The Armour Archive

Cap'n Atli

What the heck, try sleeping space for 18: six on the deck, six on the thwarts, and six in hammocks over those on the deck. A quilt under, a blanket and poncho over, and a seabag for a pillow. I get to sleep on the lyfting (quarterdeck) in the stern, eight inches higher than the deck.

Cap'n Atli

Probably a modernism or a field expedient/poor man’s solution. Certainly, by the 16th century, leather hinges would not have been common on any chest of quality. On the other claw, iron hinges could run from the very simple to the decoratively complex; and there are a number of sources for them (or ...

Cap'n Atli

If you can pull up .pdf documents, check out the Longship Company Manual at: m , especially Section 5.6, on sailing. (The rest of the information is pretty useful, too; however, it's mostly for our larger vessels, and is still to be updated for the Sae Hrafn.) There’s also some scattered additional,...

Cap'n Atli

Given that the standard "rose headed" nail of the medieval and colonial period, and some more modern horseshoe nails, have a pyramidal head (see m ) it's not much of a stretch that the artist could be depicting either standard nails or special nails and studs. Once again, it's largely depe...

Cap'n Atli

Noce mortice and tenon work, but I can't quite figure out where you are taking this. Will the four "beast-head" posts and two cross pieces and the grate will fit on that; or am I getting the basic concept wrong? I've done a lot of grates and cooking gear for Viking, Norman and A-S camps, s...

Cap'n Atli

If you can find them "Side Winder" bits are very agressive. I used to find them at Sears. The trick is that the work needs to be clamped down., since the bits tend to catch right at the end as it breaks through. My favorite electric hand drill is a low rpm with an additional handle for con...

Cap'n Atli

King Harald Hardratha of Norway. Served the Emperor of Byzantium, married a Russian princess; laid claim to the English throne. In between he spent a lot of time waging war, but never winning, against King Svein of Denmark. Harsh, brutal, strong, fearless, clever; one of the most colorful characters...

Cap'n Atli

Ah, fish-scale bruises; I remember a nice set bestowed on my by the late (and lamented) Thorhall Halftroll and his infamous 3# kitty litter morningstar at a Markland war!

Ah, for the good old days.

Cap'n Atli

There are a number of caulks, frost nails, and other traction devises that were, and are, added to, or part of, horseshoes both in the past and present. The farrier was an intimate part of any European horse group and would adjust the shoes to fit the seasonal, and sometimes the temporary, condition...

Cap'n Atli

Long hair and braids, too!

Blame Harold Foster and Prince Valiant and crew- I always liked Boltar with his full beard and double braids.

For a trip down memory lane: http://princevaliant.260mb.com/cine.htm

Cap'n Atli

Black locust holds up best for me; also very common on the farm. (God knocks them over, I just cut them up.)

Also resistant when I do occasional hot work on the stump. I've used other woods, some of which are much more "sacrificial."

Cap'n Atli

Vises! Specifically, blacksmith leg vises: http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/blacksmith-vise.php

Wonderful things! Worth, at least, two helpers! (Plus a vise won't snitch your booze or run off to the head at an inopportune time.)

Oh, and cannons, bombards, gunpowder artillery; great stuff, if a little treacherous.

Cap'n Atli

Never worried about impact (too much) but the leg wrappings were wonderful when running throuhg the briars and brambles in the Markland wars! One battle I ended up with a band of scratches below the skirt of the mail and above the knee protection, but nowhere else. Very colorful!

Cap'n Atli

Lot's of really cool NPS units down that way. http://www.nps.gov/state/fl/index.htm?program=parks

Run out the Keys and hit Ft. Jefferson, the biggest Federal boondogle of the 19th century!

http://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm

Cap'n Atli

Further Comments: I have always been fascinated with the Viking Age, primarily with the ships (which you can track at great lengths through my many “sea power” posts) but also with the “frontier” society. Everybody is going everywhere, from Miklagard to Vinland. Authen picks up a polar bear in Green...

Cap'n Atli

For some of us it's a matter of scale and logistics. "Dark Ages" infrastructure is within our capabilities without spending millions of dollars in construction costs AND annual maintenance.

More comments later, tired.

Cap'n Atli

Carving down new mast step for ship, so things are progressing towards the spring launch.

Cap'n Atli

Well, if you can get down to the Mid-Atlantic we'll be glad to take you (and any companions) out on the Sae Hrafn (Sea Raven; see link in signature line). A great "teambuilding" exercise. Meanwhile, closer in Connecticut, a couple of our crew operate the faering boat Skogar Throstur (Black...

Cap'n Atli

My solution for use in the field:

http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/armor ... helmDb.jpg

http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/armor ... helmEb.jpg

Not meant for heavy pounding (at least without anchoring the leg) but very portable. The two tripod legs unbolt, or just take one of two bolts out of either leg and the unit folds flat.

Cap'n Atli

Crane and trammel in working position. Grate can be removed for "serious" fireplace cooking. Chain trammels were known in the Viking Age (a good illustration is in the Smithsonians Vikings; the North Atlantic Saga book, even if it is upside down), and cranes are mentioned in 1220 in John d...

