The Armour Archive

Uilleag

I transfered the design with commercial tracing film with a stylis. I then incised the pattern with a swivel knife, tooled or embossed the back ground and then went back over the lines with a sharper stylis to detail the lines. I agree that a sharp stylis was probably all that was used in period, bu...

Uilleag

Hey Uilleag.. do you have the Dover Knot books? I might have missed it skimming through the posts.. but I use them a lot.. its _really_ easy to scan the knot in, and then just adjust it using the PC.. Actually, no I don't have the Dover Knot books. Unfortunately, my printer/scanner/copier/fax is th...

Uilleag

The first row of beasties is finished! Gotta let the leather recase before I start the next row. I haven't had this much fun in a long time! <IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/13centuryarms/progress22.jpg"> <IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/13centuryarms/progress23.jpg"> <IMG src="http://houseoft...

Uilleag

I have a question that relates to leather tooling techniques in period times. I can't reference the source but I seem to recall that incising leather before tooling is more of a modern practice. Has anyone done research to try and find what the earliest source of incised then tooled designs on leat...

Uilleag

Thomas james hayman wrote:Yep, wow is the word. wish i could do that with my leather. i have trouble hardening it.

Hardening hasn't even started yet, Thom! That's a couple of steps down the road still.

Uilleag

I will still be doing the arm harness, but I am fully emersed in the repro project right now. I don't think that knotwork can be documented on armour on the time period I am working with though.....we'll see.

Uilleag

Ok, the pattern is developed, the leather cut out and the artwork is transfered onto the leather. I used a bone slicker to burnish the edges and the decoritive groove that I normally use a stitch groover for will be transfered manually, (i.e.: by blade not grooving tool.) The technique I used to tra...

Uilleag

Thomas! You found a piece of period plate armour with knotwork on it! You rock, must find the owner of the site and get permission to post this picture! For those of you who follow the link, towards the middle of the page there is a large crested helm with knotwork etched into the piece! It's the ma...

Uilleag

From what I remember (and that is a tenuous thing, trust me), I believe that this piece was an archaeological find-from the Thames, perhaps? From what I have it was found in what is now central London published in 1854 in the "Catalogue of the Museum of London Antiquities collected by, and the prop...

Uilleag

Ok, after some gentle prodding and a helpful suggestion or two, I allowed myself to be talked into a reproduction project. The Arm harness will still be done, but it is now for a later project. I am also contemplating a more authentic artwork style on it, but that is for later. This project is based...

Uilleag

I have always been interested in cuir boulli armours, but until recently my efforts in finding out about this fascinating topic has been very frustrating. In the few weeks that I have been a member, I have recieved more information on hardened leather armour than I have been able to find in 5 years ...

Uilleag

As an amourer who has seen more than his fair share of chaos, I will say that your orders are more than likely being worked on. recently, I had to change my turn around times to 2 - 3 months. A very signifigant change from 4 - 6 weeks. Although I will agree that asking for final payment, to me means...

Uilleag

I will have to double check my artwork sources, but I believe there are paintings that depict brass colored metal used as splints on both arm and leg harnesses. To my knowledge, there are no extant examples of brass being used to edge cuir bouilli, so it is really left to interpretation of artwork, ...

Uilleag

Could you please post the source picture. It is hard to see the details you are trying recreate in that background picture. Any thoughts of doing legs as well? My source documents are from the Journal of the Arms and Arms Society, Vol. 8 (1974 - 76), "Notes on a Newly Discovered Piece of 14th Centu...

Uilleag

Just curious: I've never seen any armor using celtic knotwork, but out of the few examples I've seen, (and the vast majority of 14th c. sheaths) they have used the vine-and-circle design that is shown on the picture you have. So, why did you substitute a design that you had no proof of being used o...

Uilleag

I'm working on some English arm harnesses, and I'm wondering what size roundels you used. I look forward to seeing you at the MAG. I used 5" diameter rondels. I came to this dimension by measuring the gap between the vambrace and rebrace while worn, (I taped the pattern in place to do this), I then...

Uilleag

Wulf, Thank you very much for the ideas. It seems as if it would save some time, but I have a few observations about your technique. Please don't take offense, I appriciate getting tips and want to encourage folks to share tips. First, the borders need to fit each individual piece so patterns that a...

