The Armour Archive

earnest carruthers

"It doesn't matter since the public doesn't know any better." Well, I certainly do not support that notion, because we know that we may as well just pack up and do something else. However, there are degrees of importance, in the case of say a story about Rome, what is more important, the c...

earnest carruthers

For 15thc century I refer a lot to the Pastons and Celys, plus some online sources for probate inventories. You get domestic inventories as well, the pastons produced a few, namely of plate and of items stolen by nasty people. All of the paston letters are online. Also import records can show the ra...

earnest carruthers

fwiw dyeing wood, leather and bone use pretty much the same materials and techniques mordant - alum, copper etc colouring agent - brasil madder, heat - though much lower heat for leather, luke warm. time - wood and bone need much more soaking than leather verdigris is odd as it acts as a dye and a s...

earnest carruthers

"There is something viscerally awful about marching through Rome in stuff that any competent historian of the period could tell you is correct. This is what I mean by squandering. I wouldn't want to march around Hastings in bad English gear either" Yes for historicity, assuming there are a...

earnest carruthers

"http://www.periodstyle.com/CopicChart.html " what has that got to do with dyeing bone? I gather the poster wanted appropriate colours and possibly techniques. --- Not all colours were available to all substrates, modern dyes (and paints) effectively ignore this so we get all kinds of exot...

earnest carruthers

Verdigris was also used as a bone dye, long time soaking.

earnest carruthers

"Think of those Pilgrims Itineries available, and realize that hospitality to pilgrims and travellers was a thriving business. " Funnily enough on a current project this has come up, the Paston letters have a few memoranda and bills of expense for travel listing the cost of food, lodging, ...

earnest carruthers

"After just copying others the number one mistake people make is assuming they would have this or that. Most 15th century re-enactors in the US and the UK do it as does Jehan." cant speak for the US, but it is the case a lot here, we still hear and see old horrors spouted as fact, stuff th...

earnest carruthers

"But that was after the Crusades. . . and a totally different bunch of Muslims . . . " Spot on. There was never a unfied Islamic state for very long, it was a bunch of caliphates that sometimes saw common cause with each other, and at others were happy to see their enemies being done in by...

earnest carruthers

"our wages are the lowest in EU"

Lower than Poland?

earnest carruthers

"I'd rather try to shut down a thread than let it turn into a flood of toxic sludge that smothers any useful information." Item - we are mostly bloody minded individuals who will now post informative additions to spite you - and prove you wrong Item - most of the posts here are of use, exc...

earnest carruthers

"Modern tents suck for medievalish hobbies, but everyone starts somewhere. " Indeed, why some whippersnappers don't remember when almost everyone went nylon or used dodgy canvas tents that were vaguely 'medieval' when armour was easier to get hold of than a tent. Also quite a few reenactor...

earnest carruthers

They were very different events not sure how they are comparable really. You could argue that the crusades resulted in Islamic Europe being shrunk and pushed back eastwards, the liberation of the Iberian peninsula after many hundreds of years occupation, but a lot of that was happening without crusa...

earnest carruthers

That image shoud be banned.

Nice hat btw SDCC

earnest carruthers

"I guess there's always the hardcore reenactor option of sleeping under nothing more than a cloak or a piece of canvas" Well, that depends if you are a hardcore reenactor with a persona that is poor - ie has to rough it or a hardcore reenactor whose persona is well off - ie can have tents,...

earnest carruthers

Or you could contract them

Aud Aliq Dig

for ex.

earnest carruthers

Battista in his treatise on art in the mid 15tch talks about the artist's grid, a frame with see through fabric, stitched with a grid, through which to see the subject and then transpose it to a paper grid, great for getting the perspective. ou also see loads fo see through bits on womens hats - hen...

earnest carruthers

There are some great military tent set-ups in Art and Warfare in the Renaissance, one from the 16thc is a tree with a large piece of canvas partly wrapped round the top, looked like a permanent teepee, but crude it is. There are also pics of men what appear to be straw or similar shelters, like litt...

earnest carruthers

"One hideously expensive project at a time."

I admit that the dollar to pound ratio does either of us no favours at this time.

Once again thanks for the kind words and such an enjoyable commission.

EC

earnest carruthers

Ha, nice pics Chef, superb orb and sun, armet is ace. Just some notes re the project. Stock: fine silk, 'had to flutter', violet in colour - only compromise was using modern dye, mainly for longevity, but otherwise the rest of the techinques and materials followed well recorded medieval ones. Colour...

earnest carruthers

I can find out it has been a while since I last handled it.

earnest carruthers

"The plates are so small, ..."

yes, like that Spanish Brigandine, very late 15thc very narrow plates rather than the wider ones from earlier.

interesting.

earnest carruthers

Reminds me of an Italian image, not 16thc though, a set with the chest plates and the brig bits.

earnest carruthers

"Must have something to do with both playing cricket . "

Does the England squad actually play cricket or do they simpy turn up?

<not> I am English and find it totally mystifying, on a par with American 'football' possibly.

earnest carruthers

Hi Konstantin, Well it was when I was at school, cricket box namely. Women fencers have cups for the chesticles. hood sidewalk purse fall etc I quite like the differences mainly because they show a historical link with the past and I often remind Uk people who get a bit sniffy over 'American' Englis...

earnest carruthers

"as for the weight.. im 155 pounds and I dont want more weight to have to hold up "

earnest carruthers

the hose height can be anywhere from the buttock to top of the thigh, there are certainly variants to that, but they are still lower over all than later hose and get progressivley higher as the 15thc wanes until you get above the hip bone a la Breughel's depictions. I find hose fascinating ina stran...

earnest carruthers

"You can suggest it but as said earlier in the thread. I Prefer the look of the grain and want to show the wood face. and why add all that extra weight? " That may not then represent a Viking shield, wood grain and its aesthetic appreciation vary throughout history, do you know if Viking s...

earnest carruthers

Those Tacuinum Sanitatis images are of over garments, they are not the pointed article (doublet).

The one that is ambigous is the retcher, the others are wearing outer gear.

earnest carruthers

Any examples to look at?

earnest carruthers

Marc " "But it's just a hobby, what does it matter?" " yep, that old mantra, but then my counter to that is, football (soccer or US) is just a game, but you still play withing certain parameters that people agree on (mostly). "Same goes for the argument that there is a lot w...

earnest carruthers

"but it has been around for a long time. Wikipedia says: " yep, well aware of that, but it was still not a known drink in any of the western realms for quite some time, until about the 17thc IIRC, same as tea, granted I am presuming a western context for this. I understand that you are usi...

earnest carruthers

I would concur with Maeryk on a more simple basis, that we can never do a perfect rendition of the past because we are not living near enough to it (medieval in this case) to have any clue about how it felt to be such and such a person. No matter how much hand made, hand dyed kit you have, you will ...

earnest carruthers

That image is a good example also.

Interestingly you have chosen a period where chausses have become hose, from single points/or 'buttons' (many examples), quite a major change in male clothing mechanics

earnest carruthers

"Espresso = coffee, yes. Very dark coffee." in which case you are colouring the leather by applying a stain, needless to say coffee was somewhat absent in period. There are three documented ways of colouring leather: 1) chemical colour change of the leather itself, eg using iron to make a ...