The Armour Archive

Norman

"My point is that to me a weapon that looks like that and is used like that is a rpaier. The issue is terminology. It seems to me that the weapon DiGrassi teaches is "a long, straight blade, used primarily for thrusts, but with cuts and chops also possible, often used with a main-gauch type dagger,...

Norman

Yehudah, Them things looks great!! If yall are thinking of implemmenting them in the group, I'd recomend some stress testing to answer Fritz's concern. (if you have the cash) Try to break the thing -- stick the point in a vice and the push it over till it breaks. Bend and stick both ends in a vice, ...

Norman

Yehudah -- same as yourself. (you seem to be lining up to be a younger paralel me -- left Russia at 10, first year Lawschool, fencing -- thank God there are some differences or I'd be really scared!) Yes, I suspected that the words had that same derivation. ...as well as Nalistniki being an alternat...

Norman

DiGrassi - As the illustrations you present show, the weapons are quite substantial longswords. The fighter on the right has a sword with a knuckle guard. I submit that this says nothing of what the sword itself is like or designed for. As an example, the earliest sword I am familiar with that has a...

Norman

Well, Russ, a Rapier would be far too heavy to use in the same list as an epee. The epee is a post period thrust-only weapon. The estock is a period thrust-only weapon. If the epee can pretend to be a Rapier, why not pretend to be an estock? ...although, Janos, I don't know how far you'd get in an S...

Norman

Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Locke" signaled the true and final death of the glorious epic. ...the move from the earlier romantic to the modern synic. I put it to you that this is the clearest illustration of the shift of mentality that would define the age. Anyone know the date on that book?? ...

Norman

Thanks for the comments. Let me focus the question a bit more -- If you visit the Red Kaganate, and look in the food section, you'll notice a reference to a "Khazar Fried Bread" As you'll see, I pose a guess that this was a blintz type thing rather than a Pita type thing. Now, I'd love to find somet...

Norman

If its the one I'm thinking of, that's fairly like an Osprey book format -- just without the armour focus. Like they all said -- there's Romano Brit resources out there just look -- alot of folks playing Romano Brits in ...England. They have very nice Web Resources. Osprey has a few nice books. If y...

Norman

Leeds is like Elizabeth New Jersey! I have no idea what possessed the Royal Armouries to move their primary armour collection there. That said, the museum is fabulous, and designed for learning! You can go and visit the curators with questions, they'll let you into the library... They also have comb...

Norman

As per the title. Trying to document the Blinz or Crepe. can anyone help?? ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505 The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.enteract.com/~silkroad Jewish Warriors - http://www.geocities.com/jew...

Norman

Nim, At my sig, you will find URLs for three (or is it four?) Websites. You will note that all contain a substantial amount of history research relating to practical uses. From a Dad standpoint -- think of it as insentive to do research that often supercedes what is to be found in High School -- and...

Norman

So I take it that one of the missionary groups had it?

Norman

Yeshua is a fairly common Jewish name. The english equivalent is Joshua. I believe Jesus is the greek transformation of that name. I have no idea whether there is a book about Jesus called "Yeshua". I once wrote a short story that I think I titled that way ...but I don't remember ever getting it pub...

Norman

I was looking at AEMMA's armour standards a few days ago, their guidelines for a comparable piece are - 16 guage final thickness (ie: 14 guage sheet), 1/4 inch wide holes with 1/4 inch of sheet between them (the height of the holes being 1/2 inch) -- only thing is -- this implies only one row of suc...

Norman

Aidan - We are discussing religion and knighthood and the such. Well, John Lennon was a very avid atheist. Not that there is anything wrong with that - to each his own. BUT - If we say that one of the first duties of a ENGLISH KNIGHT is to defend the church and the king (or queen as the case may be)...

Norman

The basic footwork would include the basic on-guard stance and walking forward and back without crossing over the feet (keeping your body to the same height and controlling the distance), "crossovers" - walking with crossing your feet, again while controlling distance anb body height, "lunge", "flet...

Norman

DiGrassi - I heard somewhere that his book being a Rapier manual is just a matter of a particular translation. The illustrations that I've seen with it show a cross hilted weapon that is a Sword -- probably as easily called a Longsword as Rapier. Emphasis on the thrust in SCA epee/schlagger - Romans...

