The Armour Archive

Andrew Young

I havent read the above posts largely beause i didnt want my perspective influenced, but rather fresh off the cuff. here is my advice, blunt from business school: Do not go into business hoping to make ends meet for the the romantic notion of being an "olde worlde craftsman" Thats just stu...

Andrew Young

bumping a great thread.....and to remind newbs that it does get better...

Andrew Young

Yes, Listen to John....making spaulders cops too big is a plague that haunts many newer armourers.....no doubt reenforeced by Hollywood that loves putting oversized 14th and 15th century pauldrons on everything from women in bikinis to norman knights. There was an excellant thread not long ago about...

Andrew Young

Er, well actually we were here first.... and boy were you guys suckers for subliminal advertising......

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btw, thanks everyone for their wonderful links and pointers. Really helpful!

Andrew Young

not to get too far topic regarding sex appeal of helmets The rebel helmet, Imperial Gunner, Imperial Guard and Episode one Naboo flight officer helmet is directly formed on a WWII navy talker helmet...via thermal forming plastic aka vacuforming: http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/img/medi...

Andrew Young

When plate armour becomes more or less complete, a gambeson is not only unnessecary, but a burden under the armour, being too thick for the purpose. Definately a good point here Chef. To add to the dicussion here, we must remember that the gambeson can go both ways....super stuffed like a fruit of ...

Andrew Young

With the Jamestown event coming up soon, I was wondering what resources are out there---some of which can be obscure, from good books, websites, and "merchants" that specialize in period costumes, shoes, wares etc. Armor is the 'easy' part. Its the clothing that gets me, lol. Im new to the...

Andrew Young

Yeah I like your brass work. Can you take some close-ups?

Andrew Young

Ive never used tow, or horse hair. ..only linen layered versions.

How long does the tow or horse hair stuff last fellas? I mean until it wreaks or starts growing funk inside?

Andrew Young

One thing I know for sure, a system like that in one of the 15th c. black sallets in the U.K.'s Royal Armouries works FAR better than the accursed blue closed-cell foam so favored by the S.C.A.! Bingo. James is very right there. Ive seen period padding greatly out perform extremely heavy head blows...

Andrew Young

I too have run several businesses. And Im not going to argue rather "unprovables," simply because they are just that.... But Harold, forgive me, it just seems that you are defending to the point of trying to out-prove my point. My point, as it still stands, is that the coopers have held Pe...

Andrew Young

Well, right, sure. Im mostly speaking to the sheer size necessary, not that the entire plates needs heat. But higher carbon steels and historical armor irons/steels do seem to have -in some measure- required more heat than our own milds and annealed pieces. So having the capacity to work superior me...

Andrew Young

Forgive me, I still dont buy it. I can appreciate your working as a troll (I sincerely do) but I would also submit to you that any well minded capitalist aint gonna disclose real figures to you. Theyll tell you how much theyve got to spend...might even exagerate, but they wont likely admit to their ...

Andrew Young

It takes quite a few, when I size it up for a breastplate. The bottom is covered with them also. Do not do it on the earth. The earth it will suck up all your heat. Now see that brings up a good point, what do you mount your bricks on? So your bricks are simply stacked, no retaining walls? I am 6'7...

Andrew Young

Nah man, they make a killing at pennsic, Im serious. I knew a girl that used to work for the coopers and shared some insight into all sorts of things. Otherwise barren, New Castle is alive in large part because of Pennsic I can assure you. First of all, they pay chump change for the workers, most of...

Andrew Young

Halberds I drool man. Simplicity at its best. The weed burner is about $60.00 and can be bought where you fill up the propane tanks. I dont think a Harbor Freight $15.00 jobby is all that safe. Can you post a link to a good burner, or like yours? The bricks can be stacked and moved around, no need t...

Andrew Young

There are so many other options out there it surprises me anyone would spend $60 on a weed burner. Really, when you price it out, and the time involved , the weed burner is probably just as cost efficient...and probably a bit more warrenty- reliable, in a sense. Though I am quite good at making too...