Cap'n Atli

Crane and trammel installed, showing pivoted end of arm enabling the end to be tipped-up, out of the way when swung to the side of the fireplace. This was a custom feature requested by my wif.

Cap'n Atli

Fireplace crane and chain trammel:

I started this shortly after Grey Havens was built, and had it jury rigged, but now I have finished and had it installed by Christmas. It just occurred to me that both the crane and the chain trammel are medieval as well as Colonial period.

Cap'n Atli

MJBlazek wrote:Great.. if it matches the real me I am a serf!

Yes, but you are the backbone of society. Of you don't work, we don't eat! Those who work support those who fight and those who pray.

Besides, land is wealth, but does nobody any good if there is no one to work it.

Cap'n Atli

No specific persona; in the 20th and 21st centuries I can describe myself as a small farmer, part-time blacksmith, and seasonal longship skipper. This is applicable to pretty much anything in the 9th, 10th or 11th centuries, too. I guess the equivalent of a modern â€œcivil servantâ€

Cap'n Atli

James, I agree with that. For the most part the knights would likely not be out butchering the animals if on war or at home as in both cases they'd have a servant with them for the most part so the situation is a bit off. Capt., I plan on actually getting a hold of much of the equipment a mounted m...

Cap'n Atli

Leo and Death: One year, one of our Markland Viking camps at MTA centered their entire scenario on the demise of one of the women; they had her laid out in the tent and would tell the visitors, at length how she died and how they would (I forget) bury or cremate her. The Anglo-Saxon camp had a skele...

Cap'n Atli

One time Jock Dempsey, over at Anvilfire, critiqued the "lets make a sword by bashing a car or truck leaf spring, cold, between two stumps with a sledge hammer" method (the Blankenshield site contains the immortal observation: "This process can take days so be patience."). Eventu...

Cap'n Atli

Well, that's show business! I was contacted today, as I returned from travel, by the production company in England to inform me (as our truck wove in and out of various mountain passes) that the hierarchy had reviewed our plans and the options and decided to do most or all of it in CGI. No trip to t...

Cap'n Atli

Filming Gig, Another Update I have sent in pictures for the following folk from the LSCo and the Reenactor Reserves: Leonard (LSCo) Sean (LSCo) James S (LSCo) Drey (LSCo) Adrian (LSCo) Jamie Aston (RR) James B (RR) William F (RR) I will be contacting the above with the production companyâ€™s e-mail ...

Cap'n Atli

We are making progress in our negotiations. In addition to a photo (thanks to all who have sent them) they are requesting heights and clothing sizes. If you already have sent photos, just send us the sizes. If you canâ€™t send pictures, send sizes anyway, it will help us arrange our spare gear, too....

Cap'n Atli

James B. Looks good; I'll forward the picture. Keep me informed on availability.

Cap'n Atli

Ingvarr wrote:OK to cross post, and if so, contact info?

Yes, but with the usual caveats; we don't want to run short, but the upper limit is about 12 total; so we may have to pick and choose. (As opposed to a voyage, where I'm perfectly happy with anything up to 24!)

First, we see who's available...

Cap'n Atli

LSCo Reenactor Reserve TV Shoot Update: Target weekend is March 5 & 6, with some scouting on the 3rd, and setup and rigging the ship on the 4th. We need two LSCo officers on Thursday, and about six experienced LSCo crew to help uprig the ship on Friday. Backup dates (Plan B) are Thursday through...

Cap'n Atli

The Longship Company has been requested to participate in another television production. This will be filmed on a weekday, or possibly a Saturday, sometime during the first two weeks of March; near my farm in Oakley Maryland, St. Maryâ€™s County. We'll need about a dozen warrior-types to man the shi...

Cap'n Atli

I'm not sure about the sound-absorptive qualities of your old shop, but with the new one, with masonry walls, ear protections is more important than ever. Unless, like me, you like bagpipes and crickets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may want to look at non-flammable sound absorbing material...

Re: Easy, lightweight camp bed?

Re: How Correct Are Leather Chest Hinges?

Re: Viking sailing, pointers needed. (cap'n Atli?)

Re: Spiked Horseshoes?

Re: Viking/early period cooking grate construction progress

Re: What drill bit

Re: 25 most famous medieval people and events?

Re: Photos of bruises and injuries.

Re: Spiked Horseshoes?

Re: Where does the medieval long hair/ponytail notion come f

Re: Best wood for dishing stump

Re: So, explain your fascination with "Late" Period.

Re: Protective value of leg wraps...

Re: Looks like I am moving to Homestead, FL

Re: What is the appeal of "Early Period?"

Re: What is the appeal of "Early Period?"

Re: Winter Projects thread... what's yours?

Re: VIKING / NORMAN living history group in New England

Re: portable post vice?

Re: Non-Laurels Only! Please post your work!

Re: Non-Laurels Only! Please post your work!

Re: Non-Laurels Only! Please post your work!

LSCo Reenactor Reserve Stand-Down

Longship Company Reenactor Reserve