The Armour Archive

Tibbie Croser

By "articulated cuirasses," do you mean the cuirass made from steel bands? It's called "anime," and you can find other threads about it on the Archive. It's definitely unusual.

Tibbie Croser

If you decide that hemp would meet your needs as well as flax linen, you could try hemptraders.com, which has good prices on hemp linen and canvas and sells in large quantities.

Tibbie Croser

Fabrics-store.com linen goes up to about 8 ounces in weight. Some other online sources are http://www.wmboothdraper.com and http://www.burnleyandtrowbridge.com . The latter two sites have a good variety of linens in various weights, but the prices are higher than fabrics-store.com. fashionfabricsclu...

Tibbie Croser

Pitbull, here are links to profile pictures of some surviving peascod breastplates from Wade Allen's collection: http://www.allenantiques.com/images/A-113profile.jpg http://www.allenantiques.com/images/A-15-profile.jpg http://www.allenantiques.com/images/A-153-breast-side.jpg You should dig around i...

Tibbie Croser

I suspect there might be more of a desire for structured training than you assume. It might require a certain SCA population density, of course. From conversations on the GirlsClub forum, I gather that quite a few female fighters would welcome better training. It sounds from other threads here as th...

Tibbie Croser

Freiman, if you come back to this thread, note that I sent you a long PM last weekend on the AA.

Tibbie Croser

Most female rapier fighters I know wear a doublet and breeches; some wear a doublet and skirt. I'm a female fencer myself and wear a thigh-length coat and snugly fitting pants. Female chest protection is optional, depending on kingdom rules. The two main choices are separate breast cups and one-piec...

Tibbie Croser

Sir Corby, you might be reading too much into Kel Rekuta's comment. I'm not sure he's saying that "SCA rules suck because the SCA doesn't allow X." I *think* he meant that, because the SCA repertoire of techniques is narrower than that of the period manuals, it's unfair for someone familia...

Tibbie Croser

The Coptic tunic link is interesting. I came across the Surviving Garments Database site (by Heather Rose Jones) and looked for the tunic that I think I remember from Stepping Through Time. If it's the same one, it's described as a Coptic style with waist tucks (though it dates to France, 1st centur...

Tibbie Croser

I'm not making myself clear.

If I made a long-sleeved tunic out of four rectangles, two big ones for the front and back of the body and two smaller ones folded in half for the sleeves, does that resemble any tunic pattern somewhere in history, no matter how far back in time?

Tibbie Croser

Thanks for the replies so far. Premedieval Europe is fine. I was curious about tunics between the late Roman period and the end of the first millennium CE. I focus on early 16th century and I've made simple kirtles and coats, but I want to try making some earlier, simpler stuff for wearing at SCA ev...

Tibbie Croser

Are there any European archaeological remains of long-sleeved tunics made only with squares and rectangles, and no gussets or gores? I was looking at Marc Carlson's site on medieval clothing, and even the very early medieval finds are made of a surprising number of pieces. However, if I remember rig...

Tibbie Croser

Freiman, I'm not sure what you're suggesting. If you mean that potential fighters should be given a realistic expectation of the pain levels in fighting, I agree with you. If you mean that potential fighters who lack the ability to become dukes or knights should not try fighting at all, are not wort...

Tibbie Croser

I'm curious about the noise issue with polypropylene swords on steel helms. How does the noise from a round poly sword compare with the noise generated by a flat-bladed steel sword or a flat-bladed nylon waster hitting a steel helmet? Of course the round poly sword is hitting with much more force th...

Tibbie Croser

My first SCA garb was decent, because I had learned to sew while I was doing Dagorhir (boffer game) for several years previously. My first efforts at Dagorhir garb were more ... interesting. For my first Dag battle, I bought a round tablecloth from a thrift shop, rough cotton with blue and white che...

Tibbie Croser

I, too, am addicted to buying wool and linen (and sometimes sturdy cotton) remnants on sale from the fabric store, more than I can personally use. I'm also addicted to thrift shopping, and I often see clothes that could easily be used for garb (baggy linen pants, for example) or curtains/tablecloths...

Tibbie Croser

It's easy enough to document smaller, all-metal shields late in period (bucklers and targets).

