The Armour Archive

schreiber

Sorry guys, was doing pennsic stuff all weekend and couldn't check the archive, but here's my defense: The key word I threw in there was "relative". One can hardly argue against sword and board being the "safest" way that one can fight. You've got up to half of your body covered with a big piece of ...

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This is in response to the "Look up in the sky!! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a SpLKNKIT" attack....

It's the same BS we see with heavy.

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I've only taken one helm from start to finish, but it is my own helm, and it works like a dream now... so I can offer a couple of pointers on how I got it there. 1. shoot for 3/4" foam (if you use foam) that will cause a snug fit. Maybe you could measure with 1/2" or 5/8" on your head. Count on padd...

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I'd like to definitely echo what Brandr said. I've only been in the SCA for about seven years, but when I started, the internet really didn't exist. Advertising for different armories was strictly word of mouth. Nowadays I'm three clicks away from at least 20 different options. As far as Meridies is...

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You've gotten some conflicting views here about jig saw blades. Let me put those views in perspective: f*** jig saws. At least where metal is concerned. They're great for wood projects, but that's about it. GOOD aviation snips, as in the ones that will last you for your life, cost about $15. Dependi...

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That's funny, I was going to say that if there isn't ground under your legs, you're f***ed. I can't speak for period-ocity here, but I'm interested in knowing what you think feels uncomfortable and unnatural about army belts. I used to do a lot of backpacking, and it was never until the third day on...

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How about the ability to take liberties in the construction of passive off- hand items?

I've always wanted to fence sword and severed arm, myself.

HELMUT

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I was a fencer when I first started in the SCA. I never got to use a schlager, as they were outlined in special rules in the Outlands (something like asking your opponent "hey I have a schlager, can I use it", but I didn't have one). In any case, I saw and experienced some frigtening things with sch...

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I'm gonna go out on a limb here... I actually think that plastic armor has a very definite place on the battlefield. It's place is on the just- turned- 18 college student who had to skip lunches for a month in order to buy his helm, who then happens to notice that there's an empty, clean chemical ba...

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Aegiswolf: -old, metal cased and geared "buck rogers special" sewing machine from the flea market that will sew through seven layers of canvas (and a finger): $20. Make sure it has reverse and zigzag, that's all you ever need. -5-7 yards of canvas, in your colors: $25 to $40. -Road sign: free. (you ...

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Don't know the molarity, but one part in six sticks out in my mind for some reason... don't know if that's right tho. I think it's on the bottle when you buy it. PS it's also called concrete cleaner, but you have to be careful there, since there are brick and concrete cleaners that have sulfuric in ...

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Muriatic acid is a solution of water and hydrochloric acid, which is well known for its reactivity with zinc. I've found it at hardware stores (the real kind with war vets working in them, not Homo Depot or Blowes). It does fume like crazy, especially when you stick a piece of galvanized metal in it...

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Goal 1: To not fight with my kingdom at all for the rest of time. Goal 2: To have fun (not possible unless goal 1 is attained...) Goal 3: To poke a bunch of people with my spear. Goal 4: To not get hit. Goal 5: To either forget or greatly exaggerate everything that happens on the battlefield because...

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Quick question: Has anyone seen a period, non- oriental flail that has a chain longer than about 8"? Every western example I've seen has a short chain that allows for multiplication of force, but doesn't entangle easily. I would think that medieval weaponsmiths would be bright enough to figure out t...

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Olaf: Amen to that!!! There is a lot more rhinoing going on from the perspective of the dedicated spearman... although I believe a lot of it is unintentional. Quick story: I had been in the sca for about a year and a half before my first war, Pennsic 24. I was wearing a godawful (but good looking) 8...

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I just had my second case of cleaning mildewed leather... this time, it was my leather belt and household favor that were at the bottom of a pile of junk in the van that got coffee spilled on it... didn't clean it out for two weeks, and when I pulled it out it was green, black, yellow, and gray. The...

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Mild hydrochloric acid is sold as concrete cleaner called muriatic acid.

