The Armour Archive

Tibbie Croser

For a material that won't snag, perhaps a tightly woven, dense wool with a smooth finish? Perhaps something like a "cavalry twill"? I don't know Norse wool fabrics at all; I just know that there are some really strong, abrasion-resistant wools. Sutlers that cater to 18th- to early-20th-cen...

Tibbie Croser

Thanks very much, James. Regarding "canvas," I meant linen or hemp canvas. I think Tudor Tailor refers to a canvas doublet in one of the Essex wills, and the King's Servants refers in passing to doublets for lower servants often being of linen canvas or fustian. Interesting that there's ev...

Tibbie Croser

Thank you, James. This is really interesting. I guess it may have been the last widespread use of archers in the 16th century?

Will you be listing the sources?

Do the doublets have skirts? Any evidence of canvas doublets?

Did slashed hosen use heavier, thicker wool than non-slashed hosen did?

Tibbie Croser

Thank you for the explanation of battle scheduling. How early in the morning do you start battles, and how late is the last battle each day? How much time is there between battles? At Pennsic, the armored battles do take precedence; rapier melees don't start until the armored combatants have cleared...

Tibbie Croser

About the number of battles per day at Pennsic vs. Estrella: For Pennsic, I know that rapier melee battles and armored battles use the same field, so the rapier and armored battles can't occur simultaneously and time has to be allotted for take-down/clean-up/set-up between armored and rapier melee b...

Tibbie Croser

Question for the KEM of Ansteorra: You have some formidable rapier fighters in your kingdom. Have any of them authorized in spear without authorizing in other armored combat forms? None of which I have that SPECIFIC knowledge. I only recently took over this job, but I've been involved in the marsha...

Tibbie Croser

Aaryq, those Romans in the photo are based in northern Atlantia (VA/MD). So if you get to an up-kingdom melee event, you might see and talk with them.

Tibbie Croser

I think there's also an Osprey book on the Siege of Malta itself.

An online link to historic armor and weapons in Maltese museums:
http://www.heritagemalta.org/museums/palacearmoury/palacearmourycoll.html

I agree that the Siege of Malta is greatly inspirational.

Tibbie Croser

About a novice fighter's first and only authorization being in spear: I had heard that (in Atlantia) this was allowed because some of the advanced rapier fighters wanted to fight spear in armored melees, especially at Pennsic. Apparently, for an expert rapier fighter, armored spear combat can be rel...

Tibbie Croser

Sadly, way too big for this little lady, but may I ask why the breast and back turned out too small for you? Were they made to your measurements, or did they come in a "standard" size? (I've run into sizing problems myself when ordering from the Internet, and even buying off the rack in pe...

Tibbie Croser

We have a few Atlantians who fence in persona. They don't always use rapiers. Kenji (Japanese) uses a curved sword. Vortigern ("Dark Ages") uses a two-handed sword. Odd does Viking, but I think he uses a rapier. The Baron of Highland Foorde (Siegfried?) does Landsknecht.

Tibbie Croser

Baron Alejandro, do these unique swords appear on the Society list of approved blades? Or are they considered "experimental"? I've read that, at least in Atlantia, "experimental" blades are approved only for particular individuals, usually advanced, long-time fencers. That is, th...

Tibbie Croser

There's a rapier fighter in northern Atlantia named Kenji, who does a Japanese persona. He has a great kit. I don't know how to get hold of him, but ask around the Atlantian rapier community and someone may have his contact information or photos of his kit.

Tibbie Croser

Get on your kingdom's rapier e-mail list and ask if anyone has spare gear to sell you. Ask them to forward your request to neighboring kingdom's rapier e-lists. Someone who has upgraded to a rapier helmet might have a usable spare mask to sell you. Zen Warrior Armory sells good masks. The prices sta...

Tibbie Croser

I just checked the site. The photos don't give any information about who made the armor.

Tibbie Croser

Duke Avery,

http://www.zenwarriorarmory.com

Talk to Walter Triplette and let him know what it's for.

Also, http://www.darkwoodarmory.com

Another SCA merchant; talk to him, too.

Tibbie Croser

Have you tried Black Diamond Metal Arts in Washington State? Their website has a photo of a lovely 16th-century-style anime armor made for a slim lady jouster.

