The Armour Archive

Mord

Alas, no money (house repairs)...and, yes, I will eventually order some belt-studs.

Mord.

Mord

I have an old curved round made of steel. Damn thing weighs a ton.

Yours if you want it and we can figure out how to get it to you.

Oh, and if i can find it. Probably in my garage (with the Ark of the Coventant).

Mord.

Mord

James, Send me your snail-mail address, and I'll send you something about belt-studs, etc. I was only trying to make a small joke about "bling." Remember, there's hack-silver, which was used to pay for this and that and often horded, not worn. Still, an arm-ring, etc. would be a nice sign ...

Mord

You need "bling," and I would dare say a little more fur would be nice. Try it on the hat.

Mord.

Mord

What about Micklagaard? Ah, the great city of Micklagaard, where a young man's fancy and needs can be satisfied. Join the Emperor's guard! Swath yourself in silk and cotton! Fancy-dan, high-flutin' horse races and a stunning view! Now go! and make your fortune! Ships are leaving today! Mord.

Mord

I brought this up to my wife (she in charge of the check-book): she seemed positive about it. I will "bump" this, so she can have a look.

Thanks,

Mord.

Mord

Micklagaard?

Mord.

Mord

Second, there is no evidence of armor, except for shields (the evidence of bosses found in graves), in Iceland. Admittedly the evidence I have looked at is the 10th c, but since Iceland converted to Christianity around the year 1000, graves finds have pretty much disappeared with the new burial pra...

Mord

I'm not sure if this is the section for this thread, but another thread, which I did not want to interrupt, go t me to thinking. Simply put, how good is rawhide as shield edging on an aluminum shield? I have a tear-drop shield which I've stripped for maitenance. Various parts needed fixing, etc, inc...

Mord

Well, let me see...I live in the Southern Region of the Eastern Kingdom... My center grip (a peice of plywood) is edged with 2 layers of leather, and no one I know of is complaining. My tear-drop, aluminum shield is edged in popular faring-trim stuff--far tougher than hose, btw. I'm trying to figure...

Mord

Neat.

Mord.

Mord

Merovingian Frankish.

Mord.

Mord

If there's an REI camping store hear you, get their blue-closed cell foam camping pads. This stuff is better than the most camping pads you find elsewhere.

Mord.

Mord

Thursday: partly cloudy, small possiblity of snow, etc.

Friday: Sunny: COLD: highs in the low 30s. Lows in the high teens. This is the coldest day in Philly so far this winter.

The Ben Franklin Parkway is notoriously windy. Dress warmly.

Mord.

Mord

Marshal, I am sorry, but M. Wheeler published "London and the Vikings" in 1927--a long time before Oakeshott's "Archaeology of Weaons" which was published in 1960. If anything, Oakeshott adapted Wheeler's typology, to put it in polite words. I know that. I don't see where I have...

Mord

Ok. First, Birka, as a town, does not seem to have existed in 11th century. There is good archaeological evidence that the place was burned in the mid to late 10th century. So, you couldn't be an 11th c. Swede from Birka. Try Sigtuna instead. Second, there is no evidence of armor, except for shields...

Mord

I'm very much interested in the Thomas book. I'm also very, very much interested in the "Early Medieval Swords" book that you list on e-Bay. However, I must check with my wife before I try to purchase. I'll see if I can get back to you.

Mord.

Mord

This is one tragic example.

How many retired pro-football players even suffer from depression? And how many of those who do can connect their depression to brain damage?

OTOH, I intend to take a good look at the padding in my helmet. I do this anyway every couple of years.

Mord.

Mord

Hmmm...interesting. Searching, even advanced searching, has been simplied from OCLC (WorldCat for ILL). Still, I like the fact that you can look up whatever on a particular library's local catalog. OTOH, just because the own an item, doesn't mean they'll loan it. Also, beware that many a library cha...

Mord

I've lurking on this thread. Thanks for all the ideas.

Mord.

Mord

Robert,

Interesting. I do not make or forge swords of anything else, so I'd like to "pick your brain" on the subject. How long did your from ore to blade project take (in hours of labor)? What problems did you think you'd have, and what problems did you actually have?

Thanks,

Mord.

Mord

Thank you all, again.

My local hardware store has milk paint. Maybe worth an experiment.

Mord.

Mord

Please let me clarify. I know there are various colors of leather dye, but unfortuately driving to my local Leather Factory is 2 and half hours (from Philly to Harrisburg--don't ask me why). Ordering over the web is probably not worth the time, either. Finding acrylic paint is easier, and doesn't wa...

Mord

I'm using leather to put the new edging on my shield. Leather dye is available, but only in limited colors (black and red). Can I paint the leather, and if so what sort of paint should I use?

Thanks,

Mord.

Mord

A viking shield suit case? For the professional, no doubt.

Lust, Lust, Lust

Drool.....

Mord.

Mord

No I do not need documentation; I lugged 2 copies of that heavy book back from Munich, one for your wife and one for me. So I have very nice pictures of a number of them. They went on the project list and since I just picked up some glass cups for one they shifted considerably higher on that list.....

Mord

Thank you for that input Mord. So I suppose my dream of making weapons that I can 100% positively proclaim as "period" is a pipe dream? We'll, I'll keep doing the best I can. At least this way I won't feel so guilty for doing the best I can off pictures, and grave finds? Robert, Probably. Never say...

Mord

Bjorn, Thank you. Robert P. Norwalt, Your question of the weights of swords is probably unanswerable. Many of the swords found are fragmentary. The blades are too badly corroded in most cases; I suspect a sample of useful, uncorroded blades is too small to infer anything like "typical." Also underst...

Mord

Thomas,

You need documentation? I think Edgforth and Karen Larsdaughter has probably sent you in the right direction.

Byzantium is my wife's thing, but I'll see what I can do.

Mord.

Mord

Well, OSU is not that far, and Capital University is even closer so maybe I could check those out. If I can find a place to park, that is. You can't park at OSU unless you have a sticker, and I don't really want to park off campus and walk. I can check the public library too, so I can write down th...

Mord

I think this is a fine idea. It'll take me a little time to gather some info, but in the meantime, I'd try looking around the local groups' websites.

Mord.

Mord

--PAUSE OFF-- In hopes of finishing... My final criticism has to do with the preservation of the examples. Not only do I want to know the provenance of the weapon, but I also want to if the object was cleaned (and how it was cleaned), and if the metals were somehow preserved (and how was the metal, ...

Mord

--PAUSE OFF-- ...The other problem I have with Peirce's "Swords of the Viking Age" is the provenance of his examples. The provenances seem incomplete; some are dredged from a river; some are river finds; some are grave finds, and a few seem to have no provenance at all. This is troubling to my mind,...

Mord

And now the moment you've been waiting for: Watching Mord not only stick his foot in his mouth with his shoes on, but sucking the laces through his nose! *DING* As far as Peirce's "Swords of the Viking Age" is concerned, I am of 2 minds. Of the swords presented, Sweden is hardly represented and East...

Mord

Being hafted with a pole happens. In many circumstances, both combatants are perfectly happy to simply start over, but in other circumstances, such as a large melee, either fighter doesn't have the time to discuss the matter. In one melee I was hit, fairly hard, with a pole and went down. The fighte...

Aluminum, Rawhide & shields

Weather Report for Philly and ARS meeting.

Painting leather?