The Armour Archive

Brian W. Rainey

In America it is usually: armor for modern armor... tanks, etc armour for historical armour Maybe for enthusiasts who wish it to be so, but if the common person in America were to be spelling out any type of "armor" it would have no U. That is an English way of spelling it, not American. Just like ...

Brian W. Rainey

This seems to be a hot topic as of late in other circles, as well. There is an effigy (English, I think), for the life of me I cannot find the picture now, depicting a salade with what appears to be mail clearly draping for the "inside of the helm". I am fairly certain that it would be a style of ma...

Brian W. Rainey

i love how americans spell armor i always thought it was armour. In America it is usually: armor for modern armor... tanks, etc armour for historical armour It is actually the Europeans/British who use the word armor at great length. IE, Journal of the Arms and Armor Society and Arms and Armor (for...

Brian W. Rainey

ARS has about 860 titles stored at present... with about 150-200 more to add once I get off my butt, pull them together and insert them. Here are a couple that are publically accessible: Books that Doug Strong owns. Books that Brian W. Rainey owns. - Incomplete... to be updated (missing ~20 titles)....

Brian W. Rainey

MikeA wrote:How did you blacken the black parts? Also, the difference in skull shapes from the original to yours, was that intentional or an interpretive difference?

"it was based on, not a reproduction, just the black and white patterning style"

Brian W. Rainey

Thanks, Brian! I always thought something of the sort must exist, especially when looking at the Thun Sketchbook, but though it interests me, I'm not all that knowledgable about mail. Just goes to show that I should make my way through the entire Grimm site, and not just hit my usual preferences. I...

Brian W. Rainey

Wulfe wrote:I would think so too. Depends on how swiftly something is done about it.

Don't get too grumpy about missing out on some additional 14ga, Keith.

After all... the tools you will use to shape all of that nice yummy 1050 aren't even yours... yet!

Brian W. Rainey

I've wondered for a while what holds up the mail inside the 'barbute', as I find it hard to believe that a full hood would be worn underneath, even though I have seen a bit of French artwork from the late 15th c. that shows this being done with a salade. James, I have often wondered the same thing....

Brian W. Rainey

Here's one from about the middle of that date range, the effigy of Adolf VIII von Berg; m The effigy has what is a very common method of depicting the splint arm defences. I have yet to figure out what those raised ridges are between the splints, something common to most depictions. Erik Erik, Is i...

Brian W. Rainey

What particlar information are you looking to get?

Brian W. Rainey

Doesn't Admiral have a 48 or 72 hour timeframe before orders are filled? I seem to remember something along those lines.

Brian W. Rainey

Have Rick at Centaur build you one based off of an air hammer. They have the barstock available and he could whip one up... similar to Doug's... in short order for you... on the cheap, I am sure. Additionally.. he has a knack for over engineering... so you wont have to worry about it breaking... eve...

Brian W. Rainey

Uh... yeah.... throw the word Authentic in there... will ya?

Brian W. Rainey

Wulfe wrote:I will cover your beer.

SWEET!

My payload capacity is about 900 lbs. I have had just over 1100 lbs in it before.

I think my Chevy Cavalier holds about that much!

Brian W. Rainey

Just a thought...... keep in mind the ability to transport and store and divide this much material..... it could become logistically difficult. If you are looking at a load this large, I highly suggest getting a trailer of some kind. Otherwise: My truck has a PAYLOAD capacity of 1460 lbs.... and a t...

Brian W. Rainey

Online bibliographies that I have found useful:

Doug Strong
Brian W. Rainey - Incomplete... to be updated.
Wade Allen
Craig Nadler

ARS (Members Only) - ~900 works, about 500 more to be added

Brian W. Rainey

Given current discussions that are happening outside of this thread.... there may be a very good reason for us to hold this conference in the physical museum. One of which will be the ability for people to easily access the at least partially rotated collection which should be on display some time i...

Brian W. Rainey

According to the MAG website, there's a event in the Fall. m MAG will most likely become the "ARS Practical Workshop". There will be a hands on this summer/fall. We are working on bringing a person to the Chicago area that is a very well practiced metalworker with the capacity to teach advanced met...

Brian W. Rainey

Erik (and Brian and Doug), may I make the proposal to consider funding of needy students by the ARS, in order to attend the conference? Let those who feel they have insufficient funds write a short proposal to the board of directors of the ARS, explaining why they would like to attend and what they...