If you use it, please be very careful. It's not the acid that's the danger, it's the incredibly noxious fumes that result. Only do it outside, and keep your head well clear of the container you're using.

HELMUT

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Get various grades of steel wool (unsoaped!!!!) and spend some elbow grease on it. Unless there's rust or general icky stuff on the outside, just work the cooking surfaces. When clean, it's not going to have a mirror finish, but it'll look like metal instead of gunk. After cleaning, wash it with no ...

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So, you're making a tent out of cotton duck... ugh. In all seriousness, don't expect it to last very long no matter what you do. Three habitable seasons if you take precautions. If your design allows for very small pieces and lots of seams, it won't stretch as much. If you treat it with Canvak every...

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Forget crossbows with that stuff... make a siege engine.

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toweyb and bob: I appreciate your answers. It's refreshing to see belief untainted by the zeal from which too many, including myself, occasionally suffer. Aidan: I'm not a RC, I'm a Lutheran. But I have a lot of RC family, and my opinion of the Church of Rome has come to this: they're not anything l...

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My gam is 100% cotton. It's got no armpits, and it velcros together so I can get it off in a hurry. It's not at all hot (but then I'm not wearing a lot of steel over it either). My next gam, a work in progress, is going to capitalize on an old backpacking trick. If you wear an all cotton sock undern...

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I couldn't see any prices. Where are they?

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Stuff I forgot: -all nouns are always capitalized, nothing else (except first word). "Meine" in the above really should be "meine". -go to start-> programs-> accessories-> system tools-> character map. This will show you all characters available in the ASCII set. If you need to add a special charact...

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Harold the Bear: <B>GruÃŸ Dich Meinen Herr Cedric! Hallo das Heimatmuseum in der Nuremburg SchloÃŸ. Manche von Meinen Freunden sind wundernd etwa ihre Rustung(panzer)von der La...

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We usually camp across from der Sonnen von Krieg, which is the group that operates the cannons at Pennsic. At Pennsic 26, they set up camp directly across from our gate, with their cannons pointed directly at it. We decided that their action was tantamount to declaring war, and a short trip to the f...

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To JT, Galon, Lisa, and Broadway: There are plenty of people on this board that have skills that you may find useful. I'm sure that very few of us have the in depth understanding of CGI that you all do, but if you feel the need, please delegate. I would like to volunteer if there is anything I can d...

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What are you planning on doing with them? Do you do SCA fighting at all? I'm interested in knowing what the US gauge is on them... do you know? I read on their site that they normally use 1 mm steel... I have no idea what that transposes to in real measurements. I'm sure that you know that they're n...

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accdntprone: here's the advice I can give you. I'm pretty worried about this Pennsic, since I went and got meself a desk job, and I haven't been working outside at all. In past summers, Pennsic was nothing, since I was really accustomed to throwing a pick axe in the summer heat all day. So... whenev...

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Harold: what I'm gonna do when I get around to giving a damn is make some mail sabatons. It's easy and it looks pretty good.

HELMUT

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Don't forget that Ludwig van Beethoven was a German, and that's a pretty Dutch looking name.

HELMUT

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I saw a really clever idea once...

Someone had made a bargrill with round horizontal bars flattened on the ends and riveted to the outside of the helm... the thing was that he used a flat piece of stock for the center bar, and passed the round bars through holes in it. It was pretty solid.

HELMUT

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Raz: I did some research in the past, and apparently Calamus isn't at all frost hardy. Everything I read or heard pointed to the idea that it really needs a tropical climate to grow. I'm not sure where Huntington Beach is (and I'm not going to find out since it's in CA), but it may not be warm enoug...

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I could make such jokes... From my experience, high Atlantian style is when you line people up in a shield wall at the base of a bridge and tell them to stand there and do nothing while the "cool" people go and fight. 'cause they must be high if they think I'm going to stand there... HELMUT the bitter

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I think Krag's absolutely right. Especially for SCA fighting... how many flat snaps have we all taken as opposed to slots to the head? I would think that the changeover would take place for a pretty obvious reason: In earlier periods, the great helm over maille was worn, and cave- ins would have bee...