The Armour Archive

Russ Mitchell

Kilkenny: definitely. Raito: yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm not conditioned for armor, so I'd suck monkeyballs in SCA fighting right now, but I can power a sabre more or less all day long even in my current (pathetic) condition. The fact that I could do that basically masked how weak I'd gotten b/...

Russ Mitchell

Preamble: I am a scrawny mofo, having wound up with really bad hypothyroidism, and having used paleo to drop my "early marriage weight." I can look in the mirror and see ribs under my pecs. Having just started to get some energy back, after the doc put me on triple-dosage meds, I did pushups with my...

Russ Mitchell

I don't: I googled "how to make an atlatl" and came up with at least a dozen good hits, though.
Can't tell you a whole lot on technique myself -- I've used them, but I prefer the mediterranean/euro solution: a length of cord.

Russ Mitchell

Yeah, but you really want to google that one to find somebody who's got pictures. There's some stuff that's hard to describe without them.

Russ Mitchell

Russ Mitchell

Would have been seen in Khazaria, as the two mixed it up pretty frequently. The furthest west I'd take it, and this would be a *mild* stretch, would be an early Hungarian cavalryman, specifically one from the Kabar clans.

Russ Mitchell

Trickier than a lot of people like to think.

Russ Mitchell

Yup. Surprises a lot of folks, but check your history, and the number of troops who refused to wear heavy armor in the late Roman period -- The Sassanians and Khazar heavy cavalrymen were more heavily armored than anything western and central Europe sees until the mid-to-late 14th century.

Russ Mitchell

Nkante, if I'm ever in your state, beer/coffee/tea/whatever's on me. That's awesome, and I really admire what you're doing.

Johnathan: very, very cool work.

Russ Mitchell

I don't get the rotation (maybe too much taiji and bagua, everybody says your upper ribs don't move, but mine sure as hell do, and lots), but I do get the idea now. Thanks everybody -- I think I was essentially under-estimating how high the rerebrace/spaulder join would tend to be, and thinking that...

Russ Mitchell

Galfrid: I get the idea, but not getting the elbow rotation at all when I do a "polish" movement. What am I missing?

Russ Mitchell

I suspect that these larger-ringed mail shirts were common amongst sergeants and the like (much less expensive). I'll either have to try this, or else investigate what'd be needed for brazing.

Russ Mitchell

Not in this case, but something like it -- there's a mail find in Budapest daing from Mohi, for which I commissioned a shirt, and the fellow kindasortamaybe came through with it, but let it rust all to hell. Once I'm finished with my farsetto, it's the next project in the hopper. I suspect that 2mm ...

Russ Mitchell

Hey folks. As my wife gradually drags me kicking and screaming into the 14th century, I'm slowly having to learn about the plate armors I frequently ignored (b/c they were a non-issue for me). And one of the places where I'm finding myself mightily confused is: why bother having a spaulder articulat...

Russ Mitchell

Very good question: I guess it would depend strongly on what kind of wire was used, and whether it would actually harden. I've got 2mm wire that's butted stuff (b/c nobody makes 2mmx18/20 id/od riveted), and I suck at rivetting, but have done enough ceramics that I could fire the stuff in charcoal o...

Russ Mitchell

I have my doubts. I don't believe that the 14th C looked that good!! :D I actually think that's another glaring issue, and one that's elided by the author, but which should be in better focus, at least for those who aren't trying to depict upper-crust people -- time and time again, for something to...

Russ Mitchell

I like that solution better than my mail idea, for this purpose, Malek. Curved plates plus allowing the armor to gap as needed (b/c said gap is basically meaningless in this game) is an elegant fix. Hindrance shouldnt' be an issue with a chahar aine at all unless one has an EXTREMELY mobile spine an...

Russ Mitchell

Tuomas, That's a tough one. Chahar aine are really designed for skinny two-dimensional bastards like me. The only thing I can think of is that you're absolutely going to have to curve the plates. But an alternative would be to pseudo-"potlid" it, and attach your plates to mail -- that would take car...

Russ Mitchell

Thanks, Chef. There are various odd examples here and there in wall-paintings that look barbute-ish, but this is the first time I've seen the reference for 14c, let alone right around 1450.

Russ Mitchell

Icepick grip. Grasp the blade with your free hand (primary hand over secondary hand) and block his initial attack and then follow in and get body to body. Block his dagger arm with your free hand and thrust fiercely and repeatedly into his visor or neck. If he feels off-balance, push him to the gro...

