The Armour Archive

lorenzo2

My condolences also. Luckily my parents have made up their will and insisted that the children read it. It made me uncomfortable but hopefully will avoid some trouble in the future.

lorenzo2

Sir Mord and I seem to have parallel lives, even the part about a wife. So ditto to Sir Mords comments except I was in LA.

lorenzo2

Thanks!

lorenzo2

This is a fascinating thread. Thanks for posting. Can you answer a few questions about the breast plate shaping? Do I understand correctly that the upper die has approximately the final curve of the center of the breast plate? I also want to be clear, the oak support plate has no curvature? Does it ...

lorenzo2

Barley seeds are oval but are slightly more pointed on one end. Presumably the description means the ring is out of round and slightly more pointed at the end where the rivet is.

lorenzo2

Nice one here C1400

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/m ... index.html

lorenzo2

Meayrks method about the card stock and brass brads is the same as what I do. Works well for getting a starter pattern and is very cheap. Its only moderately helpful on pieces that will be dished/raised but on a cuisse it should come close to the finished pattern.

lorenzo2

There are some nice ones shown in this thread

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... ack+chains

lorenzo2

My italian is poor but I think it says restored in 1998. This may account for the apparent lack of age on the plates. If the restoration is correct, it also means that some of the illustrations we automatically think are brigs may actually be brig/mail combinations.

lorenzo2

There are a number of middle eastern and turkish armors that combine mail and plates. Perhaps it is one of those? Also, the condition of the metal parts looks almost new so I have trouble believing it dates to the medieval period.

lorenzo2

I was incorrect. Boccia dates the back and chest plates from Chalcis to 1420 in Mantova, not his essay. The latest corazinna-like brigandine that I know of is one in a spanish museum, the Real Armeria?, dated to mid 15th century. That one is 1/2 way between a split brest plate and a brig with lung p...

lorenzo2

I was speaking about the back plate configuration on the valentine piece, not the whole armor when I doubted the accuracy and comfort. As to the timeline I believe the St. George in the met is early 15th cent and I think some of the pieces from Chalcis have been dated to 1420s? My copy of Boccia's e...

lorenzo2

The backplate on the Valentine example is larger and much less shapely than the originals I have seen. I am thinking they may be copying either a poorly made original or a poorly made reconstruction. Another reason I would not copy that one is it is ugly and likely uncomfortable to wear.

lorenzo2

I have seen the back plates at the Met and in Athens. They look pretty easy to make. The only tricky bit is that they are concave so they fit the curve of the back along the spinal channel. Notice how the back plate on the one shown here appears in shadow: m As to the shape of the surviving ones on ...

lorenzo2

Very detailed, thanks! I have one question, when rolling thicker sheet like the edge of a 12 guage helmet do you use heat or perhaps just bigger hammers and more passes?

lorenzo2

Could there be a functional reason for the knees to be assymetrical?

lorenzo2

http://www.eskimo.com/~cwn/brigandines.html
http://www.eskimo.com/~cwn/brig_craig1.html

Sinric answers all questions here. Brigs are much more rigid than scale. However, the plates are only rivited to the backing, not each other. The close rivet pattern and overlap of the plates allows limited movement for each plate.

lorenzo2

The suite is sitting in Sir Gaston's shop. I Have seen it. It was a project to show how with only a moderate amount of cash and effort you could get a pretty good looking period SCA suit put together. This project is a few years old and not really up to the current standard for Sir Gaston's work.

lorenzo2

Thanks Pat, mystery solved.

lorenzo2

Here is a close up. I think I see two rivets or rivet holes in the top of the vambrace near the roll near the center of the pic. If that is what I see, what are they for? http://home.armourarchive.org/members/l ... rivets.JPG

lorenzo2

Count me in as well!

lorenzo2

Fascinating, what is the function of the two holes or rivets on the top of the vambrace on the left of the picture near the inner arm roll?

lorenzo2

WOW! I never thought about using a ball stake for some of the shaping! I thought I was joking when I said there were mysteries associated with stretching the fan. Guess what I am going to do with some practice elbow cop blanks this weekend and a 4.5 " shotput stake? Thank you very much indeed!

lorenzo2

Very nice, looks like the mysteries of the right wing fan are coming! I do have a vambrace question. What proportion of the circumference of the vambrace is taken by the side that connects to the elbow? I am guessing about 60% with much of the assymetry being on the tumb side from the photos. Or, is...

lorenzo2

I am not very familiar with cabassets but it looks good to me. Question; is it usual for them to be so tall? Anyway, please share the pattern as I quite like the all in one brim idea.

lorenzo2

Yes, Boucher is way off. Apparently he does not even realize that the pic of the 15th cent brig shown is the back of the brig, not the front. As to attribution to a specific famous owner, usually these turn out to be traditional, not based in documentable fact, hence the error in dating.

lorenzo2

I have done this a few times though never on steel. I strongly suggest three things; practice on some throw away pieces, use only annealed wire, and use a micrometer to check the graver tip size vs wire size. They should be as close as possible to equal. One more thing, I suggest a V-pointed graver ...

lorenzo2

I sense the mysteries of stretching the Italian fans are about to be uncovered

Or at least some of them

Thanks Pat!

lorenzo2

Lovely work. I can see you have clients who appreciate quality. I love this 15th century fitting for a mans pouch in particular: m Can you explain how it works? I am guessing there are two leaves that attach to the cloth and pivot on each end to the main bracket that has the decorative clasp. Or, am...

lorenzo2

Got to love the way the waist on that breast wasps in. The client must be in pretty good shape.

lorenzo2

Per, that suite is beautiful! More pics please!

lorenzo2

Patrick, thanks!

Ugo, you forgot to mention the location of the inscription, it makes a difference.

lorenzo2

Back to the original question of what we would like to see. . . I would like to see some partly completed pics of the leg or arm cop fans being stretched in that particular Italian way. I am having trouble stretching mine enough to form that artistic V crossection that they should have while retaini...

lorenzo2

A wonderful helm! Love the options the client picked also. Now, of course, the rest of his kit is going to have to be upgraded.

lorenzo2

As a point of correct correction, the photo I am discussing, posted by zanetto, says 1915 on it unless these old eyes are decieving me. Of course this may not be the only example of this. I also agree that my point about the fellows death was a bit muddled. If even just one person was still raising ...