The Armour Archive

lorenzo2

That last pic is much clearer and I am much more inclined to accept it as the artist possibly portraying multipiece helms rather than decoration.

lorenzo2

Thomas, I am not trying to prove the negative. That would take a overwellming amount of evidence if it is indeed possible. What I am pointing out is that the pics shown are not even close to enough evidence to support the spangen bascinet theory. The problem here I believe is wishful thinking. Many ...

lorenzo2

I see decoratives strips of paint or latten. I also see that the areas in question are poorly detailed. I see no reason to assume these are examples of spangen construction. Without at least a few "good" pics and/or some actual pieces I just don't see these as much evidence.

lorenzo2

Chef, There is another liner, for a close helm if IRC, mentioned in AAOMK that is partly stuffed with horse hair. This is not the Von Trapp example. Since I know of no reason to doubt the authenticity of this liner I must reiterate that some liners do appear to have used hair, though these are in a ...

lorenzo2

Actually, if you are looking to buy you should go on the want add forum. This is the design and construction forum.

lorenzo2

Do you have books that can show you this style from more than one angle? Also, what date are you going for? The back looks radically different from what you have on the pieces I have seen.

lorenzo2

Vicky,
Nice one! the recommendations on food, wine and medicines are quite interesting.

lorenzo2

Chef said, I think what has been identified as horse or cow hair in this context is actually decayed tow. While that is a possiblity, in the absence of an actual examination of the artifact I will have to take the description of the grass and horse hair stuffed liner given in AAOMK as correct. This ...

lorenzo2

No problem

I recall seeing a 14th cent artistic representation of this type of articulation I just could not remember seeing one from as late 1430. In any case, they look great and I am sure we would all like to hear how the client compares these to wearing standard articulation.

lorenzo2

This is a nice project! Not too many armorers would be willing to try and recreate that unusual articulation and yours came out very well. I have a question though. The post says 1430. I can't recall seeing a depiction of that style of articulation that late. Is there an effigy showing this form fro...

lorenzo2

Thanks for sharing! Can you give us any details about the date of the pauldron?

lorenzo2

Grancsay in his article on one of the barbutes in the Met mentions that the roll around the neck has an original wire in it that can be seen through a crack. Clearly then some armour did have wire filled rolls. Most medieval rolls I have seen don't have a wire but to say none did is not correct.

lorenzo2

You are welcome. If you really like those I got them from the librarian at Leeds. Most of them are available as high definition prints for a fee.

lorenzo2

Your web site says it is down. I have several from leeds. PM me.

lorenzo2

I got a weed burner with pizo electic starter from Harbor Freight for X-mas. It will heat up thin sheet to dull orange in about 30 seconds. It has a trigger so it idles on low flame when not in use. The only problem with it is that the area it heats is too large. I have been using a ring of fireplac...

lorenzo2

If you have access to a belt sander you can take the groving hammer and gently round off the edges so as not to form gouges. Then after passes with gradually finer sand paper you should polish the faces. Most hammers don't come in quite the right shape or polish so you will likely have to do some of...

lorenzo2

I am quite fond of this one.

http://www.astro.lu.se/~ralph/pics/tmp_ ... age004.jpg

lorenzo2

The modern beds are similar in rope configuration to what Geoffrey posted though without the ability to be disassembled.

lorenzo2

Second Kases recomendation on planishing hammer. I have a cheap one and have to keep repolishing it. Soon it will be replaced by a quality tool I should have bought to begin with.

lorenzo2

Certainly further along than my first projects at your age. Please tell us what you will use the arms for, costume, LARP, SCA, etc.

lorenzo2

On the modern bed there is a place where the rope passes through two holes. The tourniquet is applied there. There may have been more than one set of double holes, not sure. I can't recall exactly how the rope is tied off either but I think the tourniquet loop is long enough that the tourniquet is t...

lorenzo2

Very nice. What sort of elbow defense will go with these? Also, what kind of rivets are those, brass with brass washers?

lorenzo2

Thanks for posting that! The mysteries of the tendon guard revealed!

lorenzo2

Deblakstan; While I agree all you can see is a central band I am not convinced just a strap across the back will hold the knee in place properly. I believe there must also be either spots where the knee is sewn on or pointed on. I also am not convinced that hose without reinforecment are strong enou...

lorenzo2

Black Swans,
I agree! The hoods worn as hat in the upper portion of the pic are quite nice also.

Air, check out the MOL book on textiles. There are some pics and existing fragmentary examples shown for the 14th century that could be good starting points.

lorenzo2

Air Bear and All, Unlike shoes, thousands of which exist, we just don't have a large enough group of existing hoods to make really precise statements about minor fashion details. What we do have are lots of pics and a few related garments that show the general fashion and construction methods of the...

lorenzo2

The tourniquet method is how the modern beds I saw in Greece were tightened after the ropes had become loose. So, I can state for a fact that it would work. Did they do it that way? Just my speculation tht they did of course.

lorenzo2

I agree with White. Take some time looking at 15th cent. illuminations such as Froissart. You will see them. However, I have never seen an illustration of archers knees that was detailed enough that you could tell how they were attached to the hose and if the hose were reinforced/padded or just regu...

lorenzo2

James, how does the bevor open on that sallet?

lorenzo2

Thanks Wcallen for that interesting info.

lorenzo2

The way the sleeves set into the body is really interesting. Can you give us more information about the original? I'm not sure from your original post what the date on the piece is.

lorenzo2

Wcallen, Interesting, what is the stuffing? Ambrose, There is a doublet which IIRC is 16th cent that is either an arming doublet or a civilian one in the style of an arming doublet shown in great detail with a pattern in one of Janet Arnolds books. I think the title is Patterns of Fashion: The Cut a...

lorenzo2

Bronze work hardens rapidly. You will need to anneal the work or it may crack. Believe me, several rounds of annealing are better than getting almost done and cracking.

lorenzo2

check out this site; http://www.eskimo.com/~cwn/brigandines.html

Also, a few more thoughts

plate overlap is horizontal and vertical in existing 15th and 16th cent brigs.

make the undergarments first, then the fabric shell, then the plates. Trying to do it in any other order will only lead to problems.

lorenzo2

I don't think that knot number ten is what I see in paintings and illustrations as an arming knot. I believe you are supposed to end up with two loops lying one over the other and a the two ends comming out opposite the loop. Jeff J. posted some instructions somewhere for the type of knot I am talki...