The Armour Archive

carlyle

Looks like John's morning coffee was brewed a little strong, donchathink? BTW, Jehan, the notes on your pattern make it look like you are advising to sew the bottom of the sleeve to the side seam of the skirt. Funny as heck -- until you try it on, I suppose .... Matt, there has been a lot of good ad...

carlyle

FWIW, my experience with the better Ansteoran shieldmen was that they did not have a good response to "passing" attacks that pressured their sword-side, and they were unconditioned for a "ranging" off-side attack to the head (thrown with on-side hip driving forward). The former confused their natura...

carlyle

Afshin wrote:With everything said here, what is our first plan of action?

Step 1) Kill all the lawyers.

Oh, sorry -- wrong thread... AoC

carlyle

Wulf wrote:Nobody said you need to be pretty to be a knight.

This nobody does... AoC

carlyle

In all honesty, my recommendation is to walk away. You have no obligation to help -- less so when it would cause you to compromise the hard-earned wisdom you have spent years to assemble. If you believe (as I suspect you do) that the SCA is not a "fantasy"-based organization (not that what we do isn...

carlyle

While I understand Malcolm's frustration if one approached the Game with a rigid view of the roles under question, our Play allows us to move at will from one office to another without penalty. Be it cook, baron, woodwright, or squire -- we tend to wear many hats that, under more strict reenactment ...

carlyle

Did I miss a post somewhere by Logan where the shield got damaged in use? I'll be very interested to hear how the new laminate works... AoC

carlyle

it would be a nice and helpful touch to have a medieval-style cart or two available for participants to shuttle their camp gear to and from the parking area. ...or you might consider the idea of "colors to colors", the practice of enforcing strict authenticity only during daylight hours. Even if ma...

carlyle

I am not "fixated" on anything but the open admission that culture can directly effect the idea of Victory in deeds of arms of peace, based upon our system of moral self-actualization. That is certainly where the argument has turned of late, but the following is the crux of my concern: I am sick of...

carlyle

I've tried several times to write some pithy commentary, but words simply fail me. Vitus, I do not understand your fixation on "knowing" when a fighter doesn't call a blow. If this is truly the crucible we say it is, and the result of a particular trial is that the warrior is, at least in that momen...

carlyle

Last year, in the Pennsic woods battle, I was so insecure about this that I just started asking everybody that touched me, in the slightest "Was that good?" On a couple of occasions, I didn't have to ask, in every other instance (save one) the answer was, "Naw, it was tippy/light/whatever". Nobody ...

carlyle

So many good posts here. This is a rare moment, but I agree with Maeryk. Non-peers should feel that they can go to an impartial peer when they have a problem with another peer. The solution may not be mediation; it may be as Finn describes and mentoring the troubled individual through a less emotion...

carlyle

Vebrand wrote:Dwarves...very deadly over short distances.

Even more effective as catapult ammo... AoC

carlyle

...people will tell you that you can't hit hard enough if your feet aren't on the ground. Which only goes to show that there is nothing new under the sun. Paul B. and I had this same discussion 20 years ago at a Lillies. He convincingly demonstrated that a leap can be as effective as a more traditi...

carlyle

I personally don't see the sense in embracing one fallacy (pick your favorite; unpadded polearms, unbreakable shields) and condemning another fallacy (punching with an axe) merely because one personally chooses not to believe it possible. Because at a certain point, you cross the line from "suspens...

carlyle

The Tapestry is about one historical event--the Battle of Hastings. This means that at best, the source shows how 2 handed axes were used at that time (1066) and place (Hastings) and by whom (Anglo-Saxons Huscarl--who were hardly common). This was the only intent of the citation. It is offered as o...

carlyle

Based upon this lack of information I do not think anyone can tell just how the weapon was actually used. I will respond to Justus' comments in a seperate post (he raises many good points I would like to address), but this one begs a simple question: Isn't archeology only one proof point? Absent ex...

carlyle

Thanks for the feedback, all! It is very helpful!! That's the second time I've seen you reference and compliment Marc's site, Gwen. Guess I'll have to add that to my set of research tools before I post again and look like a "tool" ... Alfred PS -- The St Louis is really a sweet garment, Gwen. My own...