Norman

Murdock, you didn't address my earlier longer post -- as I read it, you're defining "knighthood" as a tautology which would not permit the use of translation. Can the an Italian "whatever" (I really have no idea the Italian word) be called a knight? Italian culture is substantially different from th...

Norman

Um, that above mentioned chess set shows ear/cheek defenses. The Coopergate helmet has cheek pieces but I don't know when "Vikings" begin -- the Coopergate is 8th cent (I believe). Pendantic nit pic -- Rus = Scandinavian (Viking for your purposes) (the primary chronicle says "year such-n-such - the ...

Norman

Bjolan, before the Magyars moved West, they were vasal to the Khazars and the culture of both (as well as the Bulgars) for (I believe) the 9th, 10th century is refered to collectively as Saltovo-Mayevsky culture. Attempts to separate artifacts within this culture are essentially a matter of politics...

Norman

Leather

Norman

Bob, If your major concern is your joints, you may specifically be assuming the wrong thing. Yes, Yehuda is correct, just lugging my heavy armour from the car was a workout, and there was certainly greater stress on the back in a full steel suit. But (and I really think you should consult someone wh...

Norman

Theodore (and others who argue for a Christian specific definition of Knighthood/chivalry) -- Please distinguish/explain the specific case of Saladin -- who was held by his Crusader contemporaries as an example of chivalry / Knightly virtue. ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Si...

Norman

Dan, I do have the major parts of the Wisby book. I was planning to go back and reread. I do not remember any mention of the Danish knight but will double check. As for Lamellar being worn elsewhere in the world -- Arguably, Cyprus (Greece/Turkey) was likely to have followed more eastern fashions. I...

Norman

Some comparative anthro (I guess the relevance will depend on whether and how much you are tied to specifically European modes of expression of warrior lovey-dovey ness) Found this out at the Smithsonian Museum of American Indians -- It was common practice among different tribes to mount a lock of h...

Norman

Russ, d'you mean that she has good pics of it or that she'd want info on it? Steve -- On back protection: My COP wraps around the sides of my torso and the plates meet up in the center of my back. I consider it very good back protection. I've seen effigies of similar though more primative COPs - the...

Norman

Norman

Scandinavians definitely used lamellar. Whether danes specifically used it, I don't know. As for influences from other nations -- they didn't just kill foreigners -- they traded and did mercenary work. The Byzantine and Khazar armour they had was from trade and serving as mercenaries. It is my under...

Norman

Bob -- Any direction from the learned would be helpful, it would be nice not to have to muddle my way through mostly on my own this time. My comments below may possibly feel snide. They are not. I just lack the social grace to reword them. They really are a way to attempt and be helpful. I love figh...

Norman

Thanks everyone for your input. Pictures of all armours mentioned by name would be very welcome (e-mail at the address below or posted here). Erik, the reason I understand the Wisby armours to be archaic for 1360 is the statements made by Thordeman in his book. As I understand, these are all armours...

Norman

Ideval - your post reads (to me) as rather self contradictory. You are expressing a very definite and very intolerant religious point of view while expressing disdain for the concept of religion. Murdock - Lots of cultures have elite Cavalry but eilite Cavalry does not a Knight make. This is the hea...

Norman

If you're doing stock removal (grinding stuff away), you can make the fullers by cutting in neatly with an angle grinder. Go slow and easy and use a little, light one if that's an option. ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505...

Norman

How about a very basic helmet completely hidden by a cloth or maille coif, with a proper, unmodified Kettle Hat worn over top. ??? ...you could then even take off the Kettle Hat and play at being helm-less. Just an idea. ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www....

Norman

Please address at the following thread: http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000472.html ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505 The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.enteract.com/~silkroad Jewish Warriors - http:/...

Norman

Please advise regarding the following questions -- Please give as much detail as you can, with pictures if possible. Dates and context are very important! I'm talking about actual period pieces NOT modern designs that are roughly based on historical pieces. 1) Are there any finds or effiges, or stat...

Food - Looking for earliest references to Blinzes/Crepes

Coat of Plates Patterns question

Coat of Plate Varieties question