The Armour Archive

Norman

I don't know for sure that the Scots make the Scythian connection. I dimly remember it and hoped that someone could more definitively confirm or deny. The Roman auxiliaries would be Sarmatians. (don't wory about it, I used to confuse them myself) The Sarmatians displace the Scythians round about the...

Norman

For a more detailed "How to" from me go here: http://www.geocities.com/kaganate/armour.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://www....

Norman

WMA - About the dog -- what you said - I figured you knew all that - so I just short cutted the comment. Alexi - thanks for the Scotland/Alba clarification. BTW - Don't the Scots self-identify as decended from the Scythians? (do the Irish do so as well?) That would give added plausibility to a femal...

Norman

I got the info waaay back in high school shop -- out of a 50ies shop text book -- you use a soft steel plate (presumably copper or brass plate would work the same) as backing for the chisel (same for making holes with a punch). You certainly don't want to use your nice anvil face!!! I'm surprised th...

Norman

WMA i believe CuChullain traved to a mystical land not an earthy geographic land. Maybe multiple versions of the story? I seem to fairly clearly recall quite normal islands. Further, while he is there, he participates in a war between his teacher's stronghold and another Priestess/Queen (and if I'm ...

Norman

Russ said <i>The pallos was also used by Ottomans, whose word for the weapon form is "mec" (pron. "metch") ... What differentiates these critters from sabres and backswords, is that these things are tip-heavy, and designed for use as pure cutters: they are strictly military weapons, and the guards f...

Norman

Rhia I have no problems with ancient legends. My problem is with ancient history mixed up with ancient legends from another myth /myths posing as historical 'truth'--whatever age. But I ranted enough about this elsewhere. We do not know if druidesses ever existed. We do not know if the Gauls ever ha...

Norman

Hmn, I used to like Lambert. But watching the last "Highlander" movie my wife and I were both chanting for them to kill him off so we can get to a decent story/acting/fighting with Duncan (whatever that guy's name is). But I think this movie looks pretty at the very least. ...and I like that guy tha...

Norman

It is my understanding that ALL of Japanese "international style" maile was done with butted links. The rings were always small and always sewn to a backing -- so the impact taken was not so great. More generally speaking -- butted rings were quite commonly used late and "post-period". I have seen I...

Norman

It all depends on who you read and what period is refered to. (which makes me think its a crappy term) Materials I've read on the Medieval Steppes (ie: up to like the 14th cent) call what I would call a straight Saber a Palash. Commonly the weapons are indistinguishable from the Saber except that th...

Norman

The "K" vs the "Ch" is mostly a matter or transliteration -- see one of the earlier posts. The closest non-Hebrew sound would really be a German "Ch" -- which I think is best rendered in English as a "Kh". What matters pronounciation wise is the last letter -- the English and Americans often do funn...

Norman

Gaston -- Your dates would seem to be completely Anglo-centric. It seems a little like saying China began around 1200 or so. Seems the operative question would be -- when did the first Scandinavian get called a Viking by other Scandinavians? ...and the last? I believe (and I'm sure Dmitry and Sasa w...

Norman

Take a look at my article on "HOw to make lamellar" at "The Red Kaganate" (address at my sig below). That would squarely cover the pattern found at Birka (at least one of them if there's more than one). I believe Birka is dated to the 8th century. Whether you call that Viking or not -- that's for ot...

Norman

Which would be better the steel or the leather bazubands, or maybe a combination of both? There is no indication that Bazubands were ever done in leather historically. And how would you shape the non-welded pattern posted? Not to speak for the person who created the pattern, but -- it looks like yo...

Norman

Avatar said: "<I>I'm using Pickle barrel for the hard parts... Authenticity tips wouldn't hurt either</I>" First tip is -- pickle barrels are for pickles. Worse case, they're for keeping your tools and materials in to keep the shop neat. They are not for armour. What do you mean by "hard parts"? Wha...

Norman

Some other odds and ends that came to mind. For the aproximate period of Egyptian history that may roughly correspond to the time of Jewish enslavement , as well as to Mummy curses , look into kings Akhnaton and Tutankhamen (king Tut of Saturday Night Live fame). (I already mentioned Ramses and Rams...

Norman

The Red Kaganate encompasses any legit mode of reenactor combat we'll find. If you're around Brooklyn area, I'm building a local practice. For some reason, the SCA is alergic to real swords. BTW: "Live Steel" - is that like the opposite of "Dead Steel"? ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armo...

