The Armour Archive

chef de chambre

Hi Krag,

Yes, but those are cast silver, and it is a spiral up the length of the handle - not a "blacksmiths twist".

Also, I've seen about a hundred pewter/silver spoons of 14th and 15th century date, and these are the only two I've seen with a spiral along the handle.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

I am always on the lookout for wrought ironwork - specificaly for chest fittings. I wish I could find a smith local willing to fit chests I make with functional and decorative ironwork. I of course want period specific stuff for my work - a lot of 15th century ironwork is cold worked, decoratively f...

chef de chambre

Hi All, Actually, TB is of course correct in that horn spoons and wood spoons were used throughout the Medieval period (actually pre-well beyond). That said, for the most part (I'll give an example down the page a bit), people of the middle class and above were using at least pewter spoons. By the l...

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Hi Reverend George, Just a few quick comments. I assume since your posting here, that you wanted the commentary from a standpoint of authenticity. To the best of my knowledge, by the time we are producing metal spoons (pewter, usually, otherwise silver. I know of no Iron spoons as eating utensils, b...

chef de chambre

Hey Steve,

Your right on that one. To the best of my knowledge it's what the Academic community (floating around the periphery) uses as well as the armouring community.

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Bob R.

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Hi Norman, Actually, The John of Gaunt inventories taken at this death list both. A "Pair of plates" is an English-isim, for the coat (it is described as a fabric covered garment of plates, and at thjis time it is relegated 'for the tourney', they refer in inventories to a 'pair of briganines' often...

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Hi Guys, It is my understanding that Mark's lock is based (copied, really) on late 14th century examples found in London - referenced in HMSO publication "Household Objects". I am going to get one for my chest as soon as I lay hands on a wroght iron hasp and staple to finish it. The tinned example i...

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Hi Kreiger, I have seen drawings from Rene of Anjous "book of the Tournaments" showing gauntlets exactly as you describe. I've never seen an actual surviving pair. It is a specialized piect of tournament gear, specificaly for the club tourney. Lord Calidan, While true that the back of the helmet is ...

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Hi Krieger, I doubt that for a couple of reasons. First, while the post and rondel are reasonably solid, the weight of the armet (the Italians actually seem to have refered to them as 'elmeti'), usually in the 7-8lb range, would pull the post out of the neck strap from the wieght of it eventualy (th...

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Hi Norman, Actually, in 'period', the distinctions were made. Many inventories of the late 14th century list 'pairs of plates', and brigandines - they are two different things. I would think you would get upset from H.R.Robinson (may God assoil him) taking a blatantly Western European term, and appl...

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Yes, as a matter of fact the Y1K bit did slip past me. That said, although nothing is correct for that time and place in eyewear, wouldn't something not modern be better than something blatantly modern? Whatever choice you make to do your thing, you make - they are your choices, and your game. -----...

chef de chambre

Hi Thomas, Actually, there is at least one firm making frames for the glasses. If you got someone to make a wax mould and cast a bronze pair, you could fit your perscription in, and come up with a very fine pair of temple pieces. That way you could live with your handicap, and look historicaly corre...

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Hi Randy, Actually, it is an item that disapears soon after close helms are introduced (which generaly fit a little closer than armets). The seam moves off the back of the neck, the jugulars disappear, and an additional part to the visor takes the place of the wrapper. This would indicate to me that...

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Hi Tim, Absolutely. Actually, we need say "this is the most widely held theory", as we really aren't entirely certain. I will note that considering the item is intended for cavalry warfare, first and foremost (as is all Italian full harness of this era), it adds a plate protecting the back of the ju...

chef de chambre

I have yet to see such a thing depicted. It is my understanding that backpacks as we know them are a new-world invention, originating from the aboriginal natives of the North American continent. These did not initialy have shoulder straps, but were carried with a breast-band. What is depicted in Med...

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Hi Konstantine, To the best of my knowledge, no. That said, every plate down the front seam overlaps, by about 1/4 - 1/2" (usually the right overlaping the left). If the item is made properly, it is a very efficient defence. If it isn't, it will look pretty, but not function like a real one. Our pro...

chef de chambre

They lived with poor vision. Antoinne, Bastard of Burgundy is documented as nearsighted. Considering the infant mortality rate, many of us (including yours truely), wouldn't have survived to adulthood - principly the prime specimens surviving. I find most nearsighted people paranoid about their visi...