carlyle

All -- Just wanted to throw this out for comment or critique, and see if anyone else had similar or differing experiences. For many years now, I've worn bliauts and tunics with side gores. While I can't tell you its provenence, this was the pattern I was given, and its the best I've known to use unt...

carlyle

Is there any documentable evidence one way or the other that a bardiche or viking bearded axe wasn't used in one hand? This is rather non sequitor. You can't set out to prove what wasn't, only what was. Show me evidence that a greatsword was held inverted by the ricasso while wielding a second weap...

carlyle

Logan -- Thanks for the elaboration. The idea of restraining a weapon so that it can do little damage if it does fly free makes sense. It's a little funny, because I was thinking along the same lines for the parallel discussion on lanyarding greatweapons. Used one-handed, I've never seen a great wea...

carlyle

Wow, Mord -- a moment of clarity! Thanks!! I've never liked lanyards, and in the West they do seem vestigial. But we don't have any indoor fighting here. I started in the Midrealm, however, where indoor practices and tournaments are the norm. And while weapon restraints seem more inconvenience than ...

carlyle

Lodin, Baskets are not necessary to the design. I have used the same strap on cross-hilted swords with similar success; I just attach the weapon loop around the grip. One-handed axes may be more problematic because they do not usually have a pommel to prevent the strap from slipping off the end. Sin...

carlyle

What, no acidic quip laced with profanity? I'm impressed, old friend. You do your knignt proud... And now that you've secured the higher ground, I'll offer the real assessment behind my comment: A fighter is, for all intents and purposes, a system in balance. All actions -- moving, blocking, and thr...

carlyle

Dante wrote:I was ducking the shot ... all photos of me fighting make me look like a dumbass...

If you're ducking that low, then you are a dumbass... AoC

carlyle

You beat me to it, Robert! I was about to do the exact same thing. Thanks!! One small difference is that I turn the open end (the one that makes the loop for the wrist) "inside out" before stuffing the "bend" through the slit (picture #3 in Robert's essay). This takes out the little half-twist out o...

carlyle

grrrrr josh brought up laynards.... And here I was just thinking how Logan seemed to be pretty quiet lately. Guess nobody here had been pushing the right buttons, is all ... I agree with your opinion of lanyards (though I reserve this kind of response for things like "madu", myself ). Still, years ...

carlyle

Sold pending payment.

Not 31" anymore, Alc. More like 34". I had actually gotten back down to 31" about 5 years ago, but I guess marriage and kids have made me fat... AoC

carlyle

Seamus, I wear a size 10 1/2, but like socks, I'd hazard they can stretch up or down a couple of sizes without too much difficulty.

II, unfortunately she left the SCA some years ago. I don't think she's making them anymore.

Alfred

carlyle

used to strap a shield to his back so that it would stand up behind his head, and prevent a lot of side and wrap shots from otherwise hitting him. In conjunction with a weapon and a second, active shield, or while wielding a two-handed weapon? The first strikes me as cheesy; the second, historicall...

carlyle

Why does the SCA act to squash anything that isn't "the way we've always done things? You mean like madu ? The problem with this is that we don't have a good idea on how it was used. The inspiration I intended to use was what I had seen at Regia performances. When I consulted with their Authenticit...

carlyle

I have three pair of tights that are in need of a good home. These were custom-made for me many years ago, and should fit someone with a 31" waist (maybe a little larger or smaller) and a 32" inseam. I only wore them a couple of times, and they are all still in very good condition. They are made fro...

carlyle

That said, I don't think I agree with your analysis about needing to shift the center of mass over the stationary leg. I would suggest that walking is almost exactly the opposite, a process of falling forward and catching yourself, you can't take a step if your center of mass doesn't move off of a ...

carlyle

I seem to be more "stiff" when I'm standing straight up. When I'm low I'm on my toes, like a fencer or sprinter. Could you clarify your advice a bit? I'm not following it all. In order to step, you have to first move your center of mass over the stationary leg. This is true even in normal walking, ...

carlyle

I'll focus this response to Adam only, just so I don't lose him in all of the other threads going on ... I guess what i understood from your comment was that hooks and buttspikes on historical weapons had no real use in actual combat. Exactly the opposite. Where there is correlating evidence beyond ...

Re: TOC

Front gore or side gore?

FS: custom made footed tights