The Armour Archive

Jeff J

You can buy old hollows & rounds for about $15 at tool sales, maybe e-bay.

Jeff J

The power-cheat:

http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Onl ... d_163.html

For how-to do it "properly":

http://www.norahall.com/video-details.php?productID=20

Jeff J

No-shit-there-I-was... Our group paid JC to come provide training. One of our fellows, who was a decent fighter, but not expert, was (edit, doing a couple of move - NOT open sparring) with him with wasters and landed a fair shot which wound up blooding JC on the cheek. JC cut loose the stops and pos...

Jeff J

Tracy Justus wrote:Medieval Decorative Ironwork in England by Jane Geddes. Kind of expensive- look for it through a library first.

T.

Inter-Library Loan (ILL) is your friend. Ask your local librarian, and they can get it for you.

Jeff J

The Library has a couple of racks of polearms over the bookcases, crossbow on the wall, and a display case of swords. We're in the initial phase of doing the basement, which is going to be english pub style, so some of that'll be distributed about, and we'll likely hang a few repro art pieces.

Jeff J

The hobby is what you bring to it and make of it.

I've seen reenactors on both sides of the pond. Some were excellent, some weren't. I'm reasonably certain that none of the latter were COSG.

Jeff J

I don't believe I said your approach is wrong, and if I did, I apologize. Please let me clarify: using material culture methods is not the only valid way to study your era. Another approach is, say, the examination of the public records. I welcome both in the SCA (along with others) because its so ...

Jeff J

I have rarely heard anyone--including you, Jeff-- fully explain the context of a thing made. To say that, "this thing is from the 14th Century, etc." is not enough, imo. To say that, "I made, composed, created this thing based upon a 14th century manuscript of a book of hours, etc......

Jeff J

Woot!

(in a dignified kinda way)

Jeff J

Piers Brent wrote:
Black Swan Designs wrote:And after 20 years it's a shame to see they *still* have not moved beyond the coif under hat stage.

Maybe I didn't read it well enough but I didn't see anywhere the idea of a coif under hat.

Pictures, mate.

Jeff J

The 8th, 9th & 10th centuries, however, do not have such source, expect for maybe Anglo-Saxon charters and the Laws of the Carolingians. In this time, material culture and archaeology take a much more significant role in historical studied. Like all sources of information, the written efforts o...

Jeff J

We tend to put a lot more emphasis on the "look" of authenticity than on understanding deeper aspects of history, society, etc. Which "We" do you speak of? Most people who make "stuff" to achieve the look, DO understand the context it would have been used in, and most ...

Jeff J

Additionally, you have not addressed my issue from earlier. Consider the new person who has no woodworking skills and no access to teachers in time for the event. They need to sit. What would you have them do? The period thing.. pull up some sod, and park it. I have plenty of chairs, feel welcome t...

Jeff J

I forgot to mention something: "The Magic Moment". Whatever term you use for it, there is a point at which things "click", and you feel like you might actually be there. Fighters talk about this point in the middle of combat, when the experience feels REAL - not play acting, not ...

Jeff J

m The group of four, the patten in the lower left: - wood over 1" thick. Reccommend poplar, basswood, or alder. Don't use heavy woods like oak (especially red oak, which splits) - Leather - use fairly heavy (8 ounce or so) leather. Standard oak-tanned tooling leather is fine. Oil it heavily wit...

Jeff J

Too often this hobby becomes about the acquisition and display of stuff . It's going to sound really bizarre coming from that chick who does larsdatter.com (That Website With All That Stuff) but there's got to be something more to this hobby than a super-materialistic semi-anachronistic cargo cult....

Jeff J

... and there's nothing wrong with it. Putting money toward appearance is a legitimate method for getting the appearance you want. Bless all the quality merchants who have brought the overall appearance levels up over the last 15 years or so. Wow. Where would we be without them? I know *I'd* be ok,...

Jeff J

Or revive something on the lines of the "Am i period" website, but:
- moderated/registered
- no fantasy kits
- you only see comments on YOUR pics
- anonymous comments from registered people
- registered commentators know wtf they are talking about

Jeff J

I turn it into a mental game -- a sort of "What's wrong with this picture?" The hard part is NOT doing that to everyone you see. You know what I've always wanted to do? Set up a consultation station at some events - like the name Heralds have. Staff it with a couple of costuming Laurels, ...

Jeff J

Albrechtthesilent wrote:http://www.animatedknots.com/

Neat! Only has the square knot, under discussion. Wish it ran under the android OS.

Jeff J

Good examples of cultural anthropology, Gordon.

Jeff J

[quote="Charlotte J"]They may be talking about something completely different, but when somebody says â€œSlipped square knotâ€

Jeff J

Any time I make something to sell, I end up regretting it. The payback isn't there in the SCA market for anything I'm willing to put my name on, and I don't want to make shoddy or medievaloid configured work just to turn a profit. Jeff, I LOVE the tables you made for me in 2006!! and after four yea...

Jeff J

For the "not locally available" argument, I have a hard time believing taiors in foreign lands are incapable of copying a piece of clothing if they have an example. Sure, it may be local manufacture materials (or not- there is probably trade where the travelor is visitiong). And there may ...

Jeff J

Any time I make something to sell, I end up regretting it. The payback isn't there in the SCA market for anything I'm willing to put my name on, and I don't want to make shoddy or medievaloid configured work just to turn a profit. While I'm venting, let me add that I want to kick the ass of every ha...

Jeff J

Of course you are free to take any position you feel, but evidence has been presented here to support other positions. I'll conceeded that it happened, but not the commonality, speed, or enthusiasm of occurance. But feel free to portray a Scots-ninja-zulu-pirate, if that's what it takes to make you...

Jeff J

I'm going to stick with the conservative position, from a burden of proof perspective, and because of a general knowledge of people - then and now. When dissimilar cultures interact, humans tend to stick with what they know, and don't adopt "foreign ways" without significant presessure. Su...

Jeff J

Without evidence that it was done, I'm going to presume it wasn't. From the POV of "Joe. The traveling Ancester" the native garb is barbaric, and they wouldn't be caught dead in it.

Jeff J

The images are there, quite a few, but it's been years since I did the research and I haven't had the time (since yesterday) to go out and find them again. I have a relatively poor memory, compared to people like Chef who can rattle off a dozen references off the top of their head.

Jeff J

Well, we have specific evidence from the Hall manuscript that in the 1440's, he was talking about cutting the arming points, so it isn't speculative, we know it was done sometimes, by some users. Ah - that was the reference. Thanks for the reminder, Bob. I didn't want to make an absolute statement ...

Jeff J

fungi forge wrote:thay are usualy nailed on.

Clench nailed, that'd be.

Jeff J

First draft.

http://wp.bymymeasure.com/medieval-knots

Comments/corrections/edits welcome!

Edited with info from Chef and Mac.

Jeff J

Yup, its a slip knot. If it helps to wrap your mind around it, its not two thin cords but one, thicker cord. I'll try and make a quick video of it later. You'll kick yourself once you see it. What's neat about this one is that you are taking the two laces through a single hole and the know holds it...

Jeff J

Gaston de Clermont wrote:A good knot close up pic (look down the page for the alabaster sabaton):
http://burgundianhours.blogspot.com/200 ... art-1.html

Oooo... that's a new knot to figure out. Mind if I steal the photo?

Jeff J

I'd like to know some other options as well, since I have seen the two, paired loops that Jeff refers to in period art. And while I appreciate the effort, Jeff, that explanation, though detailed, doesn't really work for me. I can't manage a knot by reading that. Others may be able to, just not me. ...