The Armour Archive

Russ Mitchell

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Templar Bob/De Tyre: As my Western European Civilization professor, Dr. Cutler, explained it, the terms in Latin for ballistas and crossbows to be the same word. I did ask abou...

Russ Mitchell

Actually, the highest powers among the Hungarians appear to have primarily done their business at close quarters as well, if you're in the late middle ages-- as almost all SCA combat is -- prior to that, they were more than willing to pull arrows in battle. The SCA charter, if SyrRhys is correct in ...

Russ Mitchell

There are numerous problems with those kits, Aelric. Lots and lots and lots. HOWEVER, it is a clear step in the right direction, no? And some things may look better in real life than they do in photo...

Russ Mitchell

And three: who's the gal depicted by the mask?

Russ Mitchell

I've always wanted mobile power armor.

Sorry, but it's not available... the little fishies were in on it from the beginning...

Russ Mitchell

Ancient Armoury: called them last night, got James' wife... seems that the mail shirts haven't shipped after all... and apparently they couldn't be bothered to actually let us know about that. Am getting rapidly disgusted with being required to burn long-distance phone money in order to find out the...

Russ Mitchell

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Adriano: Normally, the term "Fourth Estate" refers to the press. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Right. And the contradiction there would be....?

Russ Mitchell

Krag, buddy, my friend the rheologist says...

rust-removing agent plus clear lacquer.

Outside of that, your guesses are as good as his. That's what he uses to preserve his 14th-century blade.

Russ Mitchell

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Egfroth: Aventails need to be flexible in the vertical direction, or they're no good at all. That's why lobster tails are articulated the way they are. <HR></BLO...

Russ Mitchell

The statue of St. George armor in Prague. It's actually magyar, and I"d just LOVE to show up with it on the museum circuit (since I"m pale-skinned, I'm always the westerner or western-influenced guy in our group). But it's gorgeous, and combines the coat of plates, mail, and scale, with what has to ...

Russ Mitchell

I don't catch how the hands will cross on that cut if you use the long edge, but I'll play with it. Thanks. Can't wait to root through your book.

Russ Mitchell

I definitely think not the padded, just from looking at the lines in the depiction. On at least one of those helms, the aventail is clearly hanging in space, rather than jutting out -- though on a couple others, they jut... any other mss images for these puppies?

Russ Mitchell

We had this sort of thing going on in Budapest, albeit with a very small group. Trivial injuries like broken noses, fingers and smaller stitch-required cuts (not being macho, have had all three) were pretty common among the lesser fighters. For that reason, counterintuitively, we tended to do as muc...

Russ Mitchell

(hands going up in back of classroom: me! me! me!) Oh, goody, this is a good time for me to ask a question on it, too. I'm by no means a longsword specialist, and have only played with it after Steve Hick pointed out similarities with winden and sabre fokÃ©l techniques. But I had noticed something w...

Russ Mitchell

that's very impressive. I need to pick a specialization and stick with it. But I have a question: there's a clear continuity of line on those helmets going back down the necks... if that is a metal line being depicted, and not some kind of cloth (which I can assume is the case, or you wouldn't have ...

Russ Mitchell

You're making perfect sense, which is why I'm floating the idea in the first place. It occurred to me that cultures in which the bow played a central role would likely pay much more attention to the quality of the arrowheads, and be willing to expend more effort in making sure that they had the high...

Russ Mitchell

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Alcyoneus: [B]and you could utilize mechanical advantages to have greater poundage than was available through human muscle power.[B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> That's almost certa...

Russ Mitchell

JP -- I actually couldn't find the group picture. Clues for the clueless?

Pod: (sing-song voice) Evil Bob's gonna get you...

Russ Mitchell

Anybody know whether anybody's ever tested arrohweads and crossbowheads to see if they were made of hardened iron, or just regular iron? I was re-reading Swiatoslawski, and it was mentioned that period sources indicate that the Mongols consciously hardened their arrowheads, and secondary evidence su...

