The Armour Archive

C. Gadda

When one further considers the clear existence of cheekplates before the Viking Age, and significant artistic and literary mention afterwards, it seems baseless to suggest that, during the Viking Age, all knowledge of such helmets vanished, only to magically reappear after 1066... . Ok, Ill bite on...

C. Gadda

When one further considers the clear existence of cheekplates before the Viking Age, and significant artistic and literary mention afterwards, it seems baseless to suggest that, during the Viking Age, all knowledge of such helmets vanished, only to magically reappear after 1066... . Ok, Ill bite on...

C. Gadda

For starters, I did mis-remember. It is the Middleton Cross in Yorkshire. Here are a couple of pix off the web; note particularly in the drawing you can kind of make out the cheekplates. I have seen better photos, but I can't recall in which book: Hey I have spent a good 10 minutes staring at the o...

C. Gadda

Actually, I think there *may* be evidence for cheekplates from the Viking Age. I seem to recall a memorial stone that (crudely) shows a Viking warrior with what appears to be some sort of conical helm with cheekplates. I am fairly sure it was in England, and I think it may be the Repton Stone, but ...

C. Gadda

I do viking era reenactment, (non SCA) and I've been trying to find historical evidence of viking helms esp of the 800-950 period (preferably in the context of the Danelaw) with cheek pieces. I have found a couple references in Sagas (Grettis saga being one of them) however our authenticity czar do...

C. Gadda

The problem with your thinking is that the Vendel and Valsgarde helmets may have been in 7th or 8th century burials, but that does not mean this armour was made in the same century. S. Lindqvist, for instance, published an article, in "Fornvannen" for 1925, that states the Vendel XIV helm...

C. Gadda

The problem with your thinking is that the Vendel and Valsgarde helmets may have been in 7th or 8th century burials, but that does not mean this armour was made in the same century. S. Lindqvist, for instance, published an article, in "Fornvannen" for 1925, that states the Vendel XIV helm...

C. Gadda

Oh what the heck. If no one else has bought it, I'll go ahead and take it.

C. Gadda

What's the I.D. on the rings? Also, is it wedge rivetted? Thanks.

C. Gadda

Try the article in the first Armour Society Journal by Pierre Trejanian regarding the armour manufacturing industry of Cologne. (pardon any pre-coffe mispellings). There is a nice bit of documentatuion regarding such armour made of latten. They are entire pieces, not decorative edging. Are you sure...

C. Gadda

We actually have numerous fragments of Roman mail made from bronze or "copper alloy" of some sort. Samples I can document have been found at Augsberg, Vize, Ouddorp, Newstead, Xanten, and Mandeure. (Source: The Journal of the Mail Research Society, Vol2 Number1) I've also read some refere...

C. Gadda

Of course, nothing I've said should be construed as saying its functionally impossible to use copper alloy for armour. Strength wise it is little different from iron (though inferior to adequately hardened and heat treated or heated and slack quenched steel), though the raw materials are often more...

C. Gadda

There are also a few illuminations, stained glass windows, etc. showing yellow or gold leaf mail. Some later gilt helmets used a copper base, so it's possible gilt mail was overlaid upon a cupric alloy. Of course, it is also possible, if not more probable, that this was simply gilt iron. Also, were...

C. Gadda

Unlike your example of butted mail, we have clear indications of armour being made for use in a Medieval context out of latten. In example, we have a specific list of armour items allowed to be made by workers of latten in Cologne, not to mention its widespread use as a material for armour used in ...

C. Gadda

IIRC Eric D. Schmid has confirmed a pair of mail sleeves in the Wallace collection (A10-11?) are cupric alloy with tinning on the upper part to make it appear like iron mail with latten banding at the wrists. I believe the State of Florida also holds a sizeable patch of copper alloy mail from the D...

C. Gadda

Only as a decorative trim. I know of no examples of full copper alloy maille hauberk, coif, etc.

C. Gadda

I need to eaither learn to do this! or trade someone to properly clothe the Kirby my husband has. You might be able to do it on your own. Many of the basic techniques are simple and require only a few tools which you ought to have just on general principles (i.e. files, hammers, bench vise, etc.). ...

C. Gadda

You and your team are to be congratulated for such a gorgeous piece of work! And of course Bob is to be commended for his good sense in commissioning it from the proper sources... Good job! Some of the shortcomings are due to key portions of the team's unraveling, sadly. The loss of 3 different sho...

C. Gadda

Out of curiousity, was this project ever completed? I've done some reworks of Del Tin swords myself, and I would very much like to see the finished product, not only the scabbard but the sword itself with the coat of arms inlaid/enamaled into the pommel. Very impressive from what I've seen thus far!

