The Armour Archive

Tibbie Croser

By the way, I fully understand that high-quality custom-fitted armor is far more safe than anything else. In speaking of modern safety gear, I was speaking in the context of non-armored impressions. I also understand that the proper training of horse and rider is the primary safety factor with any t...

Tibbie Croser

I believe the name is kultofathena.com. By-The-Sword.com sells similar stuff.

Tibbie Croser

Gambesons are not jacks, and seem to be quilted through with heavy canvas outside, and tow or raw cotton stuffing (again, quilted THROUGH, the stuffing, holding the stuffing in place - not tube stuffed like a modern comforter). From descriptions of Scottish Jacks, the tradition of the earlier form ...

Tibbie Croser

I don't need to wear anything special when I do ground crew. These events are very private and informal. There's no required safety equipment for the riders, let alone ground crew. Most of the riders wear modern helmets by choice with their period garb. My very limited riding experience consists of ...

Tibbie Croser

I raised the question because I sometimes serve as ground crew at private gatherings of the Medieval Horse Guild in Maryland. Most of the riders wear modern riding helmets (not with period headwear) with their period garb. I think most of them. like me, are used to English-style riding which emphasi...

Tibbie Croser

I've also wondered about the even stickier question of head protection while doing historic-style riding. Compared to a modern equestrian helmet, how much protection does a period helmet offer in the event of a fall? Also, has anyone been able to conceal a modern riding helmet under soft period head...

Tibbie Croser

I think 30 layers of linen applies to quilted jacks such as those in the 15th century that were worn on their own as armor, not over or under other armor. Those jacks had to be so thick in order to resist piercing. For a garment worn with mail, the mail protects against piercing; the padded garment ...

Tibbie Croser

Gordon Frye posted on another thread: My own decision on foot wear is that I wear a much sturdier boot than was worn in the 16th century, with hard soles and a real heel, since I don't like the idea of my foot slipping through the stirrup if I get tossed. It's absolutely wrong for the period, but a ...

Tibbie Croser

I think actual turnshoes are rare by the late 16th century. The majority of the shoes found on the Mary Rose, which sank in 1545, were welted construction, not turnshoes. I *think* that welted shoes could be made of heavier leather and have heavier soles than turnshoes. "Stepping Through Time&q...

Tibbie Croser

Aaron plays SCA, where the rules require at least half an inch of padding, because people are repeatedly bashing each other's helmets with sticks. That's also why SCA helmets tend to be of thicker and heavier metal than their historic counterparts.

Tibbie Croser

Out of curiosity, I've been searching the AA for the original "bad duke, no donut" thread and haven't found it. The Off-Topics forum doesn't currently go back further than January 2003. Perhaps the original thread expired in one of the Archive crashes?

Tibbie Croser

In Patterns of Fashion, I think one of the Sture costumes includes a soft leather doublet; it's not suede or split leather, though.

Tibbie Croser

Is that a combat or target crossbow? Who made it? What kind of acrylic did you use for hardening? I was looking at floor polish in the hardware store recently, as I'd like to try some leather hardening using acrylic, but I didn't know exactly what type to get.

Tibbie Croser

I'd recommend Magnus Magnusson's Scotland: Story of a Nation as a good popular history of Scotland. It has many illustrations.

Tibbie Croser

I'm very pleased to hear of your willingness to do rapier or C&T when you get the time. If you want a decent reasonably priced entry-level rapier simulator, Zen Warrior Armory does a couple of hilts that are pre-1600. Their blades are reasonably sturdy. Darkwood Armory makes beautiful but expens...

Tibbie Croser

I had recently seen a slow-motion demonstration of I.33 unarmed sword and buckler by some members of La Belle Compagnie at an LH timeline event. At my subsequent local practice I was mentally comparing that with what the some of the heavy fighters seemed to be doing with rattan, armor, and big shiel...

Tibbie Croser

Scotland had a couple of distinct cultures: Highland/Island and Lowland. The Highland culture was similar to native Irish culture. Highlanders fought as gallowglasses for Irish chieftains. Both Scottish Highlanders and Irish had styles of dress, armor, and weapons that were distinct from those of th...

Tibbie Croser

So who's going to contact the SRM and the BOD?