Andrew Young

Heres a Pennsic idea.... How about the coopers actually use some of that money they get from us each year....after year...after year....after year....(what is it at a quarter century+ now ?!?!?) to build a castle or some stonework that actually makes that silly campground actually feel Medieval in s...

Andrew Young

Indeed there are some curious details in the piece, however they are not entirely out of place for Italian and souther German armour of the time. In other words, there seems to have been a lot of experimentation--to the point of wide acceptance. I find the rather beefy crease on the cuirasses to be ...

Andrew Young

I didnt realize you were ill brother....Ill say a prayer for ya. Get well my friend.

Andrew Young

anyone notice what appears to be a gap in his right knee?! Curious eh?

Andrew Young

It seems to me that there are essentially two issues being discussed rather simotaneously. Perhaps a breakdown of the pros and cons as they appear obvious. First, we have an open flame which has the advantage of being able to accept a large piece, or one that can be rotisseried (rotated) by the smit...

Andrew Young

Thanks for the replies thus far. Ill take a read through that other thread on the frankenburner too. Seems to me that Halberds paved a considerable way in (ADWBT) advanced weed burner technology. I thought I had understood that he was able to heat up serious gauges like 12 and even 10 with his contr...

Andrew Young

Got some free time this spring and Im thinking of building a steroid laden "weed burner" forge for helmet and cuirass work...I might even put in some hood shocks so it can bounce up and down. Word. So, before I jump into propane heaven and become king of the hill, I wanted to see what was ...

Andrew Young

Nice to see Gwen!

Andrew Young

A flail was an agricultural implement, knight's weren't farmers.

Unless Mel Gibson or Kevin Costner plays one.

Well Ive seen a few in eastern european texts.

And besides....dear gawd, they are fun to club someone with...

Andrew Young

Oh Im sure they existed especially in less technically advanced aras, but all of this is very elusive. A sound conclusion must account for four frequently overlooked elements like: -material cost: we have to examine what they had , not what we have -durability (long term vs. short term, cheap fix vs...

Andrew Young

ah, youre right Raymund....I forgot about that. Good memory!!

Andrew Young

yeah well ya sorta feel like Jay Leno too. ....but it works great.

A mack truck could hit you and youre neck would rip off but your face would be fine.

Andrew Young

Indeed that is a strange bird for a COP. I cant recall seeing anything like it---though I may have and cant recall. Im pretty sure nothing like it exists in the extant archelogical record....though Id love to see an example if someone found something like it!!! I think the insinuation is that its su...

Andrew Young

The fact that helmets are not found in any great number is very interesting compared to what was found. I think it gives credence to the notion that what was tossed in the graves was probably too hard to clean or simply not worth the effort of salvaging, ie, cheap iron plates.....relatively speaking.

Andrew Young

All of the bases of the scales are indented --which could also indicate a flute ! Its not at all implausible as scales are seen with central flutes for strength. I don't think there is any reason that it couldn't have been done in various ways, on the same suit, rivets with fluting on the torso, an...

Andrew Young

Most chinstraps are an accident waiting to happen because they merely hold the helmet to the head, but do not prevent a hard face thrust from potentially injuring your face. Below is a chinstrap we used for years, without a single incident. Rule of thumb...when this chinstrap is on and tied....you s...

Andrew Young

The main argument against staples, I suppose, is that if an iron plate could survive, so could a staple or iron or bronze, while a lace or a cord would probably perish. I agree that staples have certainly been found, but there is a considerable number which don't have them. Well I think this is a c...

Andrew Young

Chris....that suit is stunning! (I saw the suit and immediately throught "thats gotta be Gastons"...and sure as sugar, it was yours.)

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seeking: Jamestown / 17th century sources: texts, dealers

Weed Burner Crusaders: any interesting sucesses of late?