The Armour Archive

Gerhard von Liebau

My opinion is that this fresco has been freshened up since it was originally drawn, and probably does not reflect exactly the original artist's depiction. Looks like work that was done throughout Europe during the 19th century to bring medieval material culture back to life as scholars and enthusias...

Gerhard von Liebau

"It would be difficult to put fully enclosed chausses on after the spurs, would it not?"

Ha. Yeah, that depends on how literally we want to take the information... Yet, if we suspect the order of operations, we may as well suspect the details of the protection offered by the armor.

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

In Tournament David Crouch translates a blurb from Ralph Niger's text on knightly equipment, c. 1187, thus: "It is the custom for the knights of this world firstly to fix their spurs to their shoes, and then to protect their feet, legs and groin with mail leggings..." I find it notable because he me...

Gerhard von Liebau

I'd bet that in the initial illustration is showing shepherds feeding their goats directly from the trees. The one has the typical pitch fork to round them up and the other fellow's got a stick to hit nuts/stone fruit out of the trees with that will drop and be eaten by the goats.

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

Thanks Paladin,

You'll notice how eerily the demi-gauntlets match the heraldry on Meinhard's avatar above... They're his. There's nothing period about them, just some fancy SCA demi-gauntlets!

Cheers, folks.

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

Click on the links to my Facebook/Flickr pages, Vladimir.

Gerhard von Liebau

Hello folks, After being part of this wonderful community for the better part of a decade and learning oh, so much about everything we enjoy discussing in this neck of the woods, I'd like to introduce my first professional foray into medieval crafts. I'm calling my small operation Gerhard's Fineries...

Gerhard von Liebau

Well, I finally finished modifying my Albion Squire Line "Knightly" sword. I made this leather scabbard (two layers of leather, one 9-10oz core with a 2-3oz shell) and belt, plus I wrapped the grip. Halberds made the scabbard chape. This was a long-ongoing project that is nice to see finished up. It...

Gerhard von Liebau

If you're interested in having a direct citation, I offer this one in exchange:

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/legenda ... xvii/1866/

Gerhard von Liebau

Because, alas, the real middle ages (i.e. 1100-1300) didn't have much in the way of defense from blunt trauma... So, most people decide to fudge a little and set their personas in the era of decadence that followed.

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

Dr. Metz displaying the shield this weekend at an event.

Gerhard von Liebau

I think it's excellent. Definitely looking forward to seeing the finished piece.

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

Bitty bump.

Gerhard von Liebau

Edward has been in touch with me regarding this project. I happen to have the same style of chess set that I've been meaning to make a board for, and am going to try to be as accurate as possible. I've seen a period illustration showing a man literally painting the chess board, so painted spaces see...

Gerhard von Liebau

The resume...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90721376@N07/

The caveat would be if the previous guy used a totally different tool set that makes for a style I can't readily replicate... Won't know that until I see the work, though. So lemme' know what you've got goin' on, Edward.

Gerhard von Liebau

Gocauo, I was going to add in parentheses "for lack of a better term" because in a strict sense you're absolutely correct and Islamic rule does not necessarily apply to things such as chess sets since they're not idols. There are almost an equal number of figurative sets from the Islamic world durin...

Gerhard von Liebau

Yes, the eagle is a single piece of leather. I plan to do a thicker charge for my next shield, and am not sure how to go about cutting such complex shapes with my current tool set... We'll see what happens. Perhaps I should just get off my lazy butt and start doing it the proper way with formed and ...

Gerhard von Liebau

Via Facebook. Russ sucks at keeping up. We're only on game two in weeks. :p

We both just have chess boards set up and make moves every now and again, usually in little spurts.

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

Thanks guys! I just want to mention that although this shield is constructed using modern materials and modern methods, aesthetically I was very careful to maintain (at least in a faux sense) historical techniques and styles. The font is that of the capital letters in the first quarter of the Codex ...

Gerhard von Liebau

Over the weekend I started work on a shatranj (Islamic chess) set based on popular stylized sets from roughly between the 9th-11th centuries. All of the pieces were carved from American poplar dowels (sans the ruhks, which are from unidentified 2x4s). The blacks are dyed with Minwax 'ebony' and the ...

Gerhard von Liebau

Thanks guys. I *will* entertain serious offers for this, or even a trade for something tantalizing made out of metal, be it armor or weaponry...

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

Not to mention Maalouf is primarily a fiction writer...

