The Armour Archive

Trevor

Drill/punch two holes with my Whitney punch. Then, use my fiber cut-off wheels on my Dremel tool. Clean up with square file. Finish with spark plug file and, if necessary for round ends, a chain saw file.

The wheels aren't cheap, but they're worth it in the time you save.

Trevor

I saw it. Really enjoyed it. It was, at it's core, the basic struggle between the devout and those who are not. That line is formed in every religion and house of worship. It is intriguing that Luther really didn't want the Protestant Reformation. He truly loved the Church and wanted it to clean up ...

Trevor

For the record, my friends and I have also portrayed a Templar with a white surcoat and robes without the KSCA title to go with it. (I didn't want to wear black robes in the hot Missouri sun, either) A local Duke said he'd make sure our unit got the crap kicked out of it because of it. Unfortunately...

Trevor

I think the root of the problem, historically, would be the question of whether the various Military Orders 'knight' were actually Knights or of the knightly/noble class or accepted as a 'knight' even though not of the knightly order. From some light reading, I 'think' the answer is that the furthe...

Trevor

I've always heard of that in the context of a breast plate. So, perhaps a breast and back plate, or a left and right breast plate, with the back exposed.

Trevor

Medieval maces were not heavy. Think of them more like a framing hammer.

Use a small head that you can still swing quickly. It should be tip heavy-not counter balanced. A couple of layers of stiff foam should really do it.

And don't make it gushy.

Good luck!

Trevor

I read a great book called The Last Duel which documents an actual judicial duel that took place in 1386. The combat took place in a walled field-kinda like a medieval cage match. Each combattant brought a horse, lance, two swords, an axe and a dagger. If the combat lasted until nightfall, it would ...

Trevor

There are ways to make plastic look good. You can buy knee cops, elbow cops, spaulders and helmets out of mild steel. Use plastic to make plates for a coat of plates and cuisses. Cover said coat of plates with leather or cloth, and use leather to cover the cuisses and attach the knee cop to it. Use ...

Trevor

I dunno. It seems like they're serious. And they addressed the arcing issue. However (and there's always a however, isn't there?), ahem...however, the process of making the mold and crucible seems pretty complex. It seems to me that the average hobbyist is no better equipped to make the mold than to...

Trevor

This is a great example of what "Creative" in the Society for Creative Anachronism should mean. It is based on a real piece, but is a little different per client specs without making it un-realistic as to what they would do. My final analysis as to what is acceptable for what is "period" is this: Wo...

Trevor

Animal, The Tuchucks are indeed good. So are other folks in the SCA that are good, too. I don't think that the reason that Tuchucks are being singled out is "because they are good". Otherwise, you'd hear a lot of flack about other groups (and you do-but not to the level that the Tuchucks have). If o...

Trevor

Why should you fight well if no one acknowledges it? For myself, I want to kick ass-and I want everyone to know that I kicked ass. Having a kit that looks like hammered dog shit doesn't help me. I don't get noticed in a bad kit. I blend in with all the rest of the guys who don't know how to make dec...

Trevor

Animal, Glad you're trying to get the guy's kit looking better. My first kit was blue plastic covered by a sheet. The guy may be an ass kicker-but the skull T-shirt was goofy. That does not help the guy's rep. In the future, he might want to stick to dark-colored T-shirts-they blend in better. Or he...

Trevor

It's called "fusion" by krylon. You can get it at ACE hardware.

Trevor

I especially like the fact that the turtles had mood lighting-and did it under the heat lamp, baby!

[tune to B-52's Love Shack]
The heeeeeeat lamp is a swanky lil' place where,
we can GET OUR GROOVE ON!
Heat lamp Bayyybeeee![/tune to B-52's Love Shack]

Trevor

Nice photos-thanks for sharing!

And great money shot of the turtle porn, too!

Trevor

Can't send a pic either, but I've seen bits that are "spoon" shaped. Basically, a metal shaft that was hollowed out, curved like a spoon on the end and sharp.

Trevor

And they used batons. With tsubas. Stripey too.

Trevor

None that I've seen-but you might check Scottish claymores.

Trevor

No-that's sound thinking. however, I found that by the time that my buckles were on, they were not directly under my arm-they were on the sides of my back. Also, having the buckles directly under your arm sounds good-until you go to your first war and your arm is scraped up from rubbing against the ...

Trevor

Spectacular work, Ulieag!

Can't wait to see the rest of the harness, now!!!

Trevor

That's incredible-but I have to wonder about the ascribed date of 6th c. BC.

Not that it looks Medieval, necessarily, but it is pretty remarkably preserved for something that is 2600 years old...[/b]

Trevor

You may also want to study the crusades in Eastern Europe. They were quite the happening thing in that time period.

Trevor

cblackthorne and Insane Irish, I think the real problem is that your definition of the word "period" does not match what the majority of authenticity-minded people use. If it's a matter of definitions, then that would explain the disagreement. But I think it goes deeper. We are trying to create a me...

Trevor

Sounds like LARP with steel.

I understand that there are quite a few Tolkienbased LARPs out in Europe. From what I've seen, they look quite impressive.

Just a thought: I would think that you'd get quite a few takers if you took your idea to a LARP oriented message board. Might be worth a try.

Trevor

My, we are getting off topic a bit... But I'll jump in. Why the hell would someone have a problem with you needing assistance putting on a CoP? The Wisby grave find shows a lot of commoners wearing armor that they couldn't put on without help! It certainly didn't have any historical precedent, and i...

Trevor

Who is your audience for this paper? Also, there are pictures of very similar decorative motifs in the Museum of London's Knives and Scabbards book. Would be good supporting documentation for the decoration. You are correct in that Italian decoration is more floral. In AAOTMK there is a silver altar...

Trevor

Lord Wolf, Sorry if my earlier post came off as harsh. You have a real talent for leather work, and I should have emphasized that more. I just remember when I first started in the SCA, and I spent a LOT of money and time making something that was strictly a fantasy piece. A year later, I realized th...

Trevor

OK-so how the hell are we going to have archery with open-faced helms?

I hope people are at least going to tell us when they're firing!

Trevor

Aaron, welcome to the land of Varying Expectations. You're absolutely right-there will be varying levels of blow acknowledgment with varying opponents. The only means of rectification we have at our disposal are communication. There are plenty of ways to achieve this respectfully. Give your opponent...

Trevor

So much talent, time, effort and money for a fantasy piece. With a little time spent with your nose in a book, you could have had something that had actually existed, and probably worked better, too. But, it's your talent, time, effort and money. If that floats your boat, then so be it.

Trevor

I prefer to look at period examples. They have literally hundreds of years of Research and Development invested in them.

I also like the transitional suits; i.e. 14th c. Stay away from plate to plate articualtion-it's slower than floating articulation.

Trevor

There is one, and only one, CoP in the Armor from Wisby book that buckles in the front . And that one is more like a covered lamellar. For the average CoP, they all buckle in the back or on the sides (which for all practical purposes is in the back) I fought in one for years, and while it's kinda in...

Trevor

Sounds to me like the guys in KC. I know them both, so I'll ask around.

Trevor

Cuisses if worn directly on the thigh.

Fauld and possibly tassets if suspended from the breastplate