Tibbie Croser

Try looking for "Blue Monkey" on Ebay. Jess has recommended them as a source of small, reasonably priced gauntlets.

Tibbie Croser

I thought that might be the case.

Tibbie Croser

Jess: please check your PMs (I sent you one Friday). Thank you.

Tibbie Croser

The stainless steel masks from Zen Warrior Armory run about $150 to $200, I believe. They're very durable, though. I've had mine for over 3 years, and it still has no dents. Still, I would recommend that a prospective fencer try out the activity a few times before spending money on gear, and that th...

Tibbie Croser

Ben, what is your friend's location (kingdom and local group)? Check the kingdom's website for the Kingdom Rapier Marshal's page. Find the closest fencing practices. Have your friend contact the practice's rapier marshal ahead of time and find out if there's loaner gear. If at all possible, it's bet...

Tibbie Croser

As with most athletic equipment, the modern fencing chest protectors are designed for relatively slim people. Beyond a certain size, one might need custom-made protection.

Tibbie Croser

The SCA side of Triplette is Zen Warrior Armory. They have garments made specifically for SCA fencing; Triplette garments are made for modern sport fencing. If you get one of the Zen fencing undergarments, then you could just wear it under your existing garb.

Tibbie Croser

Regarding His Royal Highness of Atlantia, the next Crown Tournament, and thrusting...see the January Acorn: "There will be no thrusting allowed in our Crown List and the finals will be a five weapon final."

Tibbie Croser

I've bought various pieces of wool gabardine from my local high-end fabric store. Some of them fuzzed up well, some didn't. Gabardine has worked well for me for rapier garb, because it's strong and tightly woven. I suppose not all modern lightweight wool twills are actual gabardine? I suspect some o...

Tibbie Croser

I'm female. I'd agree that shifts/smocks/chemises would be the most essential female garment. They're shaped like long, loose tunics, so they can fit a wide range of people. The same design could serve as overtunics if made in heavier fabric and in colors. You could make the overtunics with short or...

Tibbie Croser

If you have Milia Davenport's History of Costume, which goes from antiquity to the 19th century, it covers the 16th century by region (France, Germany, England, etc.). That might be useful. It has many, many reproductions of period paintings. Drea Leed's Elizabethan costuming page has lots of links ...

Tibbie Croser

I certainly was NOT suggesting that Atlantian rapier marshals arbitrarily fail rapier armor that has passed the drop test. The question earlier was about welded mail, such as that sold by Darkwood Armory. I believe I said above that, according to what the Atlantian KRM put on the Atlantian Kingdom R...

Tibbie Croser

Dauyd, I believe the Society rules state that a few materials, such as four layers of trigger or 4-ounce leather, don't have to be tested. For the rest, I would agree with your interpretation. I've asked about the testing issue on my kingdom rapier e-list. However, I'm not a marshal of any sort and ...

Tibbie Croser

At least in Atlantia, the drop test is only one factor in a marshal's decision to pass or fail rapier armor. A number of marshals I know seldom use drop testers; they prefer to rely on their own judgment and experience in evaluating materials for rapier armor. In other words, in Atlantia, a material...

Tibbie Croser

Marshal, I don't think impact resistance is the issue for mail shirts/coifs not being legal as rapier armor in my kingdom. The mail is intended for areas that don't require rigid armor, anyway, just penetration resistance. According to our Atlantian KRM's official annual report in 2009, the very fin...

Tibbie Croser

I don't know the precise objection, and I'm not a marshal. In my kingdom (Atlantia), the shirts can be worn as garb, but not as legal rapier armor.

Tibbie Croser

I'm curious as a fabric geek to know how well velvet actually holds up in SCA combat. I assume that heavy cotton velvet holds up better than synthetic velvet? How easily can velvet be cleaned of dirt and mud?

Tibbie Croser

The welded mail shirts sold by Darkwood Armory and other places are not legal rapier armor in all kingdoms at this time (e.g., Atlantia). Check your kingdom's rules.

Zen Warrior Armory (Triplette) sells rapier-legal fighting tunics and undergarments. At $50, they're a pretty good value.