Russ Mitchell

Anybody know whether anybody's ever tested arrohweads and crossbowheads to see if they were made of hardened iron, or just regular iron? I was re-reading Swiatoslawski, and it was mentioned that period sources indicate that the Mongols consciously hardened their arrowheads, and secondary evidence su...

Russ Mitchell

As far as that goes, as a customer and only very occasional armourer (just a couple of leather projects), I'd much rather purchase a kit than a finished item, assuming it's not a maille product, because that gives me the opportunity to learn how everything's put together and done, and to customize h...

Russ Mitchell

Hey, I know this guy! I went to school with him. Haven't seen him since he married that Armenian hottie... If anybody needs to reach him, let me know. Vasco can be a little hard to reach sometimes, but he's a very, very nice guy.

Russ Mitchell

What can we say: Evil Bob's the man for this kind of work. I've never been comfortable writing these sorts of posts, as to my mind they start to sound suspiciously like the old Hollywood Roasts... but LS, we intend to have him down during the next year, and I know that Jon intends to keep that up. S...

Russ Mitchell

Hey, SyrRhys, Just a quick one, because while I disagree with you on the wrap shot (because the rest of it just doesn't seem to me like it's drawn that way, even though I agree it could be done), see if you see what I'm seeing: it seems to me that the hooded guy's left sleeve is actually angled BACK...

Russ Mitchell

Aw, sweet, you got fighting AND working axes!

Oh, yeah, I'll be really glad to see your repros, too... these are right down my alley.

Russ Mitchell

That is, of course, entirely possible, as I do not often throw direct wraps. I have indeed seen wraps thrown with sufficient power and precision to cut, though not often. If the purpose of your question is to prove that it's a scorpion wrap, nothing I say is going to convince you otherwise. Let it b...

Russ Mitchell

Actually, slamming the sword into his face makes more sense for the angle of the blade shown than the thrust does. Got me, Bob. Though a head-butt is also entirely likely, just pictorially... SirRhys: I have read a translation of this, but don't own it -- and was asked point-blank not to copy it, as...

Russ Mitchell

I as well. I will call them tonight. I surely hope that this is going to pan out: I'm really tired of getting screwed by folks.

But so far I've had no trouble getting phone calls answered, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

Russ Mitchell

Hob: NO. In my not-particularly humble opinion, I.33 is often misinterpreted precisely because people look at the artwork, scratch their heads, and then refuse to take it at face value. I.33 is a really neat system, and makes extensive use of the hips with springy ankles, if you let yourself move an...

Russ Mitchell

na, Auto, you're the low end of average. For small, I"m talking 5'2" and weighing 130...

Russ Mitchell

Yeah, but the thread question wasn't SCA-specific. In my salle (wma-classical savate), I have absolutely no trouble manhandling most of the people who are smaller than me,except for two: one's very fast, the other very strong. If I lay both hands on the very fast guy, he's toast: I can simply lift h...

Russ Mitchell

dang, and I thought it was JT pulling our leg.... okay, Sasha, you win...

Russ Mitchell

Size matters. A lot. A hell of a lot. Why do you think that mean little guys get mean? They realize that meanness is the only way they're going to make it... Think about it: imagine yourself going up against me, who's as close to having an absolutely perfectly average build that it gets (just under ...

Russ Mitchell

Actually, Matt, I'm giggling in stitches. I keep waiting for this to be JT's idea of a very long, very drawn out version of an April Fool's joke with a hellaciously long setup.... (though I chewed him in exactly the same words I chewed the Bear with, and nobody noticed, so maybe he's for real). You ...

Russ Mitchell

SyrRhys, I like it when you and Evil Bob get onto the same thread... the result is always a very high-level conversation. I've had this same "the map is not the terrain" problem with the fechtbuchs for some time, and I'm one of the folks who's been neck deep in dragging them out... though E.B. is un...

Still getting blown off by Ancient Armoury and Armour Guy

Arrowhead Archaeometallurgy (x-post from Weapons Board)

Archaeometallurgy of arrowheads???