Russ Mitchell

Russ Mitchell

Thousands of times. At least a thousand in a single setting, or else the muscles engaged in counterproductive/parasitic muscle contraction won't be too tired to interfere.

Russ Mitchell

Yeah, they were, but it wasn't because they were under a lot of pressure from the Hungarians -- the only folks who weren't overrun by the Mongols were hunkered down in all-defense-all-the-time mode, b/c the Mongols got some sneaky bastard to run around telling the Magyars not to resist.

Russ Mitchell

Well, Bela hunt out in Austria, Randall, where he went for help and was promptly taken prisoner...

Russ Mitchell

Workouts are great for power...if you keep working out. Otherwise, "power cometh from form."

Russ Mitchell

Buster, No, Hungary was definitely defeated (though you're right -- the Mongols considered Mohi an utter debacle; Batu and Subedei even got into it in the post-mortem over it, with Subedei eventually telling Batu to go suck eggs). But EVEN with the Mongols putting together a special cemetery for the...

Russ Mitchell

No SCA in Budapest to my knowledge. There are some re-enactment groups running around here and there, though. And yes, that's the right museum. If you can, call ahead to see if you can get an appointment with one of the people who works there to discuss whatever aspect of the history and holdings in...

Russ Mitchell

Nice work, Cian.

Russ Mitchell

Emailed Craig about it over at Oakeshott, hope he's still got copies. VERY interested in differeces (if any) between blades from Hungary through to Balkans given the mutual influences and re-influences.

Russ Mitchell

On November 1, 1348, Louis of Taranto wrote to the Florentine Council, lamenting that Florence was allowing Hungarian auxiliaries to cross their lands from Lombardy and Romagna in spite the Hungarians being allied to their mutual enemies (aka, guelf/ghibelline was a deal). The troops coming up to su...

Russ Mitchell

Kyle, you're welcome to post that pic if you like. They fit me well and go past my elbow (though I put sheepskin on the inside of those for padding, and my arms are either wimp-skinny or bursting at the seams depending on whether or not I'm tanning a hide any given year)...I'm guessing 16-17 inches ...

Russ Mitchell

Hungary's pretty bad, too. B/c they're afraid of getting cleaned out by art thieves, it's EXCRUCIATINGLY hard to get access to the arms in the central museums, and you have to dig around in the smaller ones go get real access to stuff. I have some 19th century material on their stuff, but this is a ...

Russ Mitchell

I agree. If you choose to pass on mine, I'd absolutely consider Armstreet. They'll cost a bit more, but their work is *great.*

Russ Mitchell

Pics sent to your email addy.

Russ Mitchell

They do, but they might require some sweat-equity on your part to increase the degree of the curve if it doesn't match up, but should be good (I promise you I'm not trying to be cagey here; I take sales ethics deadly seriously, and there are folks around who'll vouch for that. But I'm also not SCA a...

Re: Strength vs Power

Strength vs Power

Re: Atlatl

Re: Atlatl

Re: Stonekeep Auction: 12 Heavy Duty Steel Leg Splints $1

Re: 6th - 7th C. Sassanid gauntlet from Römisch Germanisches

Re: Left handed advanced cuts

Re: 6th - 7th C. Sassanid gauntlet from Römisch Germanisches

Re: Elbow idea

Re: NOOB: What is the advantage of articulation on spaulder

Re: NOOB: What is the advantage of articulation on spaulder

Re: Hardening mail.

Re: Hardening mail.

NOOB: What is the advantage of articulation on spaulders?

Re: Hardening mail.

Re: Costuming Mistakes

Re: Char aina advice for a big guy.

Re: Char aina advice for a big guy.

Re: Barbuta terminology

Re: Dagger Tourney

Re: Barbuta terminology

Re: Drills, exercises and pell design for power generation.

Re: Stopping the mongol horde..

Re: Stopping the mongol horde..

Re: Drills, exercises and pell design for power generation.

Re: Stopping the mongol horde..

Re: SCA in Kuala Lumpur or Budapest?

Re: Scale Armor Project - The Beginnings

Re: New Book on Swords !!!

Barbuta terminology

Re: Looking for inexpensive naruchi (bazubands)

Re: New Book on Swords !!!

Re: Looking for inexpensive naruchi (bazubands)

Re: Looking for inexpensive naruchi (bazubands)

Re: Looking for inexpensive naruchi (bazubands)