The Armour Archive

Russ Mitchell

Interesting that me mentions Hungary: is the author aware of the Anglo-Hungarian alliance?

Russ Mitchell

There were large populations of ethnic Germans in Hungary in areas known primarily for their metal and armor-work, and you DO see the "rakos"-style helmet move into West-Central and Western Europe first through Germany (as the "zischagge," a German transliteration of "sisak," which in Hungarian tran...

Russ Mitchell

Hey folks. I need a lance head made to spec for research purposes, and need a smith who is first and foremost reliable and willing to work to spec rather than argue against them. Money unfortunately IS an issue, but I would be willing to trade some work for an original (in decent "display" shape as ...

Russ Mitchell

Hey folks. Am back from Kalamazoo and bumped into a gent smelting his own bloomery iron for the Smitchsonian. He's curious as to when the first time we see layers of metal put together so the iron grain lays crosswise: he knows of it from the 18th century, but I'm pretty sure I heard Wade or someone...

Russ Mitchell

Oh, yeah. Definitely swinging by the Freelance booth at Kalamazoo next week. I'm going to tell them I'm buying a copy specifically b/c of their gesture to the team.

Russ Mitchell

Vitus von Atzinger wrote:You don't use it- it uses you.

Void.

I completely agree with this (though my experience is pikerville compared to most of y'alls).

Russ Mitchell

Did you change your name from veltez, or are you a different dude? (either way, it's a very nice spaulder)

Russ Mitchell

Your site was great previously, but now 404s out when I try to examine the goods.

Russ Mitchell

Matthew: "narrow belts" and "creased and shrunken garments" argues fairly directly against the "they put on green hides" thesis, I think. I think the blood/gore/whatever of the hides indicates that the courtiers were truly out hunting, and far enough away from "support staff" that they were doing th...

Russ Mitchell

So are lightweight furs, dude. That's kinda my point. My really good dress-up suit would at least be made of really nice wool. Not some crap designed to despool the first time I wiped it with a napkin.

Russ Mitchell

From the Life of Charlemagne: After Charles, of all the energetic Franks the most energetic, had stayed in that country for a short time, [149] while he was appointing a worthy successor to the deceased bishop, one festal day after the celebration of mass he said to his retinue: "We must not let lei...

Russ Mitchell

Pirenne may be dated, but so is Brunner. They're still people whose arguments we need to know.

Russ Mitchell

The Pirenne thesis has been around for quite some time, and while it doesn't have ALL of the truth, it clearly has quite a bit of it.

Russ Mitchell

Hungarian and MUCH later.

Russ Mitchell

I do NOT know this chronicle, so Norman may spank me on this one, but he appears to be a Cuman -- this is pretty much how they're depicted in other chronicles of the period I've observed. I don't know Rus chronicles well enough to know if anything on him would specifically serve as a rank identifier...

Russ Mitchell

Also, if your tent situation lets you hang your armor up rather than stick it in a bag, that goes a long way. My group in Hungary always had that problem when living out of a duffle bag, NEVER had that problem if we had the yurt set up.

Russ Mitchell

Unless you're storing rawhide very badly, mold should be a non-issue. Rawhide is actually LESS vulnerable to moisture/mold than tanned leather is (fungus things tannins are yummy). Now, all bets are off if you're using doggie chew toys and crap like that.

Russ Mitchell

Wow. Yeah, glad you posted that, b/c the alternate-consipracy-history was just about to get WILD....

Russ Mitchell

How about whether there was a legally recognized difference between inimicitiae capitalis and war in western europe where non-sovereigns are concerned? Who has the right to make war, and under what circumstances?

Russ Mitchell

Gotta be for costume/display use. That chest is going to funnel thrusts right up into her throat.

Russ Mitchell

I'll be there this year. the fencer guys want me to show up and shoot my mouth off, as usual.

Russ Mitchell

I've never seen it, since I don't have cable and just don't do much t.v., period. Haven't followed the thread, either, mostly b/c I'd love to give it a shot but I'll never have the kind of funds and access to land you need to be a quality horse person. BUT, I had a gal or two who know I'm into medie...

Russ Mitchell

Don't have one -- and never actually saw one in Hungarian, either, though one may exist. Don't have time to get into a wikipedia critique, but the long and short of it is that even with his big guns elsewhere Suleiman could have levelled Koszeg more or less by blowing kisses in its direction. Instea...

Russ Mitchell

Misspelt it on you, too, because I'm a moron: Koszeg. The aerial shot in wikipedia makes it look SO much larger than it actually is... I could pass a basketball back and forth the long way in that central courtyard without wearing out my arms in the slightest. btw, I don't have time to do into detai...

Russ Mitchell

Kosseg is as about as tiny as it gets, with a courtyard ALMOST as big as my living room, and that stopped Suleiman for two inexplicable months...

Russ Mitchell

Hungarian versions have something I don't normally see on the western ones: cutouts in the brim so that you can be head-down and cranking, and still look up with your eyes to see how far away the other guys are without exposing your face. Have never seen anybody do one like that, but it would be nea...

Russ Mitchell

Dude. You should take time out for the bathroom and going to see movies. No offense: I have lots of respect for SCA, but I have yet to see *anything* that SCA would have to offer me in terms of fencing with a sword specifically (as opposed to learning how to fight, which distance, timing, power gene...

Russ Mitchell

Also knives, whips, razors, and even machetes (said techniques being stupid-similar to Lebkommer, actually). But drifting OT. As Randy wrote, it's definitely something I'd do AFTER I'd commanded the blade...

Russ Mitchell

I bet I could do it in a late-14c rig, too, once I adjusted to the weight.

Russ Mitchell

I salt heavily, wait, flesh with a power washer, and then put in the tanning agent in the shade while it's drying... of course, methods vary. But I agree, Badger: I wouldn't touch these things if I were still fleshing by hand -- sure as hell not in Texas.

Russ Mitchell

There are different kinds of castles: "refuge castles" tend to be garrison-only until needed, whereas others are full-time, full-population. ymmv based on century and location, though, and I don't know the English stuff very well.

Russ Mitchell

There's another plate in Fiore where you kick to the knee or upper shin in the longsword material, but the same master that teaches the "I'll give him a kick to his balls" material jester linked to. More accurately, "and I will stomp upon his cagliones." Not so much a krotchpunt as a marble stomp. ...

Russ Mitchell

Hal: if he's got a smoker, he can use it to smoke-tan his hides. Clean it with a powerwasher, smoke it (being very careful on the temp controls), then hot-stuff it with lard or some other permanent oil. If I had a real smoker, it's how I'd do ALL my smaller skins.

Russ Mitchell

In that case, fire away and take pics!!

Russ Mitchell

oooo, good reference, I'll have to look that up. I still get tons of mileage out of some books I had describing various buttons and such made from it it's wonderful stuff if treated right.

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Re: An argument against Carolingian leather armor.

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Re: Where did feudal lords usually live?

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Re: Kicking in WMA?

Re: Rawhide

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Re: Kicking in WMA?

Re: Rawhide

Re: Rawhide

Re: Rawhide