The Armour Archive

mattmaus

Do you guy's hold your shield while hitting your pell to condition that arm as well?(or swap arms to practice using sword and shield in either side) Both would be best. While your shield will protect you, it can also limit you. You need to do your pell work with it to 1> get used to holding it up 2...

mattmaus

From what I can see in the pics... the 2 lames are binding to tight together.

If you put the inside of the outermost lame over a ball stake, and tap the edge of the inside lame over the stake, it will loosen that up. Down side to this, it may cause them to gap when bent. :/

mattmaus

This one is mine... <img src="http://members.armourarchive.org/mattmaus/batburg1.jpg"> The buff doesn't move. It's for SCA use and I didn't feel the need to dink and fiddle with the atriculation and more difficult means of keeping it closed. This one is more basic. <img src="http://members.armourarc...

mattmaus

Can you weld?

mattmaus

Maelgwyn wrote: I also hope to overcome my habit of holding my breath during close combat. This is essential to getting my endurance up to where it is not embarrassing.

I wonder if I do that...... hmmm....

mattmaus

Armor is pretty easy. Get a copy of imperial austria, pick any half harness out of the book (ok... maybe not that easy but pretty close). Covers you easily waist up. I make some spiff burgonets for SCA use, if I do say so myself. Legs get trickier. Hidden leg armor from the knees up. I hesitate to s...

mattmaus

I've seen other instances of girls wearing braies, but not fully-grown women. I wonder... Kass Possibly for the same reason, todays girls wear shorts under a skirt. They're prone to things like hanging upsidedown at playgrounds and the like. I am forever and always reminding my girls to 'sit like a...

mattmaus

I disagree; I have found that a low-profile tip adds little weight, and gives you another line of attack, often unexpected because so many think like you do, even after being told it's there. You're correct. It can be pretty sneaky especialy with the low profile tips. Forgetting about one after you...

mattmaus

Owen wrote:An SCA sword with no thrusting tip is pointless (sic), especially a two-handed weapon. The edge wounds, the point kills.

I'll agree with you on the 2 handed weapon. But on a single handed sword a thrusting tip is nothing more than extra weight and hassle in construction.

mattmaus

as far as I know harbor freights return policy is for hand tools only. Not power tools. Dunno how it works other places, but I busted the head off my 3 lb dead blow hammer, had no receipts or anything to show for it. Walked into the store, said, 'I'd like to exchange this for a good one' and the onl...

mattmaus

From what I've seen gas sheilded is the way to go for armor. It does make a cleaner weld, if nothing else, less splattering about. Flux core will go a little hotter on most rigs. I've never done flux core outside so... dunno... but gas sheilded in a good wind is a pain in the posterior.

mattmaus

Hal, This is the 2 pieca pattern, welded down the center yes? Rather than fight the s curve on your (very cool) stake. Pop the welds out with an angle grinder. Do this in the area you want to tighten in the back. use the gringer (carefully as always, if you dont normaly wear a face shield this is a ...

mattmaus

You could give it to me.

mattmaus

Setting the visors up for exchange is a breeze. I'm a little confused as to what you mean by having a cross on the bar grill tho. Got a sketch? I've done craig's pattern as it sits, once, and wasn't quite happy, tweaked the pattern for sizing and minor shape adjustments, and was happier with it. I c...

mattmaus

Ok so... The reasons I ask are 1> my 'soft' kit sucks and is in dire need of fixin uppin. 2> I got 3 girls 2 of which are toddlers to outfit too (and being toddlers 2-3 times is all they can wear anything before its destroyed and or too small... weeds don't grow this fast). The real answer is of cou...

mattmaus

Muslin specificly.... is it period for anything upto say 1600?

With a loose weave is it an acceptable or more acceptable substitute for linnen?

and if the answer to either of this is yesish, how tough is it to dye?

mattmaus

Dunno... never tried belly dancin....

