The Armour Archive

chef de chambre

Sir Rhys, I was not "painting the SCA with a broad brush of ridicule", I was stating an observed fact. You read in whatever emotion you chose to in reading my statement. If my reporting on something I have observed is tiresome to you, I would suggest you stop reading my posts to save you discomfort,...

chef de chambre

Hi Richard, To be a knight in the SCA? No obviously not. None of the other trappings are required, so why ought this be? In my role as a historic interpreter, obviously my 'persona', Stephen Philpot is. I myself was baptised a Methodist, raised a Congregationalist, and theologicaly hold the position...

chef de chambre

That particular pallasch is a copy of an extant one from the 1670's, not earlier. If you are looking at England, a "mortuary" hilted backsword would be more appropriate., The stype of pallasch you put the picture up of was commoinly used from the 1650's to 1720's.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

The gorget solution is really a 16th century innovation. The almain rivets described are first quarter of the century. To the best of my knowledge, 15th century footmans splints (again - not 'splinted armour' as commonly understood in SCA parlance) point to a foundation garment - they do not strap o...

chef de chambre

Hi All, You can be a knight without hounds, but by definition, you cannot be a chevalier without a cheval. The very word "Chivalry", translated from the Old French means "What the Horsemen did". I would think that anyone having a pretence to being a 'knight', should be able to ride a horse passing w...

chef de chambre

Hi Firebow, It is nearly impossible wearing a full set of pauldrons to hold a sword in both hands vertically over the head. It was never intended that you should do so wearing a full Italian harness. You don't have to lift your arm to such extremes to make an effective blow - from horse or on foot. ...

chef de chambre

Hi Darkman,

It points to an arming doublet. The points are usually set halfway between the point of the shoulder and the neck.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hi All, I think Ideval's technique is the proper one. From surviving liners, it would seem stuffing in gerneral, basting, and stitching the quilting in was the common method. To sew pieces of cloth into a bunch of connected tubes leave little protection from a thrust catching one of the edges of the...

chef de chambre

Hi All, In the most recent Heraldry Today catalouge, there is a book devoted to the subject of the dog in Heraldry - 22 pound sterling. They are on the web, and accept major credit cards. I don't have the site bookmarked, or I'd provide a link - my wife has it bookmarked at work. Hope this helps. --...

chef de chambre

Hi All,

In the most recent Heraldry Today catalouge, there is a book devoted to the subject of the dog in Heraldry - 22 pound sterling. They are on the web, and accept major credit cards.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hi Klangiron, The 15th century sallets I have seen all have a 'keel' down the center of the skull. The key areas of shape to watch on a sallet is Front profile - skull bulge - following contour of cranium, and slight curve out at the bottom. Central keel, Side profile - bowl follows contour of crani...

chef de chambre

Hi Richard, I'll take all the bowmen you don't want (so long as their willing to pursue a historically accurate kit for 1474), big, small, young, old - makes no difference. I need 8 more two fill out two lances, and six shortly after for a third. Line up, mes Amies, and sign on the dotted line. The ...

chef de chambre

Snaps are a mid 19th century invention. Most purses (for that is what they were called) closed with a buckle & strap, a drawstring, or a metal frame closing (some of the last sort of 'snap' together, but in no way like a modern snap closure on jeans).

Hope this helps.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hi Torr,

The fellows in the Towton grave or the Wisby burial pits might take issue with you, could they speak....

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hi Rustysickle, Actually, the late Medieval jack (not a jack of plates), when worn with mail is extremely effective at keeping out arrows (mail under the jack). Unfortunately, the torso & upper arms are well protected, but the average infantryman tended to be a "soft target" regarding the rest of hi...

chef de chambre

Can't tell from the limited pictures provided. That it apparently has a working life repair is a point in it's favour. Obviously if it is, it is an example that has been heavily tinkered with - like most pieces of this age in it's lifetime - in example, the mitten inside the thing. This is a piece t...

chef de chambre

Hi Rustysickle, A Jack of plates is more of a mid 16th century defense. The Medieval defence worn was a jack - plain old multi-layered linen, up to 30 layers of it in spots. Some were indeed "stuffed" with things like mail or horn, but the Jack of plates is a unique defense consisting of essentially...

