The Armour Archive

Black Swan Designs

Unless you're less than 5' 2" tall, that 38" long Bocksten is going to be way too short for 1300. You'd be better off with the button neck, which is taken from a fresco dated 1304-6. Giotto di Bondone- Scenes from the Life of Christ: Marriage at Cana, 1304-06. Fresco, Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chape...

Black Swan Designs

Ummm, I'm a bit confused- what exactly -is- a 'middle class knight' or a 'middle class noble'. Although an OK pattern, the Bocksten is a bit short for late 13th/early 14th. Generally you don't see garments much shorter than mid-upper calf for that period. I'm afraid I can't even being to speculate w...

Black Swan Designs

Ooops, sorry, I was in LA all day yesterday and just checked in here. Thanks to everyone who stepped up with an endoresement. We put a huge amount of time and effort into these to assure that they worked the way we said they would, and I'm pleased to see we have some happy customers. Rannulf, I'm so...

Black Swan Designs

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

JdP-
Question to Gwen: Will an arming doublet serve in a pinch to suspend late 14th century split hosen?

BSD-
*BONUS- Custom lacing ability makes it a perfect body shaper under 14th C. clothing! Also works great with chausses and split hose.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Forget the cutting, shifting and slipping you experienced with your old belt and suspenders - this pourpoint is specifically designed to carry your leg harness. Arming Pourpoint from Historic Enterprises, Inc. [img]http://www.historicenterprises.com/images/products/big/494_large.jpg[/img] *Availabl...

Black Swan Designs

The 'conjectural reconstruction' of my pattern is entirely incorrect. Edited to add that the bottom of my pattern is cut straight across the grain of the fabric. The cut of the hem is not what produces the point, the cut of the body does.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Oh, the stuff's on it's way, no doubt about that. You can order it off the list, or you can wait for the whole shooting match. Either way works for me, whichever you prefer.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Here you go-

Acorn Buttons, pkg. of 4

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

We have some- http://www.historicenterprises.com/misc/acornbutton.jpg These are copied from 2 buttons in our collection. These are not cast from the originals but are made in a new mold, carved to replicate a new button rather than an archaeological artifact. Cast in bright finished, lead free pewte...

Black Swan Designs

Mike Woodford followed us around for more than 2 years taking pictures and interviewing people in our camp. He was never forthcoming about what the info was for, 'a privately produced book' was all we were told. We never signed releases for any of the photos, as a matter of fact for the first year h...

Black Swan Designs

OK, I finally got in there to fix those ji-normous images, and I've added links as well. This is a good opportunity to let you know about some more things we've added to the site this weekend- In the Specials section, loads of gift suggestions organized by price. (Holiday soap and towel, under $20) ...

Black Swan Designs

Bumping this up because these are still for sale. Christmas is coming, and these gowns are a steal for anyone on a budget!

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Shouldered hardwood tips (without the stepdown) will be coming out eventually and these are an interim option. There is no current ETA on the tapered hardwood inserts.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

You forgot that you get to be the Duke of Brittany, too!! All for the low, low price of $16.95. Talk about value added!

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

'fraid so.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

We now have this version available.....

[img]http://www.historicenterprises.com/images/products/big/537_large.jpg[/img]

T shirt bearing an image of the Duke of Brittany from Rene' of Anjou's Book of the Tournament. By Renaissance Arts and Design

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

PM'd you back Scott. Glad you like the stuff. The glassware is *awesome* and works just as well for a G&T in front of the tube in the evening as at an event. Jeff has tested this out very thoroughly many, many times, so we can make this claim with complete confidence. Hope you all like the T shirts....

Black Swan Designs

New items at Historic Enterprises! For the Dark Ages enthusiast Winingas http://www.historicenterprises.com/misc/winingasfabrics.jpg For the 12th C. enthusiast Glassware from Le Verre Historique Glass Beaker with emerald glass ''pearls'' and rim, 1100 - 1200 [img]http://www.historicenterprises.com/i...

Black Swan Designs

Gregory, none of the people named in your post are royalty.. but we do like to be treated with the courtesy shown everyone else. Ideval, I still don't know what point you're trying to make. Minotaur, I don't ever remember peeing in your wheaties, but your actions sure make it seem like I did. I have...

Black Swan Designs

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Black Swan Designs

Yeah, she is- Jeff thought so too. She's a model who works for our photographer.

Glad you like her! We hope she will demonstrate to the ladies how devastatingly sexy medieval clothing can be.....

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

I am posting this for a friend of mine who has lost a lot of weight and taken a job that no longer affords her the time to play medieval dress up. All items are Black Swan Designs garments and are guaranteed to be in the stated condition. She is extremely careful about her clothing so you can expect...

Black Swan Designs

I have removed the offending post from this forum. Interested parties can find it 'where it belongs' in the Classified section-

Robert MacPherson armet and gauntlets for sale

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

These items are being sold by their owner, Dr. Tobias Capwell. I am posting this information at his request. General: The pieces are hardened and tempered spring steel, with a Vickers hardness of around 350 (mild steel is about 80, by way of comparison). They were made by Robert Macpherson, one of t...

Black Swan Designs

Why thank you James, what a nice thing to say! Jeff and I operate on the premise that if we like it everyone else will too. That works about 95% of the time. That last 5% covers things like the 'Armed Woman' poster, which we think is awfully clever but has gotten us more irate letters than sales. Oh...

Black Swan Designs

Looks like happy hour started early for Aidan tonight......

All in good time, all in good time.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Jeff and I are working on a number of new items for jousting and medieval mounted activities, most of which will be ready before the season starts again in the spring. I won't let the cat out of the bag yet, but rest assured there are all sorts of cool new items for horse and rider, set dressing to ...

Black Swan Designs

edited

Black Swan Designs

IIRC, "Cut my Cote" by Dorothy Burnham has a number of Coptic tunic patterns.

It's well worth the $9, in any case.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

the reason you wouldn't do it in the 10th-12th centuries is because it's wrong, i.e. the evidence strongly suggests this wasn't done at all.

That's the problem - there's no way to make any sort of meaningful generalization about what was done in a 500 year period.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

confidently dress as a 9th c. Scot in poet shirt & great kilt!

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Of course there were fat people, we do see them here and there, and they probably had problems with slippage as well.

The K.I.S.S. fat friendly solution is to tuck your shirt in.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Maybe when they are "stripped down" so they are untucking their shirt out of modesty? But then the long undershirt you showed from the Mac Bible is interesting. That's how I've been doing my undershirts. Gwen! This was the "documentation" for the drawstring in hosen I was trying to remember. Got me,...

Black Swan Designs

OK, I'll clarify my response. Based on past communication, I though Rowan was trying to put together a 15th C. outfit, hence my immediate and specific respose. In the 15th and early 16th C., codpieces are (by all appearances) attached, rather nondescript covering for the opening in the hose. By the ...

Holiday Sale- Arming Pourpoint from HE

New items from Historic Enterprises!

Women's clothing for sale

Robert MacPherson armet and gauntlets for sale

Robert MacPherson armet and gauntlets for sale