Tibbie Croser

Regarding Atlantia, I just got the November issue of our kingdom newsletter. Apparently, the appearance rule will be a subject for discussion at Unevent (the annual kingdom officers' business meeting) in December. Gorm, if you want the rule changed, I guess that's your opportunity. (I started the SC...

Tibbie Croser

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=2085941

Tibbie Croser

Steve, your post echoes my own personal experience in the 3 years I've been doing rapier in northern Atlantia. We have tons of advanced, experienced rapier fighters here. Learning from them is great; having to face them in every tournament is intimidating. Also, in defense of Steve, some of us take ...

Tibbie Croser

Another point: Armored fighters are the elite of the SCA. They are the only martial discipline whose members can become sovereigns and knights. As the elite, they should be expected to look elite. Armored combat presents so many hurdles already that I can't imagine that requiring fighters to cover p...

Tibbie Croser

What actual reasons do potential recruits give for not doing SCA heavy combat? What actual reasons are given by newbs who start SCA heavy combat training but drop out? A couple of posters in the SEM thread mentioned cost and bruises. There's quite a bit of speculation about perceived problems in rec...

Tibbie Croser

Audax has been posting recently on the GirlsClub forum. I think she may read the AA, but I'm not sure.

Tibbie Croser

RenJunkie, ask your local fellow fighters. You're in Atlantia, famous for high calibration.

Tibbie Croser

How does weft-twined linen differ from regular linen? Is weft-twined linen something that's still being made, or do you have to weave it yourself?

Tibbie Croser

Leopold (the Clydesdale/TB cross) is a really striking, pretty horse in that photo. His appearance seems to be about halfway between the two breeds. What traits has he taken from each breed, such as strength, speed, etc.? Could he be considered an example of what a medieval warhorse might have looke...

Tibbie Croser

It appears that Darkwood Armory had in the past or will have in the future various inexpensive dagger kits. They might be a much better alternative for what you need.

You may want to cross-post this query in the Medieval Combat forum, since a number of the WMA people post there.

Tibbie Croser

Aaron, is your HE coat past all repair? It might be more cost-effective to pay someone to repair your Historic Enterprises coat to last until HE has them back in stock. Gwen at HE may be able to advise you on how best to repair it.

Tibbie Croser

Thorvaldr's idea sounds a bit like the 16th-century Almain collar (I think Mercenary Tailor sells one).

Tibbie Croser

Note that your impressions for living history and SCA fighting may have to be different. Lower-class bowman is a good choice for reenactment but a very controversial choice for SCA fighting. For SCA fighting, you'll be expected to play someone upper-class with a sword and shield, not a bow.

Tibbie Croser

Black Swan Designs (Historic Enterprises) sells off-the-peg cut hose for women and chausses and various other long hosen for men, in both linen and wool. Same with the Atlantian merchant whose name I can't remember. I've already bought ladies' cut hose from both of them for myself, and I may buy cha...

Tibbie Croser

Who's the spearwoman with the fine-looking helmet and kit? (Third picture, I think.) I hope Isabella adds her to the women's armor gallery on the GirlsClub forum if she's not already included. Bump, any news? Edward Good timing. The answer is yes: Sunday's pics, 500 plus of them are now here: http:/...

Tibbie Croser

Brewer, I know of at least two merchants selling cut hose for ladies and woven chausses/hosen for men, Historic Enterprises and a merchant here in Atlantia whose name I can't remember. I have wondered why merchants have not scaled up the ladies' cut hose patterns (or truncated the male chausses) to ...

Tibbie Croser

Thank you for the answers so far. My supposition is that the coat or gown would be worn over the padded jack, provided that the jack was not overly thick. I am supposing that a tenant farmer's gown or coat would have less material than a gentleman's gown but would also be less snugly tailored (I am ...

Tibbie Croser

Knitted stuff seems like a murky area. I think James B. had posted a photo of 16th-century knitted garments at the Museum of London, including a child's waistcoat. The Mary Rose book mentions a fragment of knitted wool material which may have come from a "scogger" (some sort of leg-warmer,...

Simplest authentic long-sleeve tunic pattern?

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Newbs' reasons for not doing combat?