The Armour Archive

Trevor

In the time period you referenced, there is a strong correlation between the shape of the armor and the civilian fashion of the time. While it is true that armor influenced fashion, during this time fashion had the upper hand, becase the use of the single peascod breast plate with tassets was inferi...

Trevor

If you have any plates in the cuisse, make sure that the covering is not attached to the lower 1/3 of the cuisse. This allows the poleyn to ride up if you go down to your knees.

Trevor

If you are so active that you neglect your wife, kids or job, then that's too active.

Trevor

I have two pockets in mine. One is square and on the upper back-over the shoulder blades-and the other is below that covering my kidneys and a bit around the side. The lower plate sticks out of the pocket a bit and tapers down the top corners, (due to the difference between the bottom of the armpit ...

Trevor

You may want to consider offerig a model with pockets for kidney and upper spine protection. I have one very similar, and I stuffed some hot kydex in those pockets to give myself hidden spine and kidney protection. Then, I throw a surcoat over the top and a globose breast plate. It provides a means ...

Trevor

I guess it comes down to this: should a person who wears minimal armor have a reasonable expectation not to get hurt? Personally, I've been to enough wars to know that excessive force is a common occurence. It should be minimized by training and policing, but injury can best be prevented by wearing ...

Trevor

If a Catholic priest would find it dangerous ground, he has more authority in saying that it is treading into rough waters than the opinion of any mere layman. If you disagree, then you must disagree with the concept of the spiritual authority of the church, in which case you might as well give up ...

Trevor

On another email list I'm on, we're discussing minimal armor. A good friend of mine was wearing an insubstantial gambeson, and received a stout thrust with a 9' fiberglass spear. Days later, his ribs still hurt. Assuming that the shot was excessive (and I have no reason to doubt that it was), where ...

Trevor

Dude,

These are shoe laces. Easily replaceable shoe laces. Cut 'em and be done with it!

Trevor

For what it's worth-look at the paintings by Brueghel. (sp?) You remind me of a lot of people he shows.

Besides, there are precious few people doing personnas from the Low countries.

Trevor

Besides, without the proper blessing, bread and wine are just bread and wine.

Trevor

Hmm-I got a pattern that I've used several times now. It might be worth dragging it out of the heap and spitting one out. It's a nice pattern-turns out a beautiful helm...

Trevor

It looks nice, but I'm concerned about the hinge. The attachment from the faceplate to the hinge looks awfully slender. I'm afraid it's going to break with heavy use. If you look at pictures of period hinges, they're awfully beefy. There's a very good reason for that. Other than that, it's a beautif...

Trevor

I would have to say a stainless bascinet with stainless, welded or rivetted aventail and detachable face plate is the ideal. 1) Due to the glancing surface, it is difficult to land a good shot on. 2) A bar face gives great airflow and vision, but it can be changed out with a solid face plate if need...

Trevor

As a catholic, I have to say that unless you were actively trying to tend to the actual spiritual needs of your "flock", I see nothing inherently wrong with "acting" as a priest in regards to communion, absolution, etc. as long as it is done in a respectful maner. Watching the movie"Luther", I doubt...

Trevor

I've seen one card get pulled, and he was a duke. I would think that belted fighters would be more likely to get their card pulled than an unbelted fighter would, once they are in marshal's court . It isn't a matter of skill-its a matter of the marshalls thinking the fighter should know better. OTOH...

Trevor

I would say that any refund comes AFTER the piece is sold for the agreed-upon price. If the piece is sold for less than the agreed-upon price, then the difference comes out of the refund. Of course, every person placing a commission piece should know this ahead of time, and consequences of either si...

Trevor

INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTION I have the grand-daddy of all buffers for sale. It has an arbor that is FOUR FEET wide-allowing you to polish any piece of armor without running into the motor, and it spins two 16 inch diameter wheels (though it could go wider easily). It has a THREE PHASE motor, requiring ...

Trevor

Be careful, because mass has changed significantly over the centuries. First of all, you would have your back to the parishoners. You'd be speaking in Latin, except for the homily. And only you would be eating the bread and drinking the wine, unless it was a special occasion. You will need a traveli...

Trevor

I have a hard time thinking that something that is a thousand years old would be in anywhere near that good a shape.

I smell a rat.

OTOH, I've got two really, really rusty unfinished breastplates in my shop that I'll let you have for $700.

Trevor

Trevor, Unfortunately, I don't own that book, so I cannot view the pics you referenced. Don't own AAOTMK? It's only the BEST overview of medieval armor on the market. It's a staple in the library of every armorer. I'm surprised they let you in the SCA... It's listing on Amazon for $95. But, I found...

Trevor

First iof all, I applaud your attention to this subject! I know a lot of SCA folks that wear cavalry helmets with armor that would be totally inappropriate for a cavalryman, even if the armor and the helmet are both from the same period. Chef's right. The shield became smaller and smaler as plate ar...

Trevor

You could use alumium or brass bar stock (available at hardware stores) about 1/8" thick and make some simple knuckle-guard hilts. Drill a hole big enough for the fiberglass rods to fit through in one side, bend it around in a "D" shape until it reaches the rod with a few inches on the other side. P...

Trevor

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ufarm/hd_ufarm.htm
How's that for starters?

Trevor

I'd start with a jig saw and a file to cut/de-burr your pieces. A stump is a cheap but handy bit to beat metal into/over. Also, a large piece of pipe (like 4"+) fastened securely down to a stump or bench works nice as an anvil horn. Any block of steel will work as an anvil to pien rivets. Make sure ...

Trevor

There are some Poleyns in Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight by Edge and Paddock
p. 62 (they're a bit short on the side, tho)
p. 84 (what I was thinking of originally)

and on p. 75 there are some molded cuir boili breastplates

Trevor

Look in the Tower of London/Leed's collection.

Trevor

I've used aluminum and plastic. Neither breathes worth a damn. Either works well weight and protection-wise.

Trevor

I'll have to look up the Old Saxon word for "Pagan Motherf*cking Bastards". It'll probably be closer to what the Saxons called them instead of "Vikings".

Trevor

OK-I gotta share this. Last Memorial Day, we had an Arthurian Quest (the tale of Sir Gareth and the Red Knight). Various bad guys lined the trail through the woods, but it was a 3 counted blow victory standard for all of the questers and most of the bad guys. The only bad guys that didn't adhere to ...

Trevor

I've seen an awful lot of mail sewn to leather in period. It has the advantage of not having to line up the links with the holes in the leather. You're right-you'd have to worry about the thread/core slipping through the gap in butted mail. One thing you might consider is to run a black shoelace tro...

Trevor

Actually, cuir-boili is a perfectly legal material to make poleyns with. The SCA rule is "rigid material"-which is defined as sole leather or it's equivalent, backed by padding. Cuir boili certainly exceeds this requirement-especially the thick stuff you work with, Ulieag! The only caveat is that th...

Trevor

I think if you look again, you'll find many klappvisors with holes along the edge for straps. Not all-but many.

As to the tight rivet theory-I totally agree with that. And, it works.

Trevor

Yep-though not common. Check out the effigy on Gunther von Schwarzburg, if memory serves. You'll find him in Osprey's German Medieval Armies 1300-1500.

Trevor

Thank you spanish_hospitaller for the information. I will go back and see if I can find the source for thinking the Knights of Calatrava could be married and get back with you. This forum is a wonderful opportunity for me to learn more about things. WARNING: The Knights of Calatrava are still in ex...

Minimal armor vs. potential injuries

Industrial buffer for sale