chef de chambre

Hi FauHirsch, I think you are quite correct. Fustian was a commonly used fabric, even by the upper classes. It was commonly used as a brigandine covering material. I have yet to see any artwork showing a ribbed material like modern corduroy, and none of the fragments I have inspected, or any brigand...

chef de chambre

Hi Randy, As I said before, Ashdown is an extremely dated source. I am familiar with the composite suits who's photographs appear in your other sources, and I'm sorry to say, they are a mix of Italian export elements and German harness - even in the case of leg harness 16th century pieces a hundred ...

chef de chambre

Hi Randy, Do you have any particulars as to the location of a 'burgundian' suit of known provenence and Flemish manufacture? The reason I am asking is I am attempting to catalog all armours with a Flemish attribution to manufacture, or ones made to that fashion with an Italian export provinence. To ...

chef de chambre

But Sarnac, Wrestling is a part of Eastern cultures as well. There are Arabic "fechtbuchs", and don't tell me that there is no such thing as unarmoured combat in Eastern culture. I will wager that grappling and wrestling occured in Mongol combat on foot. Of course, mongol combat and life in general ...

chef de chambre

Hi All, The skills required to grappel, throw, and use all of ones poll weapon were considered NECESSARY for the chivalrous to display in foot tournament, or they would have been considered unskilled boobs. Many of these techniques are equalizers against the stronger, bigger opponent. Sorry, but wre...

chef de chambre

Hi Sebastian,

You will note that I specified 14 & 15th century heraldic garments.

Pardon my ignorance, but I though heraldry was post-Carloginian? I'd never heard of heraldic garments from the 9th century.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

I was agreeing with you Rhys......

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

I usually see cast brass stirrups of this form described as "Spanish - Colonial 17th-18th century", and see them associated with Central and South America. One thing I am fairly sure of is they are not a Medieval form, from the Medival Spanish and Italian stirrups I have seen. ------------------ Bob...

chef de chambre

One thing for Cetes Sir Rhys, Grappeling, disarming, and throwing were all done in foot combats at tournaments of the Late Middle ages. One only need to refer to "The Deeds of Jaques de Lalaing", or the Beauchamp pagent to see examples. It is a case of a modern concept of chivalry vs. a medieval one...

chef de chambre

Hi All, Neither 15th century tabbards, nor 14th century heraldic jupons were untailored. Most were tailored to lay snug to the harness. There was a fashion for some with a looser drape - possible the tailored ones not pointed together at the sides, or possibly ones cut intentionaly to give a fahiona...

chef de chambre

The pictures don't work here either...

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Were the dragon head copper gilt, it would look to be very similar to the Lion headed barbute/sallet in the Met, c.1460

Never something to be worn in combat, but certainly the sort of thing seen in the various chivalric recreational sports.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hey Yoshimitsu,

No Harm - no foul. I just wanted to increase awareness of the validity of historically accurate reconstructions, as well as armour useful in an SCA context.

Every one of us has our biases based on our experiences, me included.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hi Guys, You know, it is commentary like this <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I hope you do not intend to fight in it if you do make it. As a marshall in the SCA I would never pass anything like it. </font> That caused Bascot to write the message on the off topic board "Is the Armour Archive an...

chef de chambre

.....During the conflict between Argamacs and Burgundians in the early 15th century, the then pro-Burgundian populace of Paris - enraged at a popular pro-Argamac clergyman stopped crossing themselves in the proper way, but instead crossed themselves describing a St. Andrews cross. Terribly heretical...

chef de chambre

Hi Richard,

I took it as the joke it was. I am not without humour after all. Without pity perhaps, but never without humour.....

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hi Alexi,

Thanks for the link to the lovely pics. They are all 16th century (1501 - 1600) in origin, which equates to my understanding of when the form was in use.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Look, I'm not a SCAdian, but I do know what chivalry is. "Smack talk" is in no way chivalrous, it would be seen as the behaviour of a boorish peasant historically. If the fellow is a chivalrous as you claim, then you should appeal to that chivalry to stop him from behaviour that is disgracing chival...