The Armour Archive

Jehan de Pelham

There is much to think on here, that I did not expect to come from my first post. I beg you, those of you who study Fiore, please continue your strenuous studies. Without a trained master in the arts, it may be the work of many years to decipher its secrets and understand the meaning of his lessons....

Jehan de Pelham

Your Grace Finnvarr, we have drawn you forth, but will you not add some light to this discussion which, since I have written much and know little, must be filled with much that is wrong and in error? Lord Bartholemew of Hightower, thy tale is a pleasant one indeed, and an honor to hold highly! You a...

Jehan de Pelham

The discussion has been very civil, I think, and I've been happy to be a small part of it. People who prefer both approaches have offered up coherent points as to the strength of their practice, which is refreshing. Your concerns, your excellency, have been addressed in the discussion--the sword bou...

Jehan de Pelham

Never used it. I might try it and find that it sucks. But it's what I'd try first. Then heavy linen waxed cord. m or m On the brass wire, no. It comes out the last verveille, then I bend it back around the outside and then just back into the second to last verveille, then clip it off. It holds fine....

Jehan de Pelham

My aventail is attached directly to the leather, through holes punched at 1/4" increments, 1/4" in from the lower edge of the leather. If I were to do it again, I would double the links at this edge. If it were a solid or riveted link aventail, I would sew it on with sinew. Longer is better. In effi...

Jehan de Pelham

I count the minutes until Jeff Hedgecock or his journeyman sends me my vambraces. We have some pipe-hittin' men at arms in the Barony of the Flame, and I'm weary of my right elbow swelling up after every week's deeds of arms, because my elbow cop is poorly dished (my fault, as I am a mediocre armore...

Jehan de Pelham

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=27302

The highlight of twelve years. My heart still hums from it, and I am eager to continue on with the deeds which Sir Vitus has said will be done.

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham

Indeed. Many people never get over that tiny little 4" curb to come to that understanding, that each approach has something to offer, and that each approach has shortcomings particular to it. The one thing that all are willing to recognize is that there is nothing which approaches "the real thing," ...

Jehan de Pelham

Indeed! For these men knew the hacking of flesch as a daily practice!

Jehan de Pelham squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham

Indeed, Marshal, it is even so as you say, and the use of the word "French" by the author was unfortunate, for it draws into sharp relief the fault of thinking of that area between the Pyrennes and the Rhine as one unified culture or nation. It is a shorthand, to be sure, and a useful one for certai...

Jehan de Pelham

Gwen, Excellent! Okay. I was concerned with using linen as a material because it might be considered of low stature, but I see that it was used for "health reasons," as wrong and misinformed as those reasons could be. Tod's Stuff is nice. Definitely worth considering. It's not many sutlers who will ...

Jehan de Pelham

I placed an order today with Jeff Hedgecock for a pair of vambraces. So far, so good.

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham

It sounds like part of what he wants is Ansteorra's Calendar. Here: m It is short notice, but if you want to meet a large number of men at arms of all types, Gulf Wars is this week. m You won't find any steel fighting, though you may find some curious individuals who might be interested in what you ...

Jehan de Pelham

It is interesting to see what responses come of such an open-ended statement. It does not surprise me that some have cause to lament the late behavior of the Gallic race, nor that there is little knowledge of the topic, especially by myself. But suffice it to say, that the French, and by this of cou...

Jehan de Pelham

To answer the question, yes, you can be too old to fight. That age is a variable, but usually is best defined as when they lower the box into the ground.

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham

There are things which are done in SCA Heavy Weapons combat that are invalid now that we understand weapons, armor, and combat a bit better. There is now a body of empirical evidence to show, for example, that it wasn't the slickest move to try and cleave through a helmet with a sword edge (recently...

Jehan de Pelham

I've been restraining myself also. I don't know how these boxes could stand up to any sort of rough treatment, the sort of treatment common in playing medieval, with all the packing and unpacking and baging about and so forth that attends it. These are panel chests. The difference is in the manner o...

Jehan de Pelham

Now that I have decided upon the 14th century, and the late portion of the 14th century (1382 onward), I am undertaking a reading program to re-invest myself in the era. A have a BA in History and I had some undergraduate coursework in medieval history, but as you might guess these classes were gene...