Gerhard von Liebau

SEE THE AUCTION HERE:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=170494

Gerhard von Liebau

Very tough to choose, but I'll throw out at least one of my favorite styles... Late 16th century close helms made for tournaments on foot. There are a great deal of these sports helms surviving from Central Europe. I think they sum up the evolutionary aspects of late medieval helms elegantly and wit...

Gerhard von Liebau

Well, this is actually the first one of these I started work on a while back, but the commissioned piece took priority. There are a couple of technicality issues with this shield, but overall I'm happy with it. Plywood core, 3-4 oz veg tanned front, canvas backing, eagle in 3-4 oz veg tanned as well...

Gerhard von Liebau

Don't get me started on the Eastern crusades... I just finished Henry of Livonia's Chronicle and Christiansen's The Northern Crusades . There couldn't be much finer hypocrisy than among those thousands who made such summer jaunts... The impression I gather is of carnivorous hunters mercilessly herdi...

Gerhard von Liebau

Freaking bitchin', sir.

Gerhard von Liebau

Obviously not enough people stared at the photo long enough...

Gerhard von Liebau

I think that POV is dangerous as well. As well as perhaps not 100% correct as the vast majority of people on most crusade were commoners and not really mercenaries aside from the hope they may be paid.... I am not a mercenary and I like to be paid for working….. Didn't mean mercenary in the literal...

Gerhard von Liebau

Read Maalouf's The Crusades Through Arab Eyes and a few of these 'misconceptions' may seem to have more of a foundation than one would think; particularly in relation to modern tensions (i.e. Maalouf is far from being unbiased in his interpretation of the history). Western Christians who went on Cru...

Gerhard von Liebau

Since the fire they've actually taken several steps to increase the quality of their blades, adding distinct and rather studied distal tapering to many of them, reckoning balancing points based on artifacts, etc... So yeah, nothing necessarily special about the OOP pieces. I'd still grab up one of t...

Gerhard von Liebau

Where have you found it at that price, Legio? As far as I know this sword has been discontinued since the fire at Hanwei's main facility last year, and replaced by the more expensive Tinker Norman (~$250) in the line up.

-Gerhard

Gerhard von Liebau

Sevastian wrote:Not what I thought when I read the title, but way cool none the less!

Haven't seen Muppet Treasure Island, 'eh?

*Boom, chaka-laka-laka! Boom, chaka-laka-laka... Boom!*

Gerhard von Liebau

Sword & Scabbard of King Sancho IV, c. 1295 http://media-cache-is0.pinimg.com/550x/6b/af/dd/6bafdd4fcbf44f8b694e8814a778cb2b.jpg Sword and scabbard of Fernando de la Cerda, c. 1275. http://www.historiavivens1300.at/biblio/schwertgurt/spanien2.jpg Sword and scabbard attributed to St. Maurice of Turin...

Gerhard von Liebau

Rana, Patterned stamping with dyes and and painted dyes, yes, but not with anything like modern "fabric paints," really. Not as far as I've seen... Dye stamping goes back to the ancient world and remained very popular in the East throughout the medieval period. What appeared to be wildly intricate, ...

Re: What's going on in this fresco? (German 14th century)

Re: Laced Mail Chausses: method and construction

Re: Laced Mail Chausses: method and construction

Re: Shoulder Bags

Re: Gerhard's Fineries

Re: Gerhard's Fineries

Gerhard's Fineries (Updated 11-14-15)

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Re: Identify the manuscript this came from?

Re: Why do so many people choose a 14th century persona?

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Re: Rather insane shield for sale...

Re: Wood Workers, I need a chess board.

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Re: Shatranj Set

Re: Imperial Heater Shield c. 1300 (#2)

Re: Shatranj Set

Re: Imperial Heater Shield c. 1300 (#2)

Shatranj Set

Re: Rather insane shield for sale...

Re: Good article on the Crusades (and the "view" of them)

FS: Crazy "Imperial" Heater Shield c. 1300

Re: Favorite helmet type

Imperial Heater Shield c. 1300 (#2)

Re: Good article on the Crusades (and the "view" of them)

Re: Show off your 'Soft Kit' 2013!

Re: Where is this picture from?

Re: Good article on the Crusades (and the "view" of them)

Re: Good article on the Crusades (and the "view" of them)

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Re: For Sale: Hanwei Practical Norman Sword & Scabbard

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