. Special thanks for the BL link. I've been looking for a color, digital image of the German "Ma...

Ernst

Tracy,

I sent an e-mail with a stored scan as an attachment. I believe Erik Schmidt id's this as being from MS Royal C VII Fo.41? I have some detailed scans of the figures to the left and the massacre of the Jacquerie scene from the same ms if you'd like them as well.

Mart

Ernst

Jousting would fall under the same rules as other gaming, it was forbidden.

Ernst

guthroth, I am in agreement with the great majority of your rebuttal. I might only quibble with the etymology issue. While haqueton/aketon is clearly derived from the Arabic word for cotton, the source of gambeson/wambaisia is more debated. Some suggest the Byzantine kabadion as the root while other...

Ernst

EnglishWarrior wrote:Ernst/Gwen - looking at that they look more like bindings (??)
Cheers
Mike

Except the right leg on the Ee.3.59 example covers the foot and thigh as well as the shin. I've never seen bindings on the thigh before. Got an example?

Ernst

The Isenheim Altarpiece has some curiosities to be sure. The sleeping guard in the foreground has a bascinet which could be a century old, c.1415, while the scale helmet would fit a Pole from a century later, 1615! m Only the fellow in the back with the armet seems true to the painting's time of 151...

Ernst

To me, the first example looks like a hood worn as a hat, face opening over the top of the head, cape and buttonholes up, and the liripipe wrapped around the brow (chaperon?). The acorn hat seems a sure thing. It is the "brick" example which I am most unsure about. Jason may be correct that this is ...

Ernst

Without knowing what sources they were drawing upon when designing this piece, it is difficult to say how historic it might be. Within a Western context, the flared neck-guard is unknown. Otherwise the helmet would likely date to the first 3rd of the 13th century, although such a form might have rem...

Ernst

Polarus, I really feel for you, buddy. The sad news is you're not alone, neither is this an SCA-only malady. I notice Glen K's "Novae Militae" group has shifted from Templars to secular knights, and the gear keeps pushing past 1200 to the latest dates allowed. OK. You really want to do a German 3rd ...

Ernst

Agreed. If you don't mind fudging the dates a little..... The problem with a little fudging of dates is this. A little fudging to 1220 get you gamboised cuisses, a surcoat, and a helm with face mask. So why not portray a 5th Crusade persona? I don't like bar grills either, but if you're doing 1180-...

Ernst

Bump. Anyone?

Ernst

Polarus, I am really starting to like your focus on getting a Third Crusade era persona done right. I am rather concerned that I may be anal retentive, and I really don't want to keep disagreeing, BUT (BUTT?)... The item of gamboised cuisses is, I believe (like the surcoat), too recent for a late 12...

Ernst

From Thordeman's "Armour from the Battle of Wisby 1361", p.233-4: "Among the finds from the excavations of the Castle of KÃ¼ssnach are also some fragments of gauntlets belonging to the middle of the 14th century......All the plates have rivets for a lining on the inside; 2 and 3 are made of brass or...

Ernst

I decided to form a new thread on this topic. My question is prompted by a number of posts by Polarus, who is interested in a German 3rd Crusade (c. 1190) impression, although in some posts he has indicated he might accept gear from as late as 1230. Bob Coleman suggested hiding armor beneath the sur...

Ernst

Any time such a technical question about mail arises, my first thought is to reference Erik Schmid. The Mail Research Society has photographs of tinned latten mail sleeves, Wallace Collection numbers A10-11. The old Wallace Collection Catalogue lists these as 15th or 16th century items; however, the...

Ernst

Or perhaps it's an example of a diapered weave instead of a plaid? I have a similarly dated English source showing much the same effect, but a small circle is drawn within each diamond (or diagonal square?), and the whole is given a wash of pale green. I'm not convinced that this represents a plaid ...

Ernst

Good call, Ernst. But those are Germans, not Scots. And stripes, not plaid. Kass Kass, I know that you are correct on all points. Please understand that I post on the Armour Archive because of my interest in armor, and have never given much eye to looking for plaid Scottish hosen before. However, a...

