Tell me about helmet liners

[Maeryk]

So.. I has this:

[img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a181/maeryk/PICT1653.jpg[/img]

And I don't really wanna glue foam into it, or wear a karate headpiece again.

So, how does one make a "period" stuffed liner? And do they have to be fixed into the helmet? Or can they be more like an arming cap?

Thanks!

[Talorgen]

I am wearing one that I purchased, which consists basically of four elongated stuffed triangles tied together at the points. Two cover the ears, one the back of the head, and a short one goes to the forehead. The whole thing is somewhat adjustable by changing how tightly the tips are tied together. It's probably not the period solution, but I haven't looked to see what is either.

I put on an arming cap, then the padding, then my chain coif, then my valsgarde helm at the moment. All loose, and as long as I'm careful to ensure that everything stays put where it belongs then I don't have an issue dealing with it.

I've used this with a few different helms now without real issue. The chain is a recent addition that I've only started with the valsgarde, but using an arming cap then the padding has worked for me. Depending on the helm, it may work better to put the padding in the helm and then put it on or to put the padding on the head and then put the helm over it. Whichever keeps the padding in the same place. Mine has always been a snug fit when doing so, and I haven't had issues with it shifting after getting the helm in place. Shifting while putting it on is a different story...

Hope this helps. Looking forward to the other responses here!

-Tal

[InsaneIrish]

You could do an arming cap style, or rivet a strip of leather around the interior edge of the helmet. Whip stitch your liner to that leather.

Or drill a bunch of little holes around the edge of the helmet and sew the liner to them.

For a Sallet, you normally had a "cap" like a beanie style stocking cap padding. A leather strip riveted around the brow line of the helm and the liner sewn to that.

Leather strip around the brow line riveted to the helm:

[Gregoire de Lyon]

Might I suggest that if you are going to sew in your liner, you think about sewing in a velcro strip instead? That way when that nice spongey quilt has soaked up a Pennsic worth of head juice you can simply pull it out to wash it instead of having to cut out the stitching and start over after the laundry is done...

[Tailoress]

I patterned the one I made for one of Cet's commissions as four rounded triangles. I sandwiched about a 1.5" of cotton batting between two layers of sturdy natural linen. Then I pad-stitched it to compress it down to about .75". Or, you can do lines of quilting. Then I turned the rough edges in and sewed them together. Then I sewed the pieces to each other, about 50% of the way up each side. Then I stuffed it in the helm and so far the customer likes it. Apparently he plans to get one of his guys to hit him as hard as he can in the head with a pollaxe to test it, but I'm not sure that's the best idea. I think he means a metal pollaxe, knowing the customer.

[Baron Alcyoneus]

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/alcyon/Armet%20lining.JPG[/img]

[Talorