The Armour Archive

Black Swan Designs

Jeff shattered his thumb and is back to armouring almost as good as new. (He gets some stiiffness if he does a lot of heavy forging). But you do have to follow doctor's orders and not do a single scrap of work until he/she says it's ok, especially since you have so much metal in there. You would be ...

Black Swan Designs

I'm cutting Viking hats tomorrow, so your timing is good. I cutting 4 or 5 fabrics and will shoot and post a picture of them when I'm done. Once they're cut it will take about 2 weeks to get them sewn up and on the website.

Many Italian Vikings about these days?

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Hi Edward- I've asked Jeff to cast some up, so we should have them back in stock by Monday. Brent, Purveyor Of Period Pornâ„¢. How hilarious. It's always amused me how this woman is being groped in the middle of a group of people, and everyone is oblivious. Don't you just love how in these illuminat...

Black Swan Designs

Slayer, huh? I'm a Seether gal myself, but I'll take that compliment. Thanks!

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

If they're interested, they should have someone get in touch with me.

I'm actually hoping Doug Sunlin is still around- anyone heard from him lately? I can't remember his reenactment name, but he does Regia up north somewhere.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

History timeline at the Tournament of the Phoenix event in north San Diego seeks reenators and reenactment groups who would like to participate with pre gunpowder (pre-1600) lifestyle encampments. Event dates are October 23, 24 and 25 2009. Secure, private site offers flush toilets, water, and respo...

Black Swan Designs

Right. Francena and I made a comprehensive investigation of available shipping options this afternoon and as it turns out, we *are* using the least expensive methods of shipping. I won't ship via a non-trackable method, because when customers call and want to know where their order is, they don't wa...

Black Swan Designs

We are happy to accept orders less than $15. $15 is the minimum we can process thru our website but you can call a small order in to Francena and she'll take care of it for you. 760-789-2299

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

You and the 400 other men who have written asking for a full size, full res version of it.

Black Swan Designs

Our Ladies stockings are still Buy 1 at $22.95 - Get 1 FREE until Wednesday. [img]http://www.historicenterprises.com/images/products/327_large.jpg[/img] Linen stockings Wool stockings Viking 6 panel hats are $9.95, regularly $14.95. [img]http://www.historicenterprises.com/images/products/637_large.j...

Black Swan Designs

Magnus, as I explained in my email to you earlier today, we DO offer cheaper shipping options to Canada. The website calculates shipping at UPS domestic rates, and we ship Internationally thru the USPS. This is explained in the 'Shipping' section of our website. Shipping costs have skyrocketed in th...

Black Swan Designs

It has a completely different context and place in your life if you were in the SCA on the East Coast (specifically NJ / NY/ PA) for the few years surrounding when the movie was made.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

15th C. Arming Doublet http://www.historicenterprises.com/misc/armdoub-demass-backTN.jpg In my time demonstrating armored combat at the [Higgins Armoury] museum, I have acquired three arming coats. The third one was from Historic Enterprises, and when I first put it on, I felt I had at last come ho...

Black Swan Designs

Were you able to sort out the problem Wulfgar? If not, drop me a line at gwen [at] historicenterprises.com and I'll help you get what you want. Thanks for the business Hal, I hope you enjoy your new duds. Historically, leg wraps were woven to width, not cut. The herringbone weave provided the elasti...

Black Swan Designs

Known variously as legwraps, wickelbander or puttees, Winingas are woven woolen strips which were wrapped around the lower leg among the Anglo-Saxon and Viking cultures. Left: Charcoal//grey herringbone (Regia approved) Right: Blue/grey herringbone (Regia approved) http://www.historicenterprises.com...

Black Swan Designs

Anyone on here know ZenCart really well? We could use some help.

Email me gwen [at] historicenterprises.com

Thanks-

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Not strange at all. Yesterday I told Jeff I would stay home from the April joust so he could use my airfare to travel to a joust in France at the end of June. Your wife understands what's important, the same way I understand. Gwen (P.S. Toby's wife Emma cried when he told her he was selling the blac...

Black Swan Designs

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v282/120/110/593316207/n593316207_1436286_3512.jpg Petrus is a Belgian x Haflinger (15.1h- 1200#) http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v72/120/110/593316207/n593316207_108142_4239.jpg Same size caparison (+2" in length) on an English cob (16h ...

Black Swan Designs

We have a selection of religious and secular badges from Lionheart Pewter in the UK.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

No, it is a mottled green with wood buttons. Lots of buttons.

Black Swan Designs

Jeff says it can be done over either material (brass or silver) for $20. So $20 for the plating plus the cost of the hooks. Figure a week for him to do the plating.

Black Swan Designs

haha, I LOVE a man with a sense of humour!

Seriously though, I can have them gold plated for you if you want. Plating would cost a fraction of what solid gold would cost. Oh, and it's better to plate the brass, because if the plating wears through it wouldn't be as obvious.

Just a thought.

Black Swan Designs

You'll like that spruce tunic Thorvaldr- it's a beautiful wool. Nice hand, soft and a great colour. I haven't added anything to the kid's clothes range, just meant we have everything back in stock in a bunch of new colours. We had been pretty low for a while (quite some time actually), so I'm happy ...

Black Swan Designs

Thanks, I like them too! I thought about making them in pewter, but was worried the hooks would be too soft. I opted for the silver when I got the price from our caster and realized I could offer them at an affordable price. I actually think they will look nicer when they have a bit of patina on the...

Black Swan Designs

I do have more fabrics available. We just got them finished and into stock at the end of last week: http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2060/120/110/593316207/n593316207_2480809_3137.jpg The top one is a fine tabby weave dark charcoal warp and ivory weft. The thread is fine and I *think* it...

Black Swan Designs

Thanks for the support Trevor, it is appreciated. This isn't a side job for us, it's the only way we pay our mortgage and feed the horses, so we can't afford to screw it up, or hide. The delays were mostly with the arming doublets, and maybe a few other things- the majority of other orders kept goin...

Black Swan Designs

Heya folks- Thought I'd post an update on the arming doublet and delivery situation. Between putting together the jousts, an eyelet subcontractor who didn't seem to understand that eyelets were not just decorative and needed to be functional, and an employee who didn't seem to understand the concept...

Black Swan Designs

Please note: Due to the number of "World Invitational Jousts" springing up, Jeff, Luke and I have made the executive decision to run all of our events under the WorldJoust Tournamentsâ„¢ umbrella. WorldJoust Tournamentsâ„¢ currently holds 2 events a year, the 'Sword of Chivalry' Tournament...

Black Swan Designs

He did, it was, you're probably right. It's all good.

Gwen

Black Swan Designs

Yeah, the events are a huge amount of work, but we love this, so it's a labor of love. But thanks for recognizing the amount of work we put in, it is appreciated. The guy in the glasses behind Jeff is actually our main site setup guy. He usually works the rodeo, but from the first time he saw jousti...

Black Swan Designs

OK, up to the moment status is as follows: Francena has printed out all of the orders, and pulled the shoes to fill those orders. Our website isn't infallible, and took a few orders for negative inventory, which means it allowed customers to purchase shoes we didn't have. Francena has called each of...

Black Swan Designs

We're dialing it in with every event that we do. The big *CRINGE* points from this event were- 1) I allowed Jeff Wasson to wear his coat without a doublet. This is entirely my fault as he specifically asked me if he had anything to wear it over and I said it would be OK for him to wear it without. B...

Black Swan Designs

And a few more: Graham Nixon (New Zealand) about to clock Jeff a good one- http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1948/120/110/593316207/n593316207_2391644_1679.jpg Petter and Jeff go at it stirrup to stirrup- http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1948/120/110/593316207/n593316207_23916...

Black Swan Designs

WorldJoust Tournamentsâ„¢- 'Tournament of the Phoenix 2008' Now that the holidays are safely past I have some time to devote to sorting thru photos of the event. The event produced literally hundreds of fantastic photos, and here are just a few, in no particular order: Team captains Luke Binks (on ...

Black Swan Designs

I find an order for you in the system, so I think you're on track. I'll ask Francena when she gets in to make sure. As a caveat, I will say that Francena is pretty much overwhelmed at the moment. She's used to handling X number of orders a day, and with this shoe sale the volume jumped to XXXXX numb...

Living history in Southern CA area

Current specials at HE

Any ZenCart gurus out there?

HE Arming doublet and delivery update

Images from the 'Tournament of the Phoenix'