The Armour Archive

Steve S.

If I'm remembering right, I was told not to use Manilla rope as it is soaked in oil that could stain your canvas? Sisal was the stuff to use? Maybe I'm remembering it backwards - it has been some years since I made the ropes for my tents.

Steve

Steve S.

We also know that for solid brass/bronze maille rings there was no choice but to punch them, as they cannot be welded.

Steve

Steve S.

Assuming you have skilled craftsmen at work, is it faster to do all-riveted as opposed to half and half?

Depends on which part of the process you are talking about.

Making garments? Absolutely faster when half the rings are already finished.

Steve

Steve S.

A few people have tried forge-welding links on an anvil. It is difficult because the anvil sucks out the heat too quickly. I think it was Steve who suggested a better way that involved using a pair of tongs to perform the weld while the link is kept in the furnace. I did find it much easier to get ...

Steve S.

Very nice looking.

Steve

Steve S.

Yup. I think it was Simm I was thinking of. Dr. Williams is still in the welded camp.

Steve

Steve S.

I asked Dr. Alan Williams his opinion on the whether the sheet metal got more expensive during the 14th century. His response was, "It was not necessarily CHEAP steel but simply large pieces of steel." I infer this to mean there was no cost increase nor decrease. He also says he is not aware of any ...

Steve S.

wrong thread.

Steve S.

I would not think so - it's still iron blooms being wrought into low carbon steel. Unless somehow the bigger furnaces resulted in more carbon migration and thus a higher carbon steel that was somehow costly or too cumbersome to anneal before punching.

Steve

Steve S.

It seems hard to believe that there is less labor in punching out a washer than there is in making and riveting a ring, but I've not tried punching any rings. I think Erik has. I wonder what his take would be? Making a ring requires: Winding coils Cutting rings. Annealing Flattening Punching Making ...

Steve S.

I assume the problem you are having is the leather is not wanting to bend around the buckle bar? Or it is cracking when you attempt to do so?

What I do is wet the leather.

Basically you are trying to fold the leather in half. Dry it just wants to crack. Wet it behaves pretty well.

Steve

Steve S.

Whatever happened to Jehan? Is he still around?

Steve

Steve S.

Where did the pictures go?

Steve S.

Actually, if you wanted to really pick nits, that's not true. If the rattan used in construction was ever larger than 2" it is illegal without padding. I don't believe that's their intent, nor that they will try to enforce the rule that way, but that's how it reads. I see what you are saying, but t...

Steve S.

The problem there is the rule as written doesn't answer the basic question is that 2" before or after you trim to shape, if there are 2 reasonable ways to read it then it's not a rule being gamed it's an unclear rule. Here is what was posted on the Kingdom facebook page: "No rattan used in the cons...

Steve S.

I am looking for a source of aluminum 3/8" ID "pop top" round riveted rings and rivets to repair a shirt.

Anyone know a source?

Steve

Steve S.

Looks great.

Steve

Steve S.

*sigh* I sure do find myself playign devils advocate in my own threads a lot. cool pics, But you added the "on campaign" part yourself. Suppose you were on a hunting trip, or a sheriff on business, or going to a court in a neighboring shire, or on a modestly sized pilgrimage? Or suppose you were ju...

Steve S.

These look like very nice helms. Beautiful work and easily worth your original asking price especially with a liner.

Steve

Steve S.

Lords don't sleep in the dirt. They have nice tents and campaign beds.

And Robert McPherson armour.

Steve

Steve S.

When I first started SCAing, I had a Mustang. I'd take myself and another person to an event in that thing. A bag of clothes, a bag of armour, a sleeping bag, and a bag of modern tent. One of my biggest conceits these days is I end up bringing more clothes than I really need to the event, "just in c...

Steve S.

Very nice.

For free, simple image hosting, I use www.imgur.com.

Steve

Steve S.

For the main upright of my pavilion, I went with a 4x4 (actual 3.5x3.5). It is overkill, but after hearing of Mistress Bronwynn and her center pole that sheared and impaled the ground on the other side from where she was sleeping, I decided not to risk it. Now that I have a table saw I may set up a ...

Steve S.

I was going to suggest what James suggested. If you are OK with the current state-of-the-art for imported Indian maille, you can buy a hauberk for $500 or so and then the rings and rivets and tailor it yourself. The current wedge-riveted, flat-ringed maille is not completely historically accurate, b...

Steve S.

I'm looking for a source for 3/8" ID aluminum "pop-top" riveted rings and round rivets.

I'm repairing a friend's shirt.

Steve

Steve S.

I have one you can have for $25 plus shipping.

Steve

Steve S.

Yup, I bet on Jarl Ailgheanan.

Steve

Steve S.

i agree and to answer that, no i dont. i cannot see through the shield in a picture. i would assume most of them did as shields tended to be disposable. not that it has any required bearing on the safety of our sport combat though. No, of course not - we wear lots of non-historical things while fig...

Steve S.

of people wearing shields? sure.

of folks not wearing elbow armour? sure.

No, that's not what I'm asking.

Do you have any historical examples of knights with shields not wearing an elbow cop on their shield arm.

Steve

Steve S.

I actually re-made the liner in the pictures as I was not happy with the gaps in the crown. I re-made it so that there are no gaps.

Steve

Steve S.

Any suggestions for strapping the helm, a pig faced bascinet. I am a Soldier and could fit it out with modern pads and chin straps but I would like to know how it was done in period. You can see a period-style liner that I made for my klappvisor basinet here: http://www.forth-armoury.com/photo_gall...

Steve S.

Simple Green works great for degreasing the maille. If you have access to a pressure washer it may make the job easier, especially if you have a machine that mixes the Simple Green into the wash blast. You can also do it by repeated dunking in a 5-gallon bucket of Simple Green and water. This is als...

Steve S.

Sure, "stuffed" works just as "padding" does -- perhaps more accurately, because it was loose stuff, not like our modern batting. They were quilted to hold the stuffing in place. When I refer to "padding" I mean loose stuff, not extra layers of fabric. The point I'm making is that if they were a ma...

Steve S.

Nice.

Steve

Steve S.

When I was doing a Crusader SCA fighting impression what I did was this:

I wore a weight lifting belt for kidney protection over a linen undershirt, and then my quilted gambeson on top of that. Then my maille on top of that.

This was sufficient.

Steve

Re: Tent Ropes

Re: Disappearance of half-solid mail?

Re: Disappearance of half-solid mail?

Re: Disappearance of half-solid mail?

Re: 1365 Legs with Cheep Aglets!

Re: Disappearance of half-solid mail?

Re: Disappearance of half-solid mail?

Re: High quality maile

Re: Disappearance of half-solid mail?

Re: Disappearance of half-solid mail?

Re: Belt Buckle PITA

Re: 14th Century Kit Guide - Draft

Re: Brigandine from Leeds for sale

Re: 2" rattan in Meridies

Re: 2" rattan in Meridies

Looking for aluminum "pop top" riveted maille rings.

Re: Fun with paint.

Re: Traveling light

Re: FS: Two Sugarloaf helmets IN STOCK

Re: Traveling light

Re: Traveling light

Re: First wisby gauntlets (pic are up)

Re: New tent...

Re: High quality maile

Wanted: Aluminum pop-top maille rings and rivets

Re: WTB Spanish Morion

Re: Meridies Crown List

Re: SCA Marshal Updates

Re: SCA Marshal Updates

Re: New Armour suit

Re: New Armour suit

Re: How do I clean new maile from the shipping oils?

Re: another on the topic of gambesons

Re: Video explanation of raising

Re: Gamebson as a faux "coat of plates"?