The Armour Archive

chef de chambre

Here is an intresting link. Some pictures, but seems to agree with what was written above. m How does this relate to the topic at hand, as those are not bascinets? In regards to Mr. Short's writing, almost nothing can be definitively stated about helmets of an era, of which one positively identifia...

chef de chambre

I disagree Chef. I think the odds are very good they had straps, or at least that some of them did. I think the fact that later sallets and kettle helmets have straps is also a good indication their predecessors did. Further there is some art evidence that backs this up. Over time I have come acros...

chef de chambre

I also just thought this was worth mentioning, it's the interior of a 14th century German Klappvisor. There's some sort of corroded strap running around the face opening, and it looks to be cut/torn off at the rim of the helmet. Weather or not this is the remains of a period chinstrap is anyones gu...

chef de chambre

There is no evidence I am aware of for the custom. The aventail and the aventails padding were sometimes pointed down.

I think the odds are slim to none for it being historical.

chef de chambre

THey show up in the 1467 Talhoffer, as well.

chef de chambre

In Europe it started during the 1500's, and by the 1600's classic double edged swords seem to have been very rare, unless you count rapiers. There's actually a classification system of the diffirent medieval blade types, heres a link in interested: (The diffirent types are in roughly the same order...

chef de chambre

Hrmmm... nevermind, found it myself. The book is "A Social History of Ancient Ireland" m In "Prehistoric antiquities of the Aryan peoples" by Otto Schrader, on page 231 It refers to the Celts borrowing the name for a cuirass from the romans and calling an armour of "seven h...

chef de chambre

Plenty of visual evidence exists for the practise in the Low Countries, backed by inventories of arms purchased by households. Documentary evidence is found as well in commentary by Philip de Commynes in his memoires, that many Burgundian knights owned no cuirasse with lance rest, but only a brigand...

chef de chambre

It is important to keep in mind that these sorts of helmets were made for centuries, and that they were produced well into the 19th century for collectors, after they fell out of use in the field. The earlier pieces made for high end European collectors markets in India were decent quality stuff, th...

chef de chambre

Hi Cat,

I don't think it is possible to switch it now. Actually, the front seam is better looking than the back, so all is well.

The warping or slight twist to the lid happened during my part of the construction, and I don't think there is any help for it.

chef de chambre

A 'thrum' cap is the mark of an Elizabethan sailor, if you look to original depictions of them in art of the era.

chef de chambre

Hi All, I just recieved the coffer yesterday afternoon, and it is more splendid than can be made out in the photos. Cat and Cay did a fantastic job making something nioe out of my mediocre box. Damnable lid warped a bit between the chiseling and the covering stage, it mist have been slightly green s...

chef de chambre

I have long ago learned to never say "never", but I think you will find the overwhelming majority of examples being cased, with the few exceptions being very late 15th century, and more like 3/4 rather than just a greave front, cut away inside the leg, probably in regards to increasing one...

chef de chambre

I'm in the middle of reading 'Islamic Arms and Armour', which is quite fascinating. Mostly, for the era of inquiry, there is art to go by. Suffice it to say, for an Arab , mail is almost the only choice, sometimes two layers, most commonly the dir , which can either be short or long sleeved. The hel...

chef de chambre

I actually do not, as I didn't think of it at the time. I reckond that the walls being far too thick for the real McCoy would keep people from exploiting a collector.

Once I have it in hand, I will carve a 2010 in a couple of small spots on the inside to prevent fraud.

chef de chambre

Very pretty!

chef de chambre

Umm, too pretty. Must-resist-sin-of-envy! (Talent is so irritating in others...) Chef will have many happy hours keeping brightwork clean and polished and waxed. Umm, pretty. Must-resist... That is why I had Clay tin it. Yes, that picture shows it tinned, as he did a dip tinning then polished it. I...

chef de chambre

I am pretty sure he is referring to leather cuisses Josh.

There are indications of possible brigandine work ones, or fabric covered ones in Flemish sources. 14th century style presumably leather cuisses, with or without splinted bars, are I think highly unlikely at that late a date.

chef de chambre

It is magnificent Clay!

chef de chambre

That looks beautiful Clay!

chef de chambre

Probably because of the last 500 years of hops beating out old style ales. People likely have never had something non-hopped, and assume bitter=beer.

chef de chambre

You would be safer dating a visored sugarloaf as more commonplace to the second decade of the century, but it is entirely possible they date a little earlier. It has been a while since I looked at any early 14th century inventories, to see if any were listed.

chef de chambre

Because you are giving incorrect emphasis. He says footmen should all have their hands armored , "and I'd just as soon have the gauntlets that are made in Germany of cuyr boully as others." [Voyage d'Outremer, p. 227] You have to understand that he is going over in detail the equipment req...

chef de chambre

The problem is you cannot apply the rules of modern French Grammar to Medieval French, as the rules of grammar were not set in stone in the period in question.

chef de chambre

It looks dubious as to being something real to me. The arrangement of rivets and probable overlap make for something that would not be very practical, I think.

chef de chambre

I have two of the best dictionaries. What is the question?

chef de chambre

Josh W wrote:I thought we knew the name of the horse that Richard III rode at Bosworth...?

Allegedly 'White Surrey', but it may be apocryphal.

Heart, in Rene of Anjou's Book of the lovesmitten/lorn heart, rode a bay courser named 'Freewill', but that is an allegory.

chef de chambre

The problem with painted helmets is that it is hard to determine if they were painted when new, at some point in their working life, or later on in life. Keep in mind these things are 600 years old and more, and have passed through multitude of hands. We have documentary evidence for helmets having ...

chef de chambre

I believe, in the Middle east by the 9th. . Just a note, having picked up a copy of Robinson the other week, this is not correct. Robinson attributes the appearance of brigandines in the Middle East to the late 14th or early 15th century, and attributes them coming into fashion through contact with...

chef de chambre

I would think the golden age was more along the lines of 1500-1520, and anything post that date being on the slope of decline. Mid 1520's is still pretty high on the slope, but it is still a part of the decline.

chef de chambre

I believe, in the Middle east by the 9th. . Just a note, having picked up a copy of Robinson the other week, this is not correct. Robinson attributes the appearance of brigandines in the Middle East to the late 14th or early 15th century, and attributes them coming into fashion through contact with...

chef de chambre

I think his problem is the mating of the gorget plate and the bevor itself. The shaping of the bevor is great, although it seems to be ever so slightly deeper than the original it is based on, the key however, to how the bevor sits is the lame that sets on the chest itself. When Patrick Thaden made ...

chef de chambre

Very nice!

Why do you think the bevor is too low? Most reconstructions I have seen in the reenactment community have bevors that look like hammered snot, in comparison to real ones, and this one looks as a real one.

chef de chambre

cat. #48 length 386mm 58.7 grams #49 no length gioven 70.2 grams #50 no length given 66.8 grams #55 13th century attribution length 412mm no weight given #56 14th century attribution 356mm length 43.7 grams - small pointed head #57 length 398mm weight 59.7 grams #58 14th-15th century attribution, ch...

chef de chambre

I've got some for Holland, from the Dutch Army Museum. Will post the info in a few minutes.