Norman

Urm, Backwards justification -- what fun! I'm going to give a batch of comments in no particular order. Let's see -- If you're talking "The Mummy" (putting aside the fantasy elements like late-medieval Japanese weapons used by ancient Egyptians) - You're talking about two periods: 1) New Kingdom Egy...

Norman

Sorry Eff - you're not quite correct Second, spelling DOES matter. That's why it's malachai, not Malakai. THe root M-L-CH is messanger/angel, the rood M-L-K is king/magesty. The words malik (king) and malachai are not related in roots and are not similar. At least in Hebrew - Angel is Molokh, King i...

Norman

Well, let me clarify -- the Wisby patterns are old. There were Brigandines and covered segmented breastplates used in 1360 -- quite popular really -- but a very different pattern and look then Wisby. ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/...

Norman

Righto - As Alexi said -- Abdul is servant of God - in Arabic. In Hebrew servant is Eved. Ab or Av is a shortened form of Abba - father. The languages are close but the differences can get you (as a humorous parallel, my Yugoslavian friend jockingly cussed me out in his language once - thinking that...

Norman

Ooooh, Persia -- Please, Please, Please -- need all the details. And if you can re-write the essence of the piece while managing not to plagiarise from the magazine, I'll put it up at "The Red Kaganate" ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athe...

Norman

A knight anywhere post aprox 1300 wouldn't be caught dead in a 'wisby style' coat -- these were worn at Wisby (1360-something) by Burghers -- they were cast offs 100 or more years out of date. ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus...

Norman

malaki, Your friend is mistaken. The evidence from the art is that it had absolutely nothing to do with Cavalry vs Infantry. ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505 The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.enteract.com/~silkr...

Norman

If you're doing an Arab then Turkish and Hebrew are irrelevant to your needs. (it's a little like saying -- "I'm doing a German character, so could you give me some German, Italian, or Irish names?") Still, as you ask -- For Hebrew/Jewish - Malaki seems legit -- there's a prophet or somesuch biblica...

Norman

See Stone's "Glossary" (full citation and buying link at my site "Armour of the Silk Road" ("Book Recomendations" page - see sig below) He's got photos of a batch in Native American armour made of wood slats. If you're anywhere near New YOrk, one of these is at the Museum of the American Indian (or ...

Norman

At NYC SCA practice (at warmer times held in a Public Park right by a big Subway Station) they officially banned visible jockstraps. If it's seen, you're out for the night. Seems like a good idea to me. Frankly, I can't see to wearing it inside the pants (chafing gets bad enough I'm not really think...

Norman

Have a look at some 1360ies possibly Italian gear found in a Golden Horde town. Following page (the article called "14th Century Armour from Tana"): http://www.geocities.com/kaganate/armour.html Stay tuned for the text. The armour could be Italian. Or it could be Central Asian. It's anyone's guess. ...

Norman

What area of the world was that salt mine??

Norman

I did up this helmet http://www.geocities.com/normlaw/helmpics.html with 3/16" thick, 1/2" wide horizontals. I think the vertical is 1". All 3/16" rivets. Like Gundo said -- 1/2" length should do ya. ...cept there's one point where I have two thicknesses of bar together with the sheet -- it was a we...

Norman

Clay, sorry for hijacking your thread a bit. Yehudah, As you're the one who's restricted, E-mail me at the address in the sig below (just remember to remove the Spam guard). ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505 The Silk Road...

Norman

Well, don't know if this is at all relevant to your interests, but it's what I got on the subject: http://www.geocities.com/jewishwarriors/spain1.html --------------------------------- Edited: Oh, here ya go -- Go to the following page and skim down to "Various Reenactment Efforts" - one or two site...

Norman

Yehudah - You play with MSR? Are you in New York? Wherebouts? What sort of personna d'you have? and ...have you heard about The Kaganate ?? ------------------ Norman J. Finkelshteyn Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505 The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.ente...

Norman

'Kay, let's see, Some places it was all a matter of the size of your flocks and family. In some places, it seems you just showed up in town, brought your gear and swore fealty (or conversely, brought your flocks and family and took over the town). ...again, I would bet a degree of wealth is implicit...

Norman

I LIKE my cast iron block from Harbor Freight. Okay - it's not really an "anvil". But it's a big block of metal with a couple of shapes to it. I use the face for flat stuff and I have had good uses for the shapes. It also has a hole to set my ball-stake in -- much better then sticking it in a vice o...