The Armour Archive

Russ Mitchell

Actually, I"m kind of curious about YOUR helm, since what I would need for a magyar heavy lancer would be essentially the same with a mail drape across the face and likely a bit different motif work... what can you say about it? My professor has tried to extend out spun domes (what he can afford), b...

Russ Mitchell

Now, if we can only get our Hungarian (Cuman, Pecheneg) and Rus contingents out across the many waters to play with your Byzantine one...

you guys look appropriately well-used... great kit. The Mehter gentlemen would have fit in perfectly at the celebrations of the siege of Eger castle in Hungary...

Russ Mitchell

A bone broken is almost always more vulnerable to being broken again... that's just the way of it. However, my younger brother had the same thing happen when a thug caught him with brass knuckles upside the head, and aside from some psychological impact, he's just fine, and can take knocks w/o any t...

Russ Mitchell

Sweet!! And are these really going to be available as custom pieces?

Russ Mitchell

What little I know of this area suggests that they used some pretty hefty stuff. Definitely suggest starting with the thick stuff.

Otoh, you can taper the thicknesses strategically, as well to suit your stock... shoulders need more, kidneys need more, for SCA combat, other areas need much less....

Russ Mitchell

Got the scans you sent, but everything's on hold until my Mom's probate mess is over... as soon as I can get some rosin, I'll try up some shoes or something with it... that way if they soften too much, no harm...

Russ Mitchell

Matt, my understanding is: fairly clean, no dirtier than a garden hose can fix, color not overly important, though lighter probably a tad better, and several fleeces minimum. it would be for yurt panels...

Russ Mitchell

Make sure you keep me on your list, Lou, as I will definitely be in for a long-sleeved when the estate business is over...

Russ Mitchell

Got a buddy who's not in the market QUITE YET, but may be soon, for felt made with the greasy stuff...tnx.

Russ Mitchell

Seems like every May some nice post of Bedlam's gets hijacked six ways to Sunday... 1. The vast majority of the movers and shakers and people engaged in actual constructive behaviour within the WMA movement in general are either active SCA, former SCA with close ties, or else guys like myself who ac...

Russ Mitchell

much obliged, Janos...

Russ Mitchell

Re: swords -possible. In fact, I know that the XVIIIb is OOP. But that would stand for a dagger thrust as well. Bob R: They're not described as wearing mail shirts in the text: we know that cuire and mail, and sometimes all that plus cop/brigandine shtoof, was normal for heavy cav in Hungary (with t...

Russ Mitchell

Layered leather with glue: resists everything amazingly well except a thrust (Gus Trim, XVIIIb), which penetrates with pathetic ease. Layered leather, with glue, hot-water hardened: resists everything amazingly well except a thrust (Gus Trim, XVIIIb), which penetrates with pathetic ease. Layered or ...

Russ Mitchell

And as well... why is this called a breastplate, rather than a coat of plates?

Russ Mitchell

AG: check the backthreads, you had a customer looking for you.

Russ Mitchell

Have some experimental leatherwork to do... any good sources?

Russ Mitchell

I have a recipe for leather armour involving lacquer, from the Eastern Mediterranean... I will need to get a bunch fo spleens, which is weird, but also, the plates made are designed to be lacquered... what are teh modern sources for this? My understanding was that lacquer is hellaciously expensive...

Russ Mitchell

Take long walks in harness. It's the period solution...

Russ Mitchell

Grozer. I also have a Kassai magyar.

Russ Mitchell

I don't have his Hun or Avar models, but I do have a lightweight Hungarian that would be appropriate for SCA use, as well as one of the Kipchak types. I am in N. Va getting ready to bury my mother right now, and will need to raise some cash: would be more than willing to sell one to you if you're no...

Russ Mitchell

I picked upa bunch of those sole-bend heel cutouts, and have been experimenting with them... you can indeed harden them, and one side's soaking ought to be okay -- in this case, I did cold-water hardening, no heat -- but where you may get in trouble is with curving issues, since the front of your le...

Russ Mitchell

Oil-tanned is the clear choice for straps -- MUCH less stretch.

Russ Mitchell

That just begs for a FARK-style photoshop contest...

Russ Mitchell

fwiw, since I"m browsing more heavily these days, I have THRASHED every modern foilist I've played with in the past couple of years via Hope's method. In one case I think we went 38-3... an A- or B- rated fencer would likely know how to do some sort of cavatione around it, but it totally shuts down ...

Russ Mitchell

Russ Mitchell

My lineage of Grand Baton uses the thumbs-inward/together method, and it's dramatically more powerful than the sword grip. If we both have staves and you make a sword-grip parry, I can almost guarantee I'm coming through it like the Mongols through Persia. It's an excellent grip.

Russ Mitchell

Cool. Thanks.

Russ Mitchell

But the tarcsa is upside down!@!!!

Okay, for larp, it's cool. But still...

Russ Mitchell

Sasuke, do you have an opinion regarding value? I've been told between 2 and 4... which end of the spectrum?

tnx...

Russ Mitchell

I have sent Thaddeus two pictures and asked him to post them, as I've no way to do so. (Janos used to do it for me, but as I said, I can't find his freaking email...)

Russ Mitchell

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Friedrich: Round rivets are associated with Indian maille. Wedge rivets for western/european maille. </font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Perhaps it'd be best to remove the "/" and make th...

Russ Mitchell

Stephen: too heavy a gauge, but thanks anyway.

Evil: I didn't want to say it up front, in case I'm wrong, but that is what I remember. Let me get back to you guys with pics.

Russ Mitchell

That's a help: thanks.

Russ Mitchell

I need two large, oversized gambeson shells that I can stuff with loads and loads of cotton wool that I've got hanging around. Preference for something cut along the lines of a robe or caftan, which I can then simply button and belt to fit whoever's using it. Estimate a 42 sleeve on a size L body. P...

Russ Mitchell

I can see about pictures, and yes, they're hourglass, iirc with brass rivets on the cuff. I need to get some film on a half-developed roll done, I'll take a shot or two tonight.

Barnsaw, did you read my post? I have no idea, and am trying to find out.

SWAG Pricing: Mad Matt, how much for raw uncarded wool again

Help! Utter failures in the leather-hardening department...

Source for quicklime, lacquer?

Lacquer! Spleens! Hunh??

WTB: Two (2) large gambeson/lentner shells.