The Armour Archive

Noe

Vitus, I agree with everything you say, except for the primary point of your argument. Seriously, it's nice to say that we should take care of appearances first, and I'm all for it. I'm constantly upgrading my kit, and I can't wait until I look half as good as you and those guys in St. Michael do. B...

Noe

This has been my experience so far: How well do the weapons hold up after repeated use? Well four practices, and so far so good. The only damage that has been inflicted has been when one of us has struck the opponent's guard. Nothing major. What does the weapon look like from the edge and the flat? ...

Noe

Next week, the warriors of Avalon and Vale de Draco will be fighting in a charity tournament. Each fighter will choose from a list of charities. In the end of the tournament, the champion's chosen charity will recieve half of the money. The rest of the money will be divided out among the other fight...

Noe

Thanks, Guy, but this is really a self-correcting problem. He is merely ignorant and nervous at this point. I feel like if we can get folks like that to fight, they will find the confidence they need to act like well-mannered human beings. I'm a big believer in fighting for personal growth. And hey,...

Noe

Interesting comments.

Sebastion: Congratulations, you managed to completely crack Weasel-girl up.

It sounds like the comments on lefties were just the kind of thing I was talking about.

Noe

http://www.musketeer.org/manuals/diGrassi/lajeu.htm

Noe

Is anyone else having as much fun with pole arm as I am? Lately, I've been applying Jeu de la Hache techniques to my pole arm work. What fun, what fun. Also been using the queue forward, thumbs pointing inward guard. It's really amazing what you can do with it. The first thing that I found out was t...

Noe

. I think that is why small groups continue to pop up. Setting high ideals for authenticity is much more manageable in a small group, as opposed to one the ponderous size of the SCA. With respect, I disagree. Civil war groups manage quite well with fairly strict rules. I think that the primary reas...

Noe

I am a rather difficult person to anger. You have to work at it, and even then, I usually don't realize that I'm really angry until much later. Nevertheless, everynow and then someone finds my little red button and thumbs it with apparent disregard for life and limb. Well, not too much disregard for...

Noe

Oh, most of that stuff we are willing to do, although we keep the newer guys back a bit until they settle their control issues. I'm talking about the real fechtbuch moves, where, for example, almost all of the throws involve dropping someone on their head. I would be very interested in hearing how y...

Noe

I want to fight in turn shoes, or at least shoes that give the appearance of being turn shoes. My big problem is toes. I wear milanese, so the most authentic sabotons would be chain. Hmm. Maybe I can make an interior steel toe....

Thoughts?

Noe

Duke Alaric --

I have to disagree. Mixed weapons is just as much fun as matched weapons, if for different reasons. It also helps if you allow a little more grappling than is the SCA norm. Or try plate as proof rules.

Sometimes the boredom is a result of game design, rather than reality.

Noe

My regular fighting kit: riveted chain hauberk $800 great helm $150 mandrake gaunts $250 elbow cops $20 stainless legs $250 gorget $30 vambrace and greaves self-made: materials $40 total: $1540 Good lord. This is the first time I've ever added everything up. This doesn't even count all of the altern...

Noe

Lichtenauer (sp?)
Ringeck

Noe

Thorsten: Hmmm.... reality...game...reality...game...? I'v never killed a person in armor before in real life. I play a game called the S.C.A. In rock sicciors paper no body wins in real life rock rules... Yes, and to continue the analogy, there is a reason that we don't use paper-scissors-rock to m...

Noe

If you are in a big rush, the only thing that might come close is Ashcraft-Baker's "rounded" gauntlets. Iffy authenticity, but definitely different from the usual clamshell type.

http://www.ashcraftbaker.com/highart.htm

Noe

Animal-- Alas, no model ever accurately captures reality. Nevertheless, you can try to increase the reality of some aspects of any model. (Hence the photoshopping of nudie pics. ) To do so, though, always comes at a sacrifice to the reality of other aspects of a model. Still haven't worked out how t...

Noe

Dish your knee cops more -- they look way too flat -- but otherwise your legs look nifty.

Double your prices. Most of these kinds of businesses fail because armourers start off undercharging.

Charge a fair rate. Dish deep. Planish more. Meet all of your deadlines. Sleep well at night.