C. Gadda

I'm the guy Ingvarr is talking about. (I'm on here, but I lurk a lot.) If you are looking for a composite comb, I have this one on hand. (A new one would take a little while.) The tooth plates are made from elk antler and the cross plates are made from moose antler. It is held together with copper ...

C. Gadda

Depending on which sallet it is out of AAOTMK I might be very interested. Is it the articulated one from Innsbruck (?I think) dated to 1495 or so? I've been looking for a decent sallet for awhile, and this sounds like what I would want, though I'd have to see a pic or get a page ref out of AAOTMK t...

C. Gadda

Depending on which sallet it is out of AAOTMK I might be very interested. Is it the articulated one from Innsbruck (?I think) dated to 1495 or so? I've been looking for a decent sallet for awhile, and this sounds like what I would want, though I'd have to see a pic or get a page ref out of AAOTMK to...

C. Gadda

Curious, where did that helmet pic come from? I believe the helmet is the one in Historiska Museet's (Stockholm) collections, it's originally found in Norway according to the listings. Measurements are lenght 33,5 cm, width 31 cm, height 17 cm so it's not very big. The thickness of the material var...

C. Gadda

the plates that have come this way from raymond have been soft thin copper and entirely unsuitable from pressblach. Theres is of course the added bonus that he doesnt do the forehead pieces for that helm either. Really? That's too bad. Mine are definately bronze, though I did buy them several years...

C. Gadda

I know RQP does although I am starting to hear not-so-good things about his quality, who else does this work? I'm specificly looking for full pressblack masters including forehead plates (which RQP dont do anyway) for a Valsgarde 5 + crest and eyebrows all in brass or bronze. I've actually used the...

C. Gadda

14th Century - go with iron; they weren't using anything significantly better than that. They also attempted to heat treat pieces, obviously to no effect. I would hesititate to make such a blanket statement. The Dargen pot helm, dated to the last half of the 13th century, is stated in Williams &...

C. Gadda

Armour of the early 14th century would overwhelmingly be wrought iron, with a few pieces like the helmet posibly case-hardened. Hardening and tempering armour is a process that we can document to the later 14th century as a starting point. These are the hardened pieces that people are attempting to...

C. Gadda

I am putting together an order for Winter delivery. I will include stainless steel flat ring riveted mail in this sale. This does not happen that often as we sell out too fast. Here is the special- 10% off all chainmail preorders. (any material and type we carry). 20% off any 3 or more items. This ...

C. Gadda

However, the work done on those shields has not been updated since the middle of last century -- the Valsgarde 7 grave was published, in German, in 1974. There is some new work being done, apparently, and some hope that all the original findings aare going to be republished, in English, soon; as th...

C. Gadda

So who makes good ones? AA is a bit out of my price range and Windlass one have a tendency to break. Anything in the middle? Not really. The only one I can think of might be the Cold Steel poll axe, but that is not very historically accurate. Should be sturdy, though. There also might be a European...

C. Gadda

Thanks! Extremus it is! btw, one of the sites I tried glossed "ultimus" as "avenging, punishment, revenge" - bit of a surprise, really. By coincidence, I got a 40% off coupon for any single book at Borders, and so ended up purchasing Cassell's Latin Dictionary and so took a look...

C. Gadda

Thanks! Extremus it is!

btw, one of the sites I tried glossed "ultimus" as "avenging, punishment, revenge" - bit of a surprise, really.

C. Gadda

Specifically, in the context of "the last one". The reason I'm asking is that last year I bought the very last A&A Bec d' Corbyn from one of their Muster Sales, and wanted to carve "the last" in Latin in Gothic Miniscule into the haft. Consulting this online translator http:/...

C. Gadda

The new journals are in and ready for immediate delivery! Just an FYI - mine came in the mail (ha ha) yesterday. An OUTSTANDING treatise on the subject. The known historical material is expertly summarized and discussed at length, and Erik's how-to article is very easy to follow... too easy. I'm no...

Re: New tool... 7 Day Auction.

Re: Viking helms w cheek pieces

Re: Viking helms w cheek pieces

Re: Viking helms w cheek pieces

Re: Viking helms w cheek pieces

Re: Viking helms w cheek pieces

Re: Scabbard construction, part 2

Re: comb

Re: Who makes: vendel helmet crests and pressblach masters?

Re: Chainmail Pre-order Sale!!!!

Re: WTB/WTK: Pollax

Well, a bit more muddied then I thought...

How does one say "The Last" in Latin?