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Hi All, That is over $23,000 a year. Not bad when you consider that by law you can't work more than 36 hours a week, and you have a months mandated vacation. It is an entry level position, I think. The fellow who puts wax on the harness and dusts it off - unless I miss my mark. ------------------ Bo...

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It is my understanding (since the comparison to the Wisby armour) that all COP's, including the lamellar, historically opened on the back or sides. I know, then you can't put it on yourself, but is everybody truley so mean-spirited that they won't buckle a friend up? http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb...

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Hi Armoureric, The only place I know on the net that carries a full set of period buckles and hangers to make a rapier carry (and sold as a set) is Historic enterprises - under the buckles www.historicenterprises.com The offered one is late Elizabethan, a waistbelt carry rather than a balderic. It i...

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Hi Guys, I'm not an expert - I've only recently begun studying this. That said, (fighting using historic methodology) you want the thing 6'-7' long, as when you are fighting you have the thing gripped by the 'demi-hache', which is the area about 2' below the rondel - as Bob Hurley mentions 'queue' o...

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Hi BAscot, The joys of the universal 'wattle' technology of the 12th - 16th centuries. http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/wink.gif I can build a fence, I can build a byre, I can build a house, and God help us, I guess I can build a little castle with it too. Just add 'daub. the poles are cut from sapl...

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Hi Konstantine, The "arming coat" of Charles de Blois is stated to be such by Brian Price. He is the only person in the world who has made this definitive statement, as the original garment cannot have been, because #1 - there are no points or other means of attatchment for armour present, and #2, -...

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Hi Klangiron, Just so you don't think I've forgotten your question... The harness in question is a composite harness, atributed to be South-German and hving been made for Waldemar VI of Anhalt-Zerbst. If it is not this harness, it is a very similar one displayeed mounted, but I am fairly sure it is ...

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Hi Aaron. I'll go into more details later, but Ffolks has confused a numbar of different items. The twenty or thirty layers of linen are padded jacks - you cannot wear them under armour and have it function correctly - not if the armour is made to fit you in the first place. Leather on top is a terr...

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Hi Wade,

My hat is off to you! What a lucky little boy.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Hi All, Single-stick, as it is known during the Middle ages was considered a boys sport, and not properly a game played by the second estate. I am not a scholar of single stick, but as far back as I have seen it mentioned, the intent was to draw blood from the head. Since you were most likely an app...

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Hi Konstantine, You are in good company, as most people academicaly in the field attatched to armour museums consider it the best 15th century artistic representation of what late 15th century English armour most probably looked like (there isn't a lot of armour, probably less than a half dozen piec...

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Hi Guys, I don't actually know of a workable and accurate 15th century doublet pattern on the market. I have some sketches, not a proper pattern. I always share information I have. The complete anachronist mentioned is great - it was Michael Laceys Masters thesis I believe, so it is properly documen...

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Hi Guys,

That pattern will not get you a 15th century brigandine. You need the body of a 15th century doublet.

Only bear this in mind if you want it to look like an actual brigandine.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre

Oh yes, I ought add that throughout the 15th century, and into the first part of the 16th, you will find Irish (as opposed to the Anglo/Irish lord mentioned in first post) soldiers wearing not a whole lot of armour = - mostly the traditional dress, cowhide shoes (or barefoot), barelegged, and a lein...

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Hi Fearghus, That particular title is one of the worst Osprey books ever published regarding the colour plates. The painter in no way understanded, or had ever painted any historical armour before, and was trying to interpret crappy tomb carvings/brasses. Run - do not walk to the trashcan or the fir...

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Hi Reinhard, I don't think so, but I haven't given it much of a look. If you have tried a computer search and came up with nothing so far, it might be because it is known as "The Beauchamp Pagent". Yep, he was the earl of Warwick (Richard Nevilles father-in-law), but he was the last male heir, so it...

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Hi Amalric, It is a lot of different factors adding up usually to a lot of handwork that increases the cost. Let me interject at this point that 1. every armourer has their specialties regarding era of armor that they do better than others, and 2. every armourer usually improves with the more work t...

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I should mention in addition, if you are interested primarily in 15th century LH/reenactment, that you might try out this board http://www.wolfeargent.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi as it is dedicated to the subject, and you may find a lot of useful information already in place. ------------------ Bob R.