Uilleag

I have developed the rondel and the artwork that will be embossed onto it. I choose a simple 4-point knot to match the more intricate one on the vambrace and rebrace.

<IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/13centuryarms/progress8.jpg">

Uilleag

I now want to post the progress on the upper cannon, or rebrace. The pattern was developed again based on Christopher Dobson's work. The "upper vanbrace", as Chistopher phrases it, is based on an English, late 13th century piece in London at the British Museum. It has been modified to fit me, but I ...

Uilleag

Nice to see that you are starting to base some of your work on more authentic pieces! Keep it up! Just curious: I've never seen any armor using celtic knotwork, but out of the few examples I've seen, (and the vast majority of 14th c. sheaths) they have used the vine-and-circle design that is shown ...

Uilleag

Greetings All! With the start of the new year, I have begun the most challenging project I have attempted to date. This project is being developed for my class at the Midwest Armourer's Guild meeting later this month. I hope you don't mind my using the Archive as a sounding board for the class I'm p...

Uilleag

Wow! Animal, the art on those Bauz's rock! I can't wait to see the finished project. I'm interested in seeing the shaping of the elbow worked out. Make sure you post pics!

Uilleag

What does all of this have to do with musculata style armour. Most of the lady fighters I've seen wearing musculata are hot. Larger chicks prefer bunny rabbits. Never made armour out of bunny rabbits.

Uilleag

A pair just like them can be yours Owen, just contact me via email.

Uilleag

you do know that once Troy comes out on dvd you may be asked to do a full "naked" leather suit:-) I still recall bravefart coming out and getting a plethora of emails about a " scale coat" and where one can find sleeveless scotish shirts.... I already offer a Roman Lorica Musculata, or muscled brea...

Uilleag

Those are sweet!! Did you have the client there to do the molding? Great job No, I took some pics of my arms, both flexed and relaxed to get a better idea of upper arm musculature and then dished and shaped them. I did have several measurements from the client so I knew what dimensions to make them...

Uilleag

My latest work. The musculature was interesting to shape. They were made for a client with slightly longer arms than mine, so they don't quite fit me, but I took some pictures of them worn to show scale. <IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/pics/sapauldrons.jpg"> <IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/p...

Uilleag

wow covers it.

What an intersting piece of art, a conversation piece to be sure!

Uilleag

very nice. Do you find those rivits hold up well? I switched over completely to copper saddle making type rivets (cant' recall the correct term copper /bur?) and the rivets tend to outlast the leather. Do you have any trouble with the rivets you use popping lose after a year or so? If you are going...

Uilleag

Here is my first attempt at 15th century Schinbalds, (german greaves). I researched several different pics and this pair is a compilation of what I found. They have a center crease that runs the length. This was tooled in with a bone creaser, a t-bar with a creasing edge and plannished with a hammer...

Uilleag

I've made a slight modification to my bauzuband pattern, in this pair. We customized it to fit a longer forearm and to completely encase the forearm up to the elbow joint. The strap at the elbow has not been added in this pair because of the change in pattern. It wouldn't fit properly with the way t...

Uilleag

Actually, the reasoning behind the belief that hide glue and gypsum were used is because ever surviving piece of cuir bouilli, both horse barding and the one or two pieces in london were found to have traces of gesso and egg tempura paint on them. Gesso is made of hide glue, generally rabbit, and gy...

Uilleag

Uilleag

Here's a pair in oxblood that I'm working on. <IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/progresspics/sbauzubands1.jpg"> <IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/progresspics/sbauzubands2.jpg"> <IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/progresspics/sbauzubands3.jpg"> This client has really long forearms!

Uilleag

From all of the research I have done, I have found that most armours made of cuir bouilli were soaked in water, formed over a last and then baked dry. The finished pieces was then coated in hide glue and gypsum, (gesso) the finished piece was then painted. Soaking leather in oil and then baking it w...

14th century rebrace (FINISHED!!!!)

Cuir bouilli Roman muscled pauldrons

15th Century cuir bouilli Schinbalds (greaves)

Modification to my bauzuband pattern (pics)