Jehan de Pelham

To Gwen: That's really encouraging, Gwen. I guess it shouldn't surprise anyone that in America we would choose to be caught up in an obsessive approach around legalisms and splitting hairs in an attempt to pigeonhole and define, while people elsewhere just try to do their best and have fun, all the ...

Jehan de Pelham

Sir Vitus, of course you are right. We have many good opportunities to do what is right and worthy, and I will not in any wise avoid these chances. What I mean by "right, or not at all," refers to the specific kit that I am developing for interacting with the LH side of the house, meaning visiting M...

Jehan de Pelham

Bran, THIS is the demographic shift that I sense is possible. Not that a large portion of people may leave the SCA and start doing LH, but that a sizable portion of SCAdians may choose to have one foot on two horses, and that these competitive feelings may grow, so that people will be like "Oh, damn...

Jehan de Pelham

Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles is built on this premise.

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham

Some days past, while far away in pilgrimage to do some small deed of arms as my humble skill might do in the Kingdom of Atenveldt, I had the extreme displeasure of beholding two foolish men at arms in the merchantÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s tent of Sir Johannes, that same goodly knight with whom I was graced to have...

Jehan de Pelham

Nay nay, your Grace, he uses two hands to chop that fellow in twain! The other fellow uses a Type XIII to cleave the skull, helmet and all, one handed, but bodies clothed in mail seem to require both hands even with this fearsome weapon. I normally ask for correction, but here I feel sure enough to ...

Jehan de Pelham

Bran: Stop, please. My head is big enough. I am wrong in so many ways it's not funny. Giles, if I am to be in Europe, I'll make the supreme effort to stop by and visit. Just make it an order. Keep in mind, if I DO come to Europe, it will be to see the Mittelaltercentre and some other large events, s...

Jehan de Pelham

Gah. Okay. I'm caught. It's one thing to entertain a hypothetical, but I always end up doing the right thing. I was just envisioning the cold hard fact of being on my acreage and unearthing this insanely cool thing, only to have the Coroner show up and say "Tain't your'n." That would have me a littl...

Jehan de Pelham

Come now, let's us keep this civil. We all have to be friends after. Or at least co-exist. The initial thrust of my point was not aimed at any group, and I'm bothered that it has become this "us vs. them" thing in the span of ten posts. I personally am going through a "beholding the entire dragon at...

Jehan de Pelham

Yeah, I was just looking at some sites, and of course what we're seeing in these photos that I'm including links to is their best, but first I have to say that my "We suck" comment was not meant in any snarky way. We're automatically behind by virtue of the middle ages not actually being our culture...

Jehan de Pelham

Just got back from delving through some European living history sites. We suck. Our suckitude is so massive that it threatens to engulf us all and cast us into the ditch of our own stupidity. I don't care who you are, from the most loathly rank fool to the most advanced among us in the United States...

Jehan de Pelham

Cap'n' Atli: "The law is very specific in GB, and very different from US laws. Remember, the Sovereign owned all of the land, and then granted use of it to the feudal retainers, who granted use to the next level down... Treasure trove has always been a royal perogative. Sure, it's not fair, but it s...

Jehan de Pelham

Has anyone found anyone other than The Northerner for reproduction glass? It bothers me to think that our source for repro glass is one deep.

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham

As a timber framer, I gotta say, that rocks like Spock.

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

P.S.: Youse guys are near the Berks, eh? Wonderful area, I was there a couple of years ago to help the Timber Framers Guild put up a structure at Gould Farm! Small world.

Jehan de Pelham

What a tool. He got the state involved in determining whether he can keep some treasure whose ownership is completely lost. What a pity. But then again, since it isn't me, I guess I can revel in the fact that a nice fat hoard was unearthed, to the possible benefit of research. Jehan de Pelham, squir...

Jehan de Pelham

Karl, Good to hear. I never actually made it to Boone. I came east to help out the Timber Framers' Guild put up a structure for Gould Farm in Western Mass (the Berkshires), and then headed back out west because my wife was a-skeered of moving east of the Rockies. Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham

What!? By God's Body! You don't wear a flak jacket into battle do you, your excellency?!

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

14th Century Reading List

French Chivalry

We are weak