Isadora once danced for court in armor... that was pretty cool. She danced professionaly at a morrocan restaraunt too so she was good...

mattmaus

bump... cuz I want one too.

mattmaus

I don't really have a need for lamelar, nor the money to get it (but I'm an armor whore lately and can also ask around the local group of who only one other guy is on the archive ever) what kind of plates are you looking at, and what's the cost and other details etc. How many more do you need for an...

mattmaus

I still dont think I'd get into the idea of joining households and having retainers and whatnot...thats not me. The idea of eventually becoming a man at arms or just a plain rank and file foot soldier is plenty enough for me. Just so you know.... The houshold thing is not something that's technicly...

mattmaus

Matt, The sleeve thing is the trick. I tried about 100 different ways of keeping my elbows up, (everything except pointing them to a coat cos.. well.. no coat) and finaly found that the only way I could do it was to make vams long enough that they held the elbows in place. Right now, all I have is a...

mattmaus

Sasha wrote:with a lot of pissing about,

Nobody in the U.S. uses that phrase, and it's just too bad.

Nice article on welding too!

mattmaus

Sasha wrote:with a lot of pissing about,

Nobody in the U.S. uses that phrase, and it's just too bad.

Nice article on welding too!

mattmaus

That's just a bit short of saying "which kind of welding is best?" You're going to get a lot of different answers. Some people will tell you that no welding is best, as it is more authentic. Others will tell you that torch welding is best, because you can use it to heat, and cut too. Some will say s...

mattmaus

I'm not trying to flame you either, but if you had actually read up the thread, you'd have known we were discussing SCA demos -- i.e., the shows some SCA groups put on for outside people -- not what the SCA teaches its participants. You are correct. The primary purpose of any SCA demo is to recruit...

mattmaus

From what I understand... Put metal in fire rich with carbon, most certainly charcoal, I've heard that you can even toss in hardwood scraps. The fire then impregnates a non carbon steel item with carbon. Which is of course the necisary ingredient for hardening. The carbon from this method doesn't fu...

mattmaus

Were they not case hardening armour by this time? 'soft' on the inside, hard on the outside? I don't think that case hardening realy works like that. In case hardening 'outside' usualy means the exterior metal is hard, with a soft inner core. Like an M&M, crunchy candy shell with a soft chocolate m...

mattmaus

Its hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like the bars on the sides of the pierce work are more of a 'c' chanel, and hold it in like that. Not sure. I'd love to have been around when this was made. Just to see how it's put together. It's a dern pretty hilt tho.

mattmaus

ummm...what exactly are the things in the first pic? Cup hilts. The rattan 'sword will go through the holes in top and bottom, and the metal tabs will get hose clamps or similar to hold it to the sword. The fighter will then grasp the sword with his hand inside the cup, so his fingers don't get mas...

mattmaus

I'd be a little leary of 16 gauge brass too. It won't take long to hammer that out of shape. I think tho, that it'll be ok, if dented in short time. The SS on the cup hilts looks like it will provide a lot of reinforcement to the brass, as will the mounting brackets.

mattmaus

Yes. They are noisier than a stump. Even when you dampen them. Wear ear protection. I don't know about mostly hot work tho. They work just as well for cold work. In fact, I've only used mine for hot work once. They are happier to put imperfections into your work peice than a wood stump is tho, and t...

mattmaus

That depends on what you're doing really. I use steel forms mostly. I have one that's about 6" diameter and only a half inch or so deep. I have another that's 6" diameter, and almost 1 and a half inches deep. I have one that's about 2" diameter, and 1/2" deep. I have one in a stump that's only about...

mattmaus

It's hard for me to see in the pics... but... it looks like your central flute may ba a little steep. In my experience with welded halves, the central flute works and looks better at about 45 degrees from the tangent of the bowl, while in the pics it looks like yours are almost 90 degrees of the tan...

mattmaus

Yar... dat is a pretty one.... I'm not sure how... but I'm gonna try to make something similar.

mattmaus

They will be available for sale starting 19 June at the Landsknecht SCA event in Pennsylvania (to which you are all cordially invited). The planned patterns are: 1520s Doppelsoldner's Outfit (doublet, hose, jerkin and hat) 1520s Hauptman's Gown 1560s Doublet and Pluderhosen 1520s Kampfrau's Dress 1...

lame ? about fabrics....

Re: Stonemarche