The Armour Archive

Cap'n Atli

What a pity.

Well, keep us apprised of your progress in coming east for your long-term billet. We'll keep a spot on the rowing bench warm for you for your non-fighting relaxation.

Good luck on your mid-term.

Cap'n Atli

60' long and a 12 1/2' beam; I'm impressed. Now all they need is a reliable crew to man her, and a reliable cashflow (known as "a shipload of money") to operate and maintain her.

Cap'n Atli

The Warp Weighted Loom (Studies in the History and Technology of an Ancient Implement) by Marta Hoffmann; C 1974The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities; ISBN 82-00-08094-3 Some of our LSCo folk have them; I've started a couple, but gotten side-tracked over the past 40 years. A...

Cap'n Atli

And here is Wade with his armor and weapons, manning the table at Timonium!

Cap'n Atli

And... SNIP Although a digression, I'll point out that those items that are actually still complete enough to reproduce thoroughly end up being done over-and-over, like for example, the Mastermyr chest. This confines work to a very few safe items, and makes it difficult to fit-out one's camp. The t...

Cap'n Atli

Rock wrote:Is your drill set to turn the correct way?

I've made THAT mistake before!

Cap'n Atli

I am going to have to miss it again this year. At least I'm still on the mailing list; so maybe next year...

Cap'n Atli

Truck is fixed, so barring weather or health problems, I should be able to make it.

Cap'n Atli

Any comments or comparisons with Chateau d'Hougoumont at Waterloo? It seems to me that even minimal obstacles and minor fortifications can stymie an attack when the defenders are properly motivated. So, did the Dutch have grouchy neighbors prone to an occasional raid or revenge? The towers are certa...

Cap'n Atli

What is the date on the chest that you have the photograph of from Birka ("box1.JPG")?

Cap'n Atli

There are castles in England that appear to have been built more as status symbols than as actual defensive structures. Herstmonceux and Bodian come to mind, the latter being described as an old sodlier's dream house. In England a Royal Licence was required to "crenellate," it being a mark of the K...

Cap'n Atli

"Square to round" and "round to square" was an old Samuel Yellen trick to give the hand forged surface to his work Your closer photos do show some nice chamfering on the bands. I am convinced that one of the main purposes of the corner braces was to prevent someone from clandestinely prying off one ...

Cap'n Atli

I have been both lucky, and careful; but I find that where I'm very very careful when doing hot work; most of my injuries, minor though they be, are when I'm doing cold work: snags on sharp metal, misplaced hammer blows, grinder friction burns, walk-into-sharp-pointy incidents, gravity crises with h...

Cap'n Atli

coreythompsonhm wrote:I use RR spikes as stock to make small specialty stakes for gauntlets and other small things

I was just working on one Sunday. It helps that all of my friends tend to glom RR spikes on my behalf when they come across them "in the wild."

Cap'n Atli

Vleuten (no longer present) http://www.kasteleninnederland.nl/images/utr_vleuten_roelant_roghman.jpg Oh; that would be so wonderful on our tidal cove, near the fenlands. My friends and I have discussed a small timber keep on pilings; but so far we have no evidence of any historic ones. Maybe we sho...

Cap'n Atli

I spoke with the wif, and I may actually make it there for a while on Saturday if I'm feeling okay, and if I can get the truck in for repairs. I have one friend, Drey, that will be there manning a table; and my well-armed Quaker friend, Hugh, may also drop in.

This could be fun!

Cap'n Atli

I sat through 1/2 hour of "Jousting for Jocks." All of the reality show cliche's were trotted out. Lots of money spent on the to-die-for stables and sets and "costuming;" and lots of ceremony and artificial "drama" and misbehaving and "conflict" and jargon. Nope, not my cup of tea- no history, roman...

Cap'n Atli

So, would Adam and Eve look better in armor? :wink: Atli, A thing I find interesting about representations of Eve, is that she is practically the only woman in medieval illustration to have pubic hair. It makes me think that shaving or plucking must have been the norm in the middle ages and renaiss...

Cap'n Atli

[Heavy sigh!] Maybe next year, if this one works out and my recovery progresses. It sounds like a lot of fun. I am sure something will come up in the future. You never know what will be the focus. It won't be anything like the same thing, but if you are in Maryland, stop by the Baltimore Arms Fair ...

Cap'n Atli

So, would Adam and Eve look better in armor?

Cap'n Atli

You can also, sometimes, come across "headache balls" from small cranes used as the weight on the hoist. I simply forged a tang that fit in the slot where the chain or cable or hook shank went through it.

Cap'n Atli

[Heavy sigh!] Maybe next year, if this one works out and my recovery progresses. It sounds like a lot of fun.

Cap'n Atli

Cliff:

Mind if I post this on the Longship Company bb at Yahoo Groups? I can't make it (especially this year) but maybe one/some of our other crewmen might.

Cap'n Atli

"He who pays the piper calls the tune." ...and the next thing you know they want you to play "A Pig and Sixpence" on bagpipes while you dance a waltze on one leg! We're a lot fussier on leasing out the longship, these days, and have turned down a number of contracts based on impossible/dangerous ti...

Cap'n Atli

Of course it was done but there is nothing to suggest that it was ever worn in medieval western Europe or Scandinavia. It would be a valid armour type in eastern Europe. Until they excavate Stiklestad and find several sets of varied leather armors, plus a couple of dozen helms with horns on them. :...

Cap'n Atli

Ohhh; steel grinding balls- that sounds mostwise ghastly and painful!

Cap'n Atli

1626 Fireback I would be cautious with the attribution, especially of the date and possible ownership. Older or popular firebacks were frequently used as masters for further sand molds, sometimes for generations; so the 1626 date can only practically be a "no earlier than" date. Secondly, the MS ini...

Cap'n Atli

It takes longer, but I get better burn-in on the grip at a high black heat rather than a red. Too hot tends to char and remove material alongside the sides of the tang more than I like. Of course, a good glue and filler can correct that, but I just like the grips to be a tad more solid.

Cap'n Atli

I hammer cook pot out of 1/8"; I wonder how 3/16" would work?

Cap'n Atli

...or you could skip the stake plate altogether and use the medieval practice of "one stake to one stump."

Cap'n Atli

The lightships off the US coasts in the 20th century were built with Swedish charcoal iron for it's relative durability in a salt water environment. None have been scrapped, recently, but if a museum ship goes amiss they may know whom to suspect! :wink: (Cap'n Atli; on a quick browse at the library ...

Cap'n Atli

...and then it could be a statue/engraving in the likeness of his favorite dog. A symbol of faithfulness since the Odyssey. Funeral customs and personal desires are funny things, and there can several levels of meanings.

Cap'n Atli

Note also that there has been a ton of civil wars; some countries have had several! Please specify when referring to it ACW and ECW are commonly used for two of them. It is the ECW, sorry I did not clarify. Guns, artillery, pointy things being shoved at people, my ancestors on both sides (mostly re...

Cap'n Atli

Thanks guys; I want to do SCA heavy fighting and this is my first suit of armor. I'm only sixteen, so getting materials and tools is a pain in the ass. It's okay, you'll grow into it. Look in flea markets, check with neighbors and relatives, keep an eye out for sales, mention it for Christmas (oops...

Cap'n Atli

I received a copy for Christmas! Eldest son had to hunt it down in its den; but he got me a copy.

It is already providing inspiration for future projects at the forge. Thank you for the recommendation.

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