Ernst

I've seen some diapering in miniatures, but these are monochromatic and almost certainly represent a patterned texture in the weave rather than a color pattern. Stripes can be found, such as this example from the Codex Manesse: m The fact that the stripes run on the diagonal would seem to lend crede...

Ernst

A few little questions though. In that time period were gambesons worn over a tunic or under. Also, were vambraces common then. What kind of surcoats were they wearing, and what level of heraldry were they at? And finally, should I just make my gambeson big enough to fit over some light plastic arm...

Ernst

Karl, After looking at your profile on your linked site, it all came back to me. IIRC you were in Army at the time, and USPS ate the hauberk. I think I pulled two all-nighters (at a Magna Faire in Birmingham/ Iron Mountain?) to replace what the Postal Monster ate. Tracking never could find the 38#'s...

Ernst

Ernst: Precisely the point I'd made earlier. If you want to do Third Crusade, hide the torso armour behind a surcoat. Body armour that was visible for that period was primarily maille . References to other items (Even allowing for their mention in the time period) were exceptions rather than the ru...

Ernst

Karl, It could well be so. I churned out quite a bit of butted mail back then, sometimes making a larger ring hauberk over a weekend travelling to an event, and finishing the thing Friday night doing an all-nighter. I stopped counting how many I had made or sold after #20. I had been in Alabama befo...

Ernst

Does this mean I don't need to waste my time looking up specific folio numbers for 12th century kit which I promised in your 3rd Crusade thread? Really, I've seen this from several posters (Wyrmspleen was just ahead of you). People come asking for info for earlier kits, only to be told that nothing ...

Ernst

I might note one interesting point on the Winchester Bible example. A good close-up B&W picture I have indicates the only figure with chausses shown in the typical depiction of mail --alternating rows of ((( and ))) -- is the guy at top right whose chausses are gilt. The Matthew Paris illo shows ros...

Ernst

Try here: m A number of online sources exist for late 12th century armor. You can do a search for the Hortus deliciarum, Aberdeen Bestiary, Winchester Bible, any number of manuscripts and frescoes dealing with Becket, Thott 143 2Â°, and the Dutch KB 76. I'm a bit rushed, so can't give all the links ...

Ernst

The vast majority of "visored" sugarloafs I have seen in artwork seems quite different. In fact, it is very difficult to conclude if one is looking at a visor, or a reinforcing bevor, since the upper edge often falls below the occularia reinforce. The tops also seem more acute, and the reinforce on ...

Ernst

The biggest problem is additional weight, not additional cost, unless you start considering ceramic plates. For mech infantry, the weight issue might be moot, as it would likely be for assault teams. In the last category, many concepts are currently available from Law Enforcement entry armor, like r...

Ernst

Ernst

Thordeman gives several examples of latten plates used in conjunction wih iron in the gauntlet section of 'Wisby'. Of interest is the method of riveting the plates, which indicates the iron plates were beneath leather while the latten plates were above it. The latten plates were used over the knckle...

Ernst

Some years ago someone mentioned copper rivets in mail in the American West. Despite the new search function, I can't find the post, which I presume was lost in a crash. IIRC, an Archive Member actually went to the Heard Museum in Phoenix and verified that they have this. A reference is given on the...

Ernst

I suppose it all depends on your definition of "warrior". Does defending a castle make one a "warrior" if the castle is also your home? Does being a political leader directing armies make one a "warrior"? My wife is certainly capable of using firearms to defend our home and children, but if she were...

Ernst

Oh yes, and what would be the hair style of a 14th century English knight? I don't know if you've gotten a comprehensive answer to this yet, but I'll try to add a general overview. As has been noted, hairstyles seem to change with each generation's desire to be different. It should not be surprisin...

Fudge

Kussnach gauntlets

Earliest Surcoat?

Postal Monster

Latten mail

Copper riveted mail

Re: Hair of you modern day warriors