The Armour Archive

Mike F

I was thinking recently, and I'm somewhat confused. Using cold chemical blackening, when do you actually blacken the piece? Does it simply change the surface level of the steel? (I assume it does) Does that sieze pieces together? I can't use copper rivets on a helm (for SCA use, anyway) and I can't ...

Mike F

Thomas Powers wrote:Mike, are you saying that the 15th and 16th centuries are *NOT* in the renaissance?

Yup. I don't see the renaissance starting until about the 17th century, but such is the peril of not specifying dates.

So, yes, I agree with you.

Mike F

Actually, Thomas, there have been some 15th and 16th century pieces made of pretty nice steel. I can try to dig up dates if you'd like.

And I agree on the Romans using iron, at least. I've heard otherwise, but I havn't seen sources yet.

Mike F

Poor Tasha. Hey, Jeff, I have one of her copies, too.

Brian borrowed it and gave it to me at the conference.

I have no idea about mailed copies, however.

Mike F

I think you may be biting off more than you can chew. On the other hand, if you can get it done, it'll be spectacular. Perhaps you should narrow your thesis a bit. It seems rather broad. I don't have much more than sketchy notes from Dr. Williams' speech, and the same with the remainder of the ARS p...

Mike F

Mmmmmm. Agincourt.

Neat harness.

Mike F

I'm a grouch, so take this for what it's worth. It's plastic, but for plastic in one piece you damn well seem to have gotten the pattern shapes down. I'm impressed. Have you tried beating on a formed one for a while? I have no clue how plastic armor works, so I can't estimate how it'll hold up. If t...

Mike F

I usually see only flats and glancings called by the thrower. Particularly in Crown, I hear the occasional, "Please don't take that," and the like. I guess it depends on how the tournament is set up. The fact that I remember a comment like that shows a lot about the guy who said it. And it was a loo...

Mike F

Heh. I'm an amateur, so don't ask me. I know of at least one fairly talented armorer in Milwaukee, and then I know a great one, but he's busy with his real life lately. If you wanted to head to Kenosha or Sheboygan I could ask if either of their shops were running, but I wouldn't want to send a rand...

Mike F

Dude. Seriously. #1: That's a shame that so many people backed out. I wish I could help, but it sounds like you're doing all you can. Next time you do something (don't let this discourage you) get addresses from everyone. Also, bear in mind things tend to get lost in overseas shipping. Keep track of...

Mike F

I'd be in if my harness ever gets really finished. *sigh* It looked so close for a while . . .

Personally, I'd love to do a fight similar to Agincourt's style in arms and armor. Halfswording, rondels, that whole deal. Armor as worn, but thrusting would ignore maille. Such is my thought, anyway.

Mike F

Hew: I plan on doing single dagger at least once in my life, but a rondel dagger can be almost as long as a short Gladius, so . . . And you almost owe me a new keyboard, as I remembered Caer Anterth Mawr's Baronial Championships one year . . . Barrier tourney . . . one pair chose daggers. It was GRE...

Mike F

You can do simple shapes or careful raising. Dishing will tear through the metal in short order. 20ga 1050 will hold up as small lames, gauntlet pieces, vambraces, and maybe greaves. I wouldn't use it for cops, cuisses or breastplates. Helmets are right out, of course. Give everything some curve and...

Mike F

Good call, Clinker. I have a one-hand punch, so it's not too major for me, but it's sure helpful.

Mike F

No. I've tried. You can braze, of course, but not weld. Or forge weld. If you get a MAPP/Oxy rig you can weld, but it's really hard. I've tried that as well. If you have the torch already, maybe you could block off the area with firebrick to raise the temp, but if you don't have it yet, don't buy it...

Mike F

My understanding is most period rivets had a larger head (or smaller shank, half empty, half full) than the ones we commonly use. I've also heard the 3/16 many use for large articulated plates are too large. I'll have to look into that.

Mike F

Three ways: If it's leather to steel, the head goes on the leather side, and you don't need a burr. Second, it's usually only useful for steel, but you can buy washers. Third, and my favorite (and period, as far as I know) would be to buy a sheet of copper, cut out a square, nip the corners off, pun...