Tibbie Croser

So it's fair to say that wraps and snaps appear in the period manuals, but just under different names? That's good to hear. Although I gather that SCA rattan combat developed before the WMA movement, so it's not that SCA combat is based on period manuals but that SCA fighters independently developed...

Tibbie Croser

If that's directed at me, then you're preaching to the converted. I'm already assembling a C&T kit. I'm in Atlantia. C&T has been legal here for a couple of years, but the number of marshals/practitioners is still rather low. It's not a priority in this kingdom. Sorry, that was a tongue-in-...

Tibbie Croser

The fencers who want to make SCA fencing more realistic might well welcome a knight as an ally. In other words, you can't change fencing from the outside. We'd love to have you come play C&T. Ahem. Mostly, I think, it's the availability of the helmets that slows people down for C&T. If you ...

Tibbie Croser

Thanks for the responses so far. Does the "snapping" or "throwing" motion work better with rattan than with a steel longsword? Conversely, does "swinging" the weapon overhead in an arc work better with a rigid steel sword than with more-flexible rattan? I guess another ...

Tibbie Croser

I cross-posted this to the GirlsClub forum.

Tibbie Croser

The SCA heavy fighting I've seen is mainly at my local practice, where we fencers and heavy fighters share the hall. I'm trying to make sense of what I see as a spectator. I hope you can answer the following (stupid) questions. No trolling intended, just curiosity. Why do fighters "throw" ...

Tibbie Croser

Hmm. Sir Richard, to fix combat archery, you've made great efforts to work with combat archers. If you want to fix SCA fencing, what about working with the fencers? The fencers who want to make SCA fencing more realistic might well welcome a knight as an ally. In other words, you can't change fencin...

Tibbie Croser

Wrestling was a period martial art. Golf goes back to at least the 15th century. I believe tennis dates back to the early 16th century; there are tennis courts at Hampton Court Palace. Of course, all of these would have been very different in period from their modern counterparts. I do agree that a ...

Tibbie Croser

Owyn, if the post you recall was from Aaron (Miaullis) about his suit, it's 18 gauge *stainless.* Sathanas, I was intrigued by your idea about a leather lining for thin plate. I know some period pieces had leather linings. For Cut and Thrust limb armor, I've been thinking about lining 18-gauge mild ...

Tibbie Croser

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_house From the Wikipedia entry and the Isle of Lewis Black House Museum website, it appears that the primary difference between the traditional Highland/Hebridean black house and the medieval Lowland farmhouse described in the book "Puir Labourers..." wa...

Tibbie Croser

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Puir-Labourers-Busy-Husbandmen-Countryside/dp/1841581461 Above is the book I read. I'm not sure why the author didn't use the term "black house," unless there are distinctions between Highland and Lowland houses (the book in question covers only the Lowlands and on...

Tibbie Croser

Thanks for the responses. I'm hoping our British archivers will post with good information.

By the way, when I said "windows," I meant window openings, with shutters but not with glass. I believe window openings were used on all sorts of buildings long before glass panes were invented?

Tibbie Croser

Public posts are not the only form of Archive communication. There are PMs, private e-mails, chat, etc. So perhaps the decision was based on those as well as on public postings. JT did post a warning in December that some behavior could result in banning. One public issue seemed to be strong differe...

Tibbie Croser

I don't know why, but for the longest time I thought armour was held on by straps. The fact is, straps are only very modest helpers in holding armour in place. The bulk of the support is done by tying the armour pieces to the foundation arming garment. This is a critical garment that most SCA comba...

Tibbie Croser

I picked up a book from the Making of Scotland series called "Puir Labourers and Busy Husbandmen" on the medieval Scottish Lowland countryside. I was most interested by the descriptions of the typical medieval Scottish farmhouse, the "cruck-trussed" longhouse, built primarily of ...

Tibbie Croser

Iomtalach, your tributes to your late friend Dona Lasairiona are eloquent and powerful. Through your words, please keep her memory alive as an inspiration to us SCA fencers.

Tibbie Croser

Sir Richard, if you're curious about rapier in period, may I recommend "The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe" by Sydney Anglo? It covers the major fighting manuals of the era. Many of these included weapons other than rapier; some manuals discussed mounted fighting, like Wahlhausen's cav...

Safe riding with heel-less shoes/boots?

SCA Heavy Fighting for Dummies

Medieval rural Scottish houses