The Armour Archive

Kel Rekuta

I used to fight with a four foot maul occasionally. If you move fast and very aggressively you can take out a lot of people in a line by crashing through and turning ninety degrees down the line. It helps if you have a good shieldman to follow you in to keep pollaxes in the second and third line fro...

Kel Rekuta

Does anyone know where to buy those friction-lock thingies? Steve In the trade those are called "ladder locks." As suggested any decent hiking - outdoor sports store that carries polywebbing should have them for sale. There is a simpler version called a "slider" that looks like ...

Kel Rekuta

Lots of tiny, fragile bones are not a place to skimp. Hands and helms are important, and you SHOULD spend a lot of money on them. Although I agree with you rather strongly - SCA combat doesn't require visually appealing equipment. I've seen and made a lot of heavy leather hand protection over the y...

Kel Rekuta

The arrow storm in Brannagh's Henry V.

Kel Rekuta

That spalted maple bowl looks great! I'll have to get at that pile of maple I've been hoarding in the yard. Nice work, I hope people appreciate your work at the lathe and snap this up.

Cheers!

Kel Rekuta

The arches certainly remind me of gothic stained glass windows. I would look at surviving medieval examples of those. Some depict biblical scenes, but many depict knights who donated to the church and are displayed in armour with heraldry. Yeah but an armour trunk isn't a votive offering. Religious...

Kel Rekuta

Cellach_macChormach wrote: I'm still hopeful that Talbot will make this right, but at this point I would be hesitant to do business with him again.

I hope you shake that off quickly. Doug is a stand-up guy.

Kel Rekuta

Doesn't AEMMA use Aluminium weapons occasionally? Maybe they might be a useful resource. Our armoured training and the rapier/sidesword program use rebated steel weapons. AEMMA uses tempered AL weapons for regular unarmoured training. They are slightly more expensive but much better tools than the ...

Kel Rekuta

James, How do you define a "proper plank" shield? What adhesive, how thick, how was it covered? You do great work so I'm curious how you did the one that fell apart so easily. The Devil is in the details, isn't it? Too true; I used pine (instead of spruce) and I have done a linen cover an...

Kel Rekuta

James,

How do you define a "proper plank" shield? What adhesive, how thick, how was it covered? You do great work so I'm curious how you did the one that fell apart so easily. The Devil is in the details, isn't it?

Kel Rekuta

Yeah I do the multiple coats of Barges cement too. First coat went on last night. If I'm not to beat after practice tonight I will add the second tonight. Cam, does burlap add any significant weight? All the bags Ive dealt with were much heavier than linen/canvas. I'm curious. What benefit do you s...

Kel Rekuta

Shield thickness can be different depending on the construction method. Single board, edge glued construction needs to be thicker, low density softwood. Laminating covers to the face and back reduces the need for thickness. Laminating thin boards at 90 degrees by layer reduces required thickness as ...

Kel Rekuta

And the wonders never cease. My compliments!

Kel Rekuta

..... JvR: I do this and I am a lefty and when I started learning I also thought that longsword was geared for rightys, but no it doesn't actually make a huge difference. The longsword is essentially an ambidextrous weapon. My right hand sits next to the cross and the left at the pommel, ... Maybe ...

Kel Rekuta

From Canadians, I prefer Interac direct deposit. Nobody uses cheques anymore, here at least. A postal money order or bank draught is expensive for small sales but the safety and ease of deposit is pretty high. From Americans, I take credit cards as I have merchant accounts. For one off sales like yo...

Kel Rekuta

Check the source. It doesn't sound right. In clothing, equipment and speech, West Highlanders were nearly indistinguishable from north-eastern Irish of the period. Unlike their southern and western Irish neighbors, they wore heavy mail coats, thick quilted cotuns (not a vest!) daubed with pitch and ...

Kel Rekuta

I saw a lot of them in Spanish museums, castles and also local imported furniture shops in the cities. A good design remains popular.

Kel Rekuta

Looks like the Wildarmoury site was hacked by an Islamic hacker group to get support against the American reverend who wants to burn the Koran. Kind of a strange way of getting attention. Really? A site promoting Western medieval armour sold to people who study and play at a culture that symbolizes...

Kel Rekuta

Decrative motifs from that period are all over the Alhambra in Granada. There are tons of travel and art books covering the topic. All the Moorish shields I saw in Spanish museums had geometric patterns or Islamic verse on them, far more of the latter. However, I doubt many of them were from that ea...

Kel Rekuta

I ask because I'm possibly interested in getting light gauntlets for doing Cut and Thrust, at least for my off-hand (my dagger has a minimal hand guard). I am not sure that standard SCA gauntlets would give me enough control. I don't know any rapier practitioners that use more than padded fencing g...

Kel Rekuta

I ask because I'm possibly interested in getting light gauntlets for doing Cut and Thrust, at least for my off-hand (my dagger has a minimal hand guard). I am not sure that standard SCA gauntlets would give me enough control. I don't know any rapier practitioners that use more than padded fencing g...

Kel Rekuta

The effigy of Colonnio Beccadelli demonstrates an excellent solution.

Kel Rekuta

And please let's not start talking about "control." I have a whole rant about this myth, the short version being: Yes, control is an important component to safety. However, anyone who can consistently know what part of their opponent is going to be where at the time his own weapon connect...

Kel Rekuta

I'm interested in those synthetic simulators, there is a website? Thanks (Even Al ones are welcome) Probably more practical to get the nylons as they seem to be the rage with European HEMA groups. The ones I've played with were first generation and they are far too wobbly to be of any use IMHO. No ...

Kel Rekuta

Awesome!!! Thanks to both of you.

Kel Rekuta

Dude, Ontario is a pretty big place. Where are you? Maybe there is a metal banger in your area that you haven't met yet. OTOH, bending splints can often be accomplished with your bare hands over a pipe in a vise or over a log on the ground. A heavy mallet can be useful too. Try again with the upload...

Kel Rekuta

The lesser "lethality" of rattan sticks allows full-speed-full-power strokes, rather than the half speed so often seen in rebated steel. The even less damaging LARP foamies lose some striking speed through increased air drag; SCA strikes can go fast enough to make the sword blade disappea...

Kel Rekuta

There are a lot of good suggestions here but if your only interest is taking off the ink then you just need to use the right solvent. Rubbing alcohol is not of any use in this case, as you learned. You need a product that contains acetone. Goo Gone, Goof Off, generic nail polish remover all have ace...

Kel Rekuta

Why? What's the problem with a hinge in front, especially if the thing buckles up in the back? A sturdy hinge at that point would be like doubling its strength right were a fellow would take thrusts and lance hits more often. Having a hinge on either side wouldn't be any easier to make or wear. Its ...

Kel Rekuta

I've had this image for a few years - before I was careful to note sources of such things. Does anyone recognize where it might be from? A children's book, some Osprey book, a rendering of an actual effigy or period illustration?

I need to know if it is realistic or modern concept. Thanks!

Kel Rekuta

Yeah, fair enough Ivan. I suggest you buy or make a plastic fencing plastron. They are dirt cheap and easy to keep clean, whether under or over a gambeson. These Motocross body armour things are Satan's Work (TM) and an visual abomination for WMA practice. EE-YU! They have a lot of gaps in protectio...

Kel Rekuta

Thanks for your continued generosity!

Kel Rekuta

Kel, can you specifically tell me what ancient sources are covered that may be of interest to me? I deal specifically with pre-Classical Mediterranean cultures in my ancient studies, and am quite certain that most of the information regarding such topics has been produced in the last decade, well a...

Kel Rekuta

Pretty simple; if you can't pull shots that are likely to injure your playmates then you have no right to freeplay. Learn to control yourself. Adding more kit is no solution to lack of training. Sorry if that seems harsh but banging around trying to figure out how to fight is an inefficient training...

Kel Rekuta

Ever used them with 16G stainless? No. I cut 18ga stainless regularly with them. A bit of cutting oil on the line and they run fine. However, the motor clearly tells you it is not pleased. Same deal with 14ga. mild. I wouldn't expect a $50 Chinese tool to cut as well as a $400 Makita. That's just s...

Re: Wildarmoury Site Hacked?

Re: WMA gaunts vs SCA gaunts

Re: WMA gaunts vs SCA gaunts

Source of an illustration?