Noe

I've posted this sort of thing a couple of times, so I'll keep this short: My group uses a version of standing leg wounds. 1 hit: plant the foot. 2nd hit to either leg: person struck is defeated. It quickly became the standard for our bunch. In addition to looking better, the fights have a much impr...

Noe

Every now and then at fighter practice, we trot out the "Plate as proof" rule. We've been having such fun with it that it has been called for with increasing regularity. It's simple: Use your regular combat rules system, but state that plate is proof of anything less than an axe or pole arm. You cna...

Noe

A few months back, Chan Ying Chih Lancelot posted a link to his on-line boffer business on Sword Forum International. m Intrigued, I ordered a pair of single-handed European swords with the idea of practicing some I.33 at speed. I thought I would post a review here for everyone's information. Realis...

Noe

My own experiences are similar to those of Louis de Leon's. There is this -- for me at least -- weird sense of perfection. Every move you make is the right one, and you aren't really having to try at all. That weird pefection, that sense of being completely on your game and _right_, fascinates me. I...

Noe

hear these words of truth: Plate is good. Chain is good. Plate reinforced with chain is good. I fight in plate: some mobility issues. Less bruising. High maintanence. I fight in riveted chain: high mobility. Weight not a significant issue. W/ gambeson, surprisingly good protection. I fight in plate ...

Noe

While you are at it, do you have any favorite "Zone" stories?

Noe

Do you believe in the "being in the Zone" when it comes to fighting? How would you define it (please don't describe it as just being a state of "no mind." Like many mystic answers, it doesn't really say anything by itself)? Can you put yourself into the Zone?

Noe

I suspect that I should have shorter hair and no beard to fit into my time period; I just hate to shave the darn thing off, as scraggly as it is. For some reason, Weasel likes it, and she gets the deciding vote when it comes to my appearance. Between the beard and the long hair, I think I look a bit...

Noe

That's looks great. I wish I could put together a kit that looks half that good. And you get to use steel swords . I hate stupid Japanese sword laws. One question: How do you guys keep from knocking each other's teeth out when you practice? You look like you are going at a decent speed (as much as I...

Noe

Well, I did, but only because I was wearing the equivilant of the garter for the photo-shoot. In a real fight, I think Tada-san may have won just by staying in one place and crushing my toe. That hurt like heck. Do not let it be said that I haven't suffered to increase interational interest in WMA....

Noe

Well, with a limp, anyway. In an earlier discussion, I ranted about the problems that I was having with the translation of an article I was doing for a Japanese martial arts magazine. On Saturday, we did the photoshoot of various techniques with a high-speed camera. The process was both interesting ...

Noe

It was one of my first big steel projects. I made a back plate, but somehow I doubt you would care for it; I did a poor job of adjusting the pattern for the size of they guy who would be wearing it.

Of course, he is still wearing it, so I didn't do too badly, I guess.

Noe

An oil-soaked towel around it actually is only necessary if the only storage available is your garage/attic or other place with a humid athmosphere. Well, or you live in Japan. We spend a fair amount of effort trying to keep mildew off the walls and green crud from growing on our leather. Re: oil-s...

Noe

Well, I get mine at Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Somehow, I think that might be a bit pricey for you all. You could try on-line at

http://www.lanotec.com.au/main/home/index.htm

It also helps when I give you the correct spelling doesn't it?

Lanotec

Noe

As for bad tourneys, I can fight happily in most types of tourneys and scenarios. However, I can't abide long conversations between the two combatants while everyone is watching and the other fighters are waiting in the wings for their chance. Be courteous, is fine, but please don't debate every gla...

Noe

I don't mind "Ladies' Choice" tournaments. I just want them to really think about their choice. Many times I have seen the prize go to the guy who died most recently in a flamboyant manor, or who had the nicest shoes. The feeling that I often get is that the choice is made lightly, and I think it is...

Noe

Here's what I do. Every is always surprised at how rust-free my kit is (despite my being one sweaty bastard at practice, is the subtext, I believe). First rule: Wear your chain a lot. Just the act of wearing it, puting it on and taking it off will clean it. Second rule: If it gets wet or sweaty, dry...

Fighting for a cause

Jeu de Hache -- good fun

Grousing: Size and know-nothing spectators

Plate as proof -- a fun alternative rule

Review: Realistic Sparring Weapons

The "Zone"

Trying to be authentic can leave you limp