Brian W. Rainey

I would love to hear your reasons for not giving students a discount. Alaric Alaric.... It is quite simple, the price for the conference at this time is bargain basement. There is NO room for negotiating a discount. We left two levels of tickets... with or without lunch served... for this reason......

Brian W. Rainey

tinyurl.com is your friend. Don't post long urls. Morgan, you keep suggesting people use tinyurl.com. On caveat I would put out there is they don't keep it forever. I went to an older thread that used tinyurl (I can't remember which one it is) but it told me the tinyurl was no longer valid. Rob Why...

Brian W. Rainey

I doubt anyone here would deny that many methods were used together. What is being argued is the impracticality of having a plattner make sheets specific to each type of armor. Yep. Would there really be any savings (in time or resources) with this method over using a homogenous sheet and shaping i...

Brian W. Rainey

Questions: - If I am Mr. Armourer... and I run out of "greave material", what happens? - If I need a particular piece with varied thickness in all the right places... I have to take to time to explain my needs to someone who will then flatten out the material to the desired thickness in the proper a...

Brian W. Rainey

I think it is still readily available. Here is one source I continually see them listed as both new and used: Knight and the Blast Furnace You can also find it through used text/academic book websites. What are you asking? Current going price is around $295.00, from what I have seen recently.

Brian W. Rainey

I have even been able to crease leather in this fashion as well as flute leather in this fashion. You are my hero! If you did not have such a cute girlfriend... who could probably beat me up... I would kiss you! Given your review of effigies and pictorial evidence, do you think that most, if not al...

Brian W. Rainey

House of the Wolf wrote:As the picture will show, very little to no distortion of the tooling occured.

How deep do you think you could dish the material prior to losing the detail of the tooling?

Brian W. Rainey

Saying that paint/gesso is not mentioned as being on a piece. I said this. Saying that somebody else's inspection and description of a piece is inaccurate. I have no idea why you think I said this. As this is not what was said. My apologies if I wrote something to the contrary. My reference to the ...

Brian W. Rainey

Russ... I am being very clear in stating that none of the known existing early 14th century rerebraces, as they have been published, show any type of gesso or paint having been applied. Nor is any type of covering mentioned. If there is evidence of paint/gesso it was left completely out of the desri...

Brian W. Rainey

Hello. Gesso actually was in use, even on hardened leather. The famed von Pranck barrel helmet has a crest of two horns that actually are covered in linen, gesso and then painted. But IÃ‚Â´d like to know more about the famed tooled rerebrace...gesso or not? Regards Ivo Not. From all that I have rea...

Brian W. Rainey

Oh, great. So on European pieces, we're into a he-said/she-said on whether said piece shows evidence of ges/pai. Just lovely. Who did the work that debunks Dobson's analysis? In terms of painting, it certainly was done. I have photographs of leather armor from a private collection Damascus with the...

Brian W. Rainey

On soaking in glue: For smaller pieces (lamellar lames) I agree that it works great, even better than painting it on. FYI - None of the numerous existing early 14th century rerebraces (like the one Mr. Dobson references from the British Museum) show any evidence of gesso or painting.... to my knowl...

Brian W. Rainey

I tried Precision Steel, and their quote system didn't work. I don't have much faith in companies that can't keep their own web site working. I will, however, try again. Edit: Their quote system still doesn't work. Gruber, I'll try to call you in the morning, but I'm busy with class just about ever...

Brian W. Rainey

But if labor costs don't matter, what do I care if it is harder to polish the steel? Oxidation isn't a problem with purer alloys of gold, it won't appreciably tarnish. I was not addressing the statement of labor being more or less expensive than today.... I was discounting the previous statements o...

Brian W. Rainey

Chris Dobson made a valiant effort at reproducing leather armour.... however a lot of it is speculation and trial and error. While the end result is good... I would expect that hardened leather was not done in the fashion suggested. Dan Houchins has done a significant amount of research into this su...

Brian W. Rainey

Tom Knighton wrote:I'm not sure that it would be easier short term, but it adds protective value long term.

Tom

To this point... why is the majority of the gilding on extent examples worn away... yet the steel and detail in steel that was not gilded still remains?