Mike F

The point gets clipped anyway, so I'd skip the grinding step, myself. Just remember, you can rivet using a simple rod, and everything else is just to make it easier. I use copper roofing nails as well as steel roofing nails and commercial rivets (steel and copper). All have their uses, and they all ...

Mike F

I'm no good at this, but I know the theory. The metal bunches up, but all you have to do is hit there again and move it more. The way it was explained to me is it all depends on the angle of the hammer. Well, not all, but a lot. You can push the metal thinner by striking in a way as to draw the meta...

Mike F

Give me six months. I'll either want to talk to him or I'll recant on my own.

Mike F

Sure. You can play with a head to have the same mass and genter of gravity yet be a different material or entirely blunt. Not to mention you can make it with a lance-like cap, as you mentioned. I'm assuming the aerodynamics are similar at the range a man can throw one. What kind of heads were they u...

Mike F

chef de chambre wrote:Do you have a means of constructing a blunt spear, that will strike with similar force to the real deal, and be weighted to throw accurately?

Would that largely amount to a spear of the same mass, center of gravity and as close to the same head cross-section as you can safely get?

Mike F

I was looking on the D&C boards and saw the black oxide finish kit, and I was wondering if anyone had any evidence of painted or otherwise non-bare finishes circa 1415. I've seen some later pieces that were completely painted (a sallet and a hounskull, so they're in the same general style, if not er...

Mike F

Third hand or teeth. I've gotten good at tying them myself, but it's a learned skill.

How's the buckle work when you're hit in the shoulder? Doesn't that hurt?

Mike F

Chef: As someone who's studied Agincourt and is facinated by the period, I find that every word rings true. I can't say it's all right because, rightly, I don't know, but I'd put my money on your analysis. Thank you. As a side note, Agincourt had less to do with the longbow than the terrain, but the...

Mike F

Ah, Chef, you've made my day. I missed this thread the first time around, so I'm glad it came up again. I'm certainly glad you've taken the time to look into this, and I'd say, from your experience, that a direct shot from the 105# is something you shouldn't try to take. I'm sure you knew this. I'm ...

Mike F

Doug: They can actually rotate that much? What kind of slot length are those? I think I've been doing things really wrong.

Mike F

No problem, Ken. I spend most of my time finding resources nowadays. My hammer time is rare.

Mike F

When I think of hourglass gauntlets, I tend to get the impression, shape wise, of the Churburg harnesses and various others. Cad had a nice page with refernce images, which I shall link to here. http://www.mallet-argent.com/hourglass.html

Mike F

Don't strap them together. I've tried that, it's awful. The way I've delt with it is by using arming points. You put a cord through eyelets (or attached to) your gambeson. My arms tie into my shoulders, for example. When I do it again, I'm going to point it directly where the arm lines up. On the ar...

Mike F

I'm sorry, all. My heart's not in this anymore. I was just poking around the AA and looked up to see what Mal was doing recently. I didn't know he left. I, of course, didn't know why. I just don't feel like pursuing this anymore.

Mike F

You know, recently I felt the same about Jehan's words, but these seem rather plain to me. Of course, the gauntlets look to me like they're a little elongated, and I agree that the cuff may be too narrow. Those'll sure hold up, though. Assuming they're hardened (I figured they would be ). I prefer t...

Mike F

Well, then, WMA, what is your point? In one sentence. It's all skill, not method? Fabrication is better because _____? Hal, you should love your forge when it's up. I'll look into the grain structure of annealed steel, and perhaps stock removal produces blades of equal quality, all else being equal ...

Mike F

WMA: There is no substitute for skill, true. And it has nothing to do with being privy to any great secret. Let's look at three options: Raise the helm from one piece. Dish the bowl, weld a simple skirt, then form those af if it was raised. Dish the bowl, weld a compound curve skirt and be done with...

Mike F

You cannot make it more denser, atoms just don't compress. You make for a finer grain which produces a more easily heat treated and stronger structure. There are still "holes" in the structure, and hammering will compress the metal the way shaking a container full of, say, sugar, will even out and ...

When do you chemically blacken?

Armor finishes at Agincourt (1415)