The Armour Archive

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

First, do you take paypal. Second, please let me know the new price on the little banners. I want one for me and one for my wife, especially if they could be done in time for Gulf Wars. Third, how do I go about starting design on a larger banner. I have arms and a motto which seems a good start. Can...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I've made several Ti pieces over the years but none with that much shaping. Ti is great for anything with simple curves like gorgets and such. The only other metal I've worked with more often is alluminum. I think working with Al is good prep for working with Ti because you have to think about crack...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

30 and under, or do you have to be 29? If the latter you are a year late with this idea! If I'm at pennsic I would be happy to help. If I can't be there maybe I could send something along to be part of a prize. -Justus I would think once your lifegem starts flashing you are disqualified G

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I have not used those particular gauntlets but I have handled them and they seem decent enough. What I use currently are his clamshell. the only difference is the thumb. Mine have a wide, flat thumb plate which requires street hockey gloves under it or similar. I have found them to be very safe and ...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

basic, lightweight, functional gauntlets right now for under $200? Impossible! No wait, I meant sure, no problem, call Bokalo. He always has them in stock. His box gauntlets are marginal, nothing like original Morrics but his clamshells are pretty good, and also cheap. That's what I'm using right no...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

First, I might be interested in a hide or two depending on the price. I'm assuming thee are the stingrays from thailand that are popular right now with the pearly looking round protrusions. I'd love to find some documentation for their use in Europe in period--they had the trade routes... As to use ...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Hey Stephen, I'm an SCA guy also in Orlando and just did Adria fighting for the first time a few weeks ago at my friends Jeff an Jennie's house over in Melbourne. It was fun but I had a borrowed Paul Chen and was constantly afraid of breaking it. Being used to rattan (and to breaking rattan routinel...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

For a long time I've thought about making a leather sleeved dagger where the sleeve is longer than the rattan with foam in the tip to have a seemless thrusting tip. Maybe someday I'll get around to it.

Gaston

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Nice Shield Cassandra.

Is it suede or top grain? You cut the scalloped edge in the leather with a knife? Shears? How thick is the leather?

Gaston

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

leather, rubber, nylon webbing, plastic... whatever. Just try to have at least 1/8" of something (anything) between your metal and my rattan My current method of edging is to drill 1/16" holes about 3/8" apart all along the edge and then use wire brads to "nail" on wet rawhi...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

The trim sold for cars is better than the stuff from Windrose. The stuff from Windrose is available in boat stores for edging fiberglass boats and has little alluminum clips in it. The other stuff has steel wire instead and lasts a lot longer for the same price but I've only found it in one thicknes...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I didn't realize the other thread went unanswered so I'm going to give my general opinions on tape. Swords should be tough and hard for their weight and so tape should add as little weight as possible while adding strength to hold the rattan fibers together (spiral wrap) and abrasion and cut resista...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

"the Coffin of Christ from Garamszentbenedek, c 1480."

I like that he has "gap-osis" of the right knee!

That kinda implies the piece is not overly stylized.

Gaston

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Most of us don't really think knee fighting loks that silly because we are used to it but can you remember when you first saw it? I remember my reply at my first SCA practice when someone explained it was, "You mean like the Black Knight in Monty Python." Funny thing is, in the 17 years si...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

For a good SCA CA crossbow under present rules (often subject to drastic change without notice) the max range seems to be about 68 yards. Significantly less for handbows but a very small number of handbow archers seem to be able to go beyond the norm (even exceeding crossbows?)

Gaston

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

There is generally a lot more variation between individuals than between kingdoms such that it becomes hard to tellwhat a "kingdom norm" is. In general the top fighters from every kingdom tend to hit pretty hard but what they take does tend to be different from region to region. Depending on culture...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Hi How many of us can honestly say that they really train SCA fighting? Not just get in armor and beat each other with sticks once a week or less. Those who hone their shots hundreds of times per day in front of a pell, repeat drills over and over again and get taught by someone who was done the sa...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I'm an ICU nurse. Go figure.

Gaston

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I'm curious to know... How does the pull-weight of the bows used in the above experiments (50-lbs and 60-lbs, if I read correctly) compare to the pull-weight of a period bow? And, would that change the results in any significant way? -- Gest The mainstream thought on longbows is that in the late Mi...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Imagine a guy with a really large, curved heater strapped to his back such that the top is over his head. Ta da, teenage mutant ninja turtles fighting style! (even better when the "shell" goes above your head). Even if you added a bunch of "what if" limitations I suspect you would create a situation...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

A very tallented individual can overcome a handicap, but all else being equal (skill, determination, etc) the guy with the shield will usually come out ahead. Now if we allowed cross-checking, and full body targetting, and no reset for falling down, and blows could be "more good" instead of just "go...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Salut cousin Gaston, I think a skilled poleman can give sword and board a run for the money. It's just that EVERYBODY does sword and sheild, so it is the most common weapon system. The other issue is most polemen try to stay at range rather than getting in the S+S guys faces. Give me a few years an...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

According to the Marshal's handbook, it's just "traditional", which pretty much means that's just the way it's been done for a long time. We -can-, but for the most part, we don't. As for why, I don't honestly know since it dates back before I started. That kinda fits the stereotype of Calontir I'd...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Am I to understand that Calontir has a rule against weapons longer than 6' except in melee? That has to make the "top 10 list" of most bizarre SCA rules I've ever heard of. I thought Calontis was suppposed to be pro-greatweapon? You mean I couldn't choose to take a 9' spear or 7' glaive in Calontir ...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I'm really glad my post generated so much interest. ...As a member of a certain so-and-so known-mercenary-thug-group all I can say is it wasn't us standing there across from you on that field... ... because you'd probably have a different story to tell. Was that you? Perhaps. To tell the truth I don...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I don't want to derail logan's dream team thread so I'm starting a new thread for my comments... Sir Fin seems to believe that ability to work together as a team is more important than individual ability in a melee. I disagree. Often I hear of "the tournament fighters". Those guys who win tournament...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

"Sir Stephan von Dresden- Simply the best sword and shiled fighter ever.." I would say top three or so along with Duke Inman (who made me feel stupid when I was at the height of my prowess) and Duke Radnor (who went almost twenty years actively fighting in tourneys without losing any of them and re...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Sounds like SCA with different equipment. I'd be interested in hearing the rationale behind the rules. Specifically, why not have a disarm, a fall, or shown the ropes be a loss? That would seem to be more historically accurate, right?

G

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

"Duke Lucan (East, Not specifically a melee guy but always on my list of top SCA S+S fighters)" Not to put too fine a point on this, but His Grace is now His Majesty. He is also the EK war-lord. This makes him "a melee guy." if you know what I mean. In fact, I would dare say His Majesty is the mele...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Ooops, I shoulda made a Trimaris list: Baldar (The Archduke) Duke Gregory (finally a duke) Sir Cadwyd("CaDude")--This guy dropped out but it looks like he might drop back in and he's an awesome lefty who has a history of some amazing moments of heroism. Duke Solomon Spite (Spider). Wish I had video ...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Known world team: Baldar (the Archduke) Duke Gregory Ahearn (Trimaris, a beast in melees) Duke Brannos (Middle, only guy to best both Baldar and myself in the Passage of Three Seas) HRM Lucan (East, Not specifically a melee guy but always on my list of top SCA S+S fighters)(Fixed the title...all apo...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Nice thread. First,I want a better description or maybe pics/vid of what Mordreth is describing. I think it's an anconeus excercise but I'm not sure. If it is a good excercise for isolating anconeus then I'm very interested. Second, I agree with much of what Paul has written on technique but not all...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence. Some of those guys I don't really know. Aveloc is a no-brainer first pick. I'd include Baldar, even if he is a bit rusty Aleaghenononionan (From Meridies) (actually there's probably other Meridians, too but I couldn't say for sure which ones. They've always h...

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

I thought it was a "right now" dreamteam. Ifwe could time travel then Duke John the Bearkiller of Meridies becomes a top pick, along with Duke Inman, Sir Trinculo in his prime....

If I was doing a Trimaris only team...

Gaston

Gaston de Vieuxchamps

Do people really feel taking harder blows in crown that at other times is acceptable behavior? I find that disturbing.

Gaston
"Good enough for crown but I'd never take that blow in practice."

Teamwork

Re: Fantasy Melee Time...