The Armour Archive

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Hell of a way to go, that's for sure. There's honour in dying in battle but to simply drown when your ship takes water . . .

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Some of those artifacts were displayed several years ago in a museum in Portsmouth, VA. I had the pleasure of viewing them. Mary Rose capsized when the wind caught her and she heeled rather steeply. Water poured in through open gun-ports and down she went. (Anyone know the story of Vasa ? Very simil...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Maybe it's a different beast but I recall an account of one with a similar defense. This one defended itself by blowing out a fart so strong that it could cover a field and either kill or render senseless any creature in it.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

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Ichiban!

Donal Mac Ruiseart

With Cian's observation in mind, I re-examined the image and agree that the victorious jouster's arms does consist of two combatant entities, but I won't vouch for exactly what they are.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

May or may not be relevant, but I notice that the jousters are using matched shields, which seem to match the caparison of the knight on the left of the picture . . . Looking at it more closely, I wonder if the knight on the left is the King of Scots. The shield is Or, a lion rampant gules which is ...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

dukelogan wrote:sure ya do donal, all the cool kids use them.

I've never claimed to be cool . . .

Donal Mac Ruiseart

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In at least one of the articles discussing the shields, they were described as being hung over the entrances to the participants' pavilions.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

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@JvR - What's the second r (larrp) stand for?

For the record I'm with Adam. Live action, yes, and we adopt personas - or at least names - to fit in with the Mediaeval "feel" of the game, but it's not role play in the way the LARPers do it.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Initially we believed that those fiberglass shafts would be damaged by sunlight, but at some point we realized that such damage takes place after long and constant exposure to the elements. As in being used as fenceposts and the like. Being out in the sun for a few hours a day, a couple of days a we...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

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May her soul rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon her.

My prayers go now to her family.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Were you making a langue de boeuf because you like the shape and it fits your persona or because it's a convenient shape to make under the rules? Because it's a convenient shape to make under the rules. It would be difficult to make my "unicorn head" using the current rules. I'm gonna mis...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

You never know what treasures may be found in the attic . . . <center> Art Expert Buys Knights' Shields </center> Shields created for a 19th Century Scottish jousting tournament which was contested by the future Napoleon III of France have been bought for the nation. The trophies were commissioned b...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Well, my persona IS nautical!

You think I could get away with less? That would lighten and streamline it . . . I think I need to tape it a little better, put a helm on, and take a couple of hits, then diminish the foam and repeat.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

This is my first attempt at making a glaive under the new rules. The picture is a bare-bones prototype left unfinished to show the manner of construction. I'm so used to using a double-edged glaive that I' reluctant to shift to a single edge. This would approximate a langue de boeuf . I know the onl...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

How is she doing?

Donal Mac Ruiseart

This may be known to all of you, but in case it isn't,

SwordMaiden is a resource for SCAdian women fighters.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

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Excuse me? Would you repeat the question . . . ?

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Magmaforge wrote:At WMAW recently, I got to handle a nice sharp one handed ~10th c? viking sword by Albion.

What was the shape of the blade? Was it straight or curved? Did it have an end like a machete or cutlass or falchion? Or what?

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Can people only get awards if their names are registered? Wel-l-l-l-l, it's kinda hard to put a 'holding name' on a formal scroll. And as for getting an AoA, very few set out to get one. Most times, they (and the other honors and awards) sorta sneak up on you. Real Mediaeval kings could and did giv...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

@Ursula: I don't want the name released immediately on my death, but would want a reasonable time (maybe 10 years) to pass before it's freed up so that it wouldn't appear that someone is stealing my name. I rather doubt that anyone could get it anyway, because under the current rules of authenticity...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Interesting artistic variant on His Grace's arms to be harmonious on that center-grip shield.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

</center>

'Nuff said.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Interestlingly, a number of surviving shields with white/argent fields use white paint, and not silver-gilt. I've understood that with silver, you get the problem of tarnishing. And in that kind of setting there's really no way to polish it. Ever notice all the gray in the shields depicted in the M...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Not only is there a (very good) distinction between getting hurt and getting injured, there is a difference betwen accepting that there's a risk of injury and accepting that there's going to be injury. I've fought for over 30 years and got my share of bruises, scrapes, pulled muscles, and all. Only ...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

As I looked at the "basket" hilts (actually cup guards, but I guess the term "cup" has a specific meaning to a lot of folks), I realised that that solid type of guard looks better than an actual basket as well. The basket is just that, a basket. And we all recognize that such han...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Sir Finn confirmed that the shape came from By My Hand.

I just looked at their site and it's down for upgrade, and no idea how long before it comes back up.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

The shaped rubber "spearhead" that appears in that thread came from By My Hand. I just looked at their site and it's down for upgrade, and no idea how long before it comes back up.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

That might just work.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

After trundling my gear around in an ugly plastic chest for several years (before that, I used a military duffel bag), I made this armour chest. <center> http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2568/3866085293_47d23993ab.jpg </center> The inspiration came from Baron Vladimir, who had made a similar chest abo...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

shaped rubber spearheads do exist, but the striking-surface requirement for SCA spears makes realistic tips impractical for SCA use, it would appear.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

I Simple Green'ed it a second time, this time by spreading it out on the floor of the shower and used a scrub brush on it. I set the shower on solid stream and about as good as pressure-rinsed it. A couple of rivets popped out at that point; I'm wondering if I'll ever find the links they secured, an...

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Strongbow wrote:Who are the AWESOME musicians at the end of the video?

I think they're a semi-pro troupe from Drachenwald.

Donal Mac Ruiseart

Well, first I need to find a bucket with a lid that will seal; I think I have one.

Then I need to find enough sawdust . . .

This is turning out to be more complicated than I expected

Donal Mac Ruiseart

The most common Roman spear was the pilum . It was a relatively short javelin with a thick wooden haft perhaps three feet long and a soft-iron shaft a little shorter, with a hardened tip. http://www.valleymartialarts.com/images/xh2031.jpg The long iron shaft was soft enough that when the pilum struc...

Shields from Eglinton Tournament Sold at Auction

SCA Glaive Prototype

A Resource for Women Fighters