The Armour Archive

Johann ColdIron

Eric is my best fleamarket find ever, about 20 years ago we were having a tough time finding good basket hilts when one morning I went to the fleamarket and there was a blacksmith (Eric) with a bunch of bar stock art pieces for sale. I showed him a basket hilt and he told me he was looking for this...

Johann ColdIron

Here is the split mitten pattern, drawn on a 1" grid. I'm sorry about the dark spots...they seem to be *in* my camera. Mac Very cool! I have been thinking about making my own gloves for gauntlets since the deer skin ranchers gloves I have been using for 20 years seem to be phasing out of hardware s...

Johann ColdIron

Baron Alejandro wrote: I just got a couple moves from that video to work at fighter practice.

Glad it was a good find! I'd love to see what you have gleaned from it...coming to Ymir?

Johann ColdIron

Skutai wrote:
rivetz wrote:get away from meat grinders...
More meat grinders!

ALL Meat Grinders!

I hate going up to the field for 1 death battles. Give me 2 hours of unrelenting violence!

Johann ColdIron

Beautiful! You might want to include some tamper resistant fasteners so that it will stay on the bike!

Johann ColdIron

The Iron Dwarf wrote: or even the booby

Looks like a giant Hersheys Chocolate Kiss!

Johann ColdIron

my guess is that mace/hammer and shield would be very useful. then there is the wee fella in many of the videos with the teardrop shield strapped to his arm that attempts to punch folks with it. so long as that is legal i will plan a teardrop shield strapped to my arm logan I thought the same thing...

Johann ColdIron

hahahahaha.... you let eddie hit you!! thats funny. eddie isnt quite good enough to hit me yet. when he gets good enough to hit me i will run like a fucking flaming monkey!!!! i fear no man but im kinda scared of eddie. he has hit my shield and i got worried! No kidding! Letting Eddie hit you is no...

Johann ColdIron

Upgrade- replace concealed plastic arm harness and heavy mild steel gorget with spring steel. Repalce OOP Lobster pot with Burgonet for armoured combat. Make period wallet so modern one can stay out of sight. Do away with- plastic storage boxes and plastic cooler. make and use chests. Ban- Since man...

Johann ColdIron

Carry the blades in one hand and put everything else in a drawstring canvas sack? That is usually how I do it. I have a sword rack I hang everything off of when I am at an event where I set up my tent. At Pennsic I slide my swords together through their open guards with my dagger and slip them in m...

Johann ColdIron

Most folks refuse to rework a bad helm because it puts their name on a polished turd. Rework is often more labor intensive than building new as well. Especially really rusty ones. I have done a few to get helms on new people for our practice. It is gratifying to see them getting hit in it though! G...

Johann ColdIron

On the Christmas list!

Johann ColdIron

Your work facinates me Ugo. Out of curiousity how many hours do you have in the actual shaping/forming of the helm? Just trying to get an idea of how much work this is for you. I suspect your skill and techniques move this along at a pace that others take on making unimbelished helms. Feel free to s...

Johann ColdIron

I like the use of sneck hooks there! I'll let someone else say if they actually did that in period. I use a center pin and neck strap on my Rapier burgonet. It works fine but sometimes having to run the strap around the back of your head and thread the buckle is a pain to do quickly when they call y...

Johann ColdIron

William Arwemakere wrote:Does this mean we'll have to talk nice with Sir Asoph regarding the wooden-badger-punching gauntlets?

Are the for punching badgers or made to look like them? Either way I want to know who the vendor is!

Johann ColdIron

Yes.. flax seed oil is HIGHLY toxic.. that's why they sell it in health food stores and use it as medicine. I know you are just being Maeryk and trying to prompt Bob into a cyberfight. However, Maeryk, I am sure you know that most commercially available linseed oil wood finishes contains metal salt...

Johann ColdIron

One of the things I do is to tend the tuxedos for a local high school chorus (9th-12th grades: ages 14-18). I was also a college costumer for four years. My experience is that most guys don't fill out in the chest until the late teens/early twenties. Most of my highschoolers have waist measurements...

