The Armour Archive

Jehan de Pelham

I now know why I like France and England. Germany is complicated. I found as I was trying to figure out which German coins I would try and offer, that the issue of which coins of the Holy Roman Empire to consider can be vastly more complicated than which coins of France or England. In many ways, the...

Jehan de Pelham

Medieval European zinc came from Zinc Silicate and Zinc Carbonate, from a mine in Belgium. Zinc itself was not produced--but by heating it together with copper the zinc would form an alloy.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Very nice!

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Okay. So, make latten for us in a word picture.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

I'll buy that. But properly speaking, a copper and zinc alloy was the end result of the latten-making process.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

At long last, I am ready to begin taking advance orders for the St. Andrew Florin. I will offer this coin in Brass and Gold Plated Brass. The Brass examples will be $7.50 each, the Gold-Plated Brass will be $15.00 each. Costly, but each of these coins represents a considerable hassle to produce and ...

Jehan de Pelham

Just to make sure.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Same thing. No need for anyone to have any heartburn on this topic. Latten is a term for the copper-zinc alloy created by using zinc ore and copper. The resulting product is for all intents and purposes modern brass of somewhat lesser consistency. John Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitu...

Jehan de Pelham

I need a quantity of wrought iron for a project. What I need is 1 and 1/2" to 2" wide by 1/8" thick bar stock in lengths at least three feet and up to just about whatever. I also need a couple of square feet of 3/16" to 1/4" thick iron sheet. Utilization will be chest bandin...

Jehan de Pelham

The first lock depicted seems a find candidate for the side locks. Even a relatively plain lock face, carved with a design, would be nice. The second lock depicted appears to be of the sort where a flap keys into the space provided. John Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Jesus, save us from the educated. There's a couple of ways to proceed in light of the information provided, I suppose. Based upon the photographic evidence provided and not mistrusting the museum curator's scholarship, I believe that boxes of the dimensions estimated existed in the late 14th and 15t...

Jehan de Pelham

Jeff, I can source the iron. As regards the process, do you think it's easier to have the iron made and then make the box to dimension or to do it the other way around--make the box and then make the iron for the box? I would approach it from making the box first and then making the iron fittings, b...

Jehan de Pelham

I don't have complete design independence, as I'm not the only one doing the box or participating in the process, but three locks of the same sort, keyed differently, would be fine by me. As for the faces themselves, they need not be as absolutely ornate--they are indeed the high bar--but I am embol...

Jehan de Pelham

Agreed, the Diehl box is too simple. Jeff's taste, of course, is exquisite and Karen has set the bar. Three of those lock plates, like that, on the front of each chest, would be pretty attractive. I'm flexible in my tastes and find that lock plate delicious. Is the assembled opinion that the design ...

Jehan de Pelham

Very nice. Stuff isn't the end all of who a man is, but you can tell a lot about a man by his willingness to push away all that sucketh, and his desire to gather up all that is good.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Oh, my. I hadn't noticed this... Related to Donasian's observations (of which I wad totally ignorant) I see now that there are multiple inset locks, or at least the right lock plate appears to have a keyhole. The photograph is somewhat unclear and I wonder whether a high-res original from Terefan mi...

Jehan de Pelham

The passion of men to recreate themselves anew and better is like the vulcanism of the Earth which at once destroys and creates the world anew. Only through a desire for things to become better does anything happen.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Aaron, I have an idea, and this might be up your alley--how about the lock plates? Take a look at the photo of the box, and you can see that there is a real distinct difference between the workmanship of the banding--which even now you can see was quality, sturdy ironwork--and the craftsmanship of t...

Jehan de Pelham

Thanks--I try and keep it classy. There are many, many proper and ugly coins out there. So many choices. It can be easy to find something and go "Oh, sure, why not." Important to address the aesthetics.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

As a fellow who is not hirstute in the least, I am jealous of the bitchin' staches and beards that some of my fellows can pull off. In particular my good friends Raimond and Uilliam--they have it down. But then again, shaving is a cast iron bitch. But even so, I do have to shave my head to do my mil...

Jehan de Pelham

Well, there's a couple of votes yea! : )

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Jeff, totally in agreement regarding the empty weight. But, this being a strongbox, part of its function was to be semi-portable, with which I am sure you agree. Gunsafes are similar in their function, I suppose, presenting an impediment to being carried off to some convenient location where their c...

Jehan de Pelham

On the topic of fully iron-clad versus iron-bound, I think that I'd prefer to go with iron-bound rather than fully iron-clad. Wood and iron showing appeals aestheically to me. Agreed on the quality of blacksmithing work--the iron on extant examples is now crude because of the centuries of wear and t...

Jehan de Pelham

That's the business of our smith. It will involve heating and beating--these skills will pretty much be necessary for anyone who we'd use anyway.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

That was what I was thinking, too. Its imperative to focus all suggestions down to specific examples of the era. Rather than a broad-example approach which might lead away from a strict recreation, I want to start strict from the get go. First, because this is going to be an interpretive object, and...

Jehan de Pelham

The big church coffers are for making sure someone doesn't run off with the service! You're right, I'm not looking for a desk--I'm looking for something on the order of the green or dark grey box InsaneIrish posted--provided that an example of that sort can be shown to have existed in the era indica...

Jehan de Pelham

I have been asked to do more French coins. It's tough to pick one for a couple of reasons--one reason is that there are so many coins, but so many of them aren't so aesthetically pleasing or geographically flexible. Also, sometimes coins are not minted for very long, presenting a challenge for apply...

Jehan de Pelham

"The other option is multiple hasps each with its own lock and key. I have seen that certainly. " Oh, yeah, definitely three separate locks. I have an image stored away in my brain somewhere of a smallish box on the order of size of what Insane Irish posted that has an inset lock and two h...

Jehan de Pelham

I have been asked to do more French coins. It's tough to pick one for a couple of reasons--one reason is that there are so many coins, but so many of them aren't so aesthetically pleasing or geographically flexible. Also, sometimes coins are not minted for very long, presenting a challenge for apply...

Jehan de Pelham

Doug, I think what I would like, optimally, is an inset lock and two locks on a hasp--can you each of these? As stated above, historically these boxes had multiple locks to prevent one person from having access. In my case, I'll have all three keys, but I am a (mostly) honest receiver... Best, John ...

Jehan de Pelham

Iain, got your order, responded via PM, thanks! I have 4 Blanc dit Guernar French Groats that I'll find a way to get into your order when it shops. Your order will fund an expansion of the line to include a mid to late French penny coin soon. Here is what I have remaining on special, and I have ONLY...

Jehan de Pelham

No worries--I haven't made a big deal of her so few people are aware of her here.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Jehan de Pelham

Ah! That's right, you did, didn't you!? Aaron has been talking about how he wanted to get together with you to work on some stuff, hasn't he? I think I have a joyner and a blacksmith lined up--provisionally that is. If you'd be interested in pursuing the locks, then I think I may well have the speci...

Jehan de Pelham

The best private message I got inspired me to start coordinating talent for the making of a quality strongbox replica--so that will be one of the things I work on for 2009. And then I will fill it with replica silver pennies and other currency. And following Ingrid's advice to learn something, I hav...

Jehan de Pelham

Aaron, you are definitely on my mind, as you've evinced a desire to try the very sort of thing this project would need in terms of lock technology. Bob, I certainly would be glad to have that material and I think it would be a great help. As regards the size of the strongbox, what are we looking at:...

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