Johann ColdIron

Drat, good luck with your sale!

Johann ColdIron

Round links and round rivets? If so I will take them. If not they won't work for the repairs I need to do.

Johann ColdIron

Owwie! I missed the pinkie damage the first look. What exactly bit you? Did your fingers go under the drive belt, get driven into something or what? I've had wire wheels snatch things right out of my hands. I always wear my leather apron and a face shield to help prevent projectile damage. One of th...

Johann ColdIron

Never understood folks having problems finding this stuff... Thomas Helps that you live in a climate that doesn't turn metal into a pile of orange flakes All of the local yards here are "no sales, no yard access". Stinks since there is one less than 5 min from work. Thank the wacky insura...

Johann ColdIron

Cedric the Tall wrote:The blade orientation is always towards the foe. They are performing a quick redirect rollover at the bottom of the loops.

Yep. The curved blade rolls over very well too.

Johann ColdIron

Eltz-Kempenich wrote:Done. F*** it. Over. I quit.

LOL, Ugo's work always makes me want to throw my hammers in the sea. Then I remember the armourers like Negroli that inspired me to start making armour years ago. Raise that Bar Ugo and we all must improve! Keep going. It is a great time for the rest of us to learn.

Johann ColdIron

Wow, that is a heck of a surprise to get! How long have you been out? Do you have a rare MOS?

Johann ColdIron

Allan - I'll take the spikes Hal shoot me your zip and i'll get you a cost ( down TX way i'm betting a medium flate rate box but i'll check to see what the best price is ). John C. your second dibs on the spikes and first on the block. That's what I get for not posting fast enough. No problem, with...

Johann ColdIron

I'll take the spikes and the stainless block. I have no idea what I will do with them but they are too cool to just sit there.

Please PM me the final cost. Hopefully it will all fit in a flat rate box.

Johann ColdIron

Baron Alejandro wrote:My mind is completely blown. I'm gonna watch this one obsessively.

You should, you Jannisary, you!

There is some reallt subtle footwork going on in some of those drills. Seems to take advantage of the way the curved blade tracks especially in the cuts to the neck and shoulder.

Johann ColdIron

Huh, interesting to realize that I use what looks like saber technique when I do single sword. I thought that as well, though most of my two sword technique is circular return based as well. There are more vids from the same Father and Sons "dojo". THey seem to be a force in Polish Saber.

Johann ColdIron

Ran into this while looking at the I33 thread and link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab2atvLjcDo&feature=related

Does a good job showing the circular returns they use. Also interesting is how many students are there!

Johann ColdIron

Dibs! It's exactly what I have been looking for!

Johann ColdIron

For me it means fighting not socializing. Do that when we are done fighting. Ours is a weeknight practice so time is limited.

We tend to do bear pits so that everyone fights everyone or singles with instruction with those who need it.

Johann ColdIron

I have had that happen to me. The "Thing Blindness" goblins are messing with you again,Tor. I leave out a bowl of peanut M&Ms for them, and it appeases them most of the time these days. -Badger- I've alway thought they moved things when they hid things from me. Blindness makes more se...

Johann ColdIron

You can always use a lanyard on the wedges. I'm inclined to agree with Chris. My first thought on looking at your design was that the "hooks" were a weak point that is likely to fail. Otherwise, looks great. I've used a generally similar set up for many, many years and it has held up well...

Johann ColdIron

Personally I believe cleats are especially unsuitable, your using a modern product to create an advantage. Not to mention being stepped on by someone wearing cleats is decidedly less fun than being stepped on by an equally sized non cleat wearing fighter... I consider them padded hobnails. And much...

Johann ColdIron

Goose on spit over open fire can result in flames approaching twenty feet in height. Not joking. Being experienced cooking over an open fire and forewarned that geese really do pour off enough fat to immolate themselves should allow you to avoid such an experience And no, after the fire extinguishe...

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Re: Polish Saber vid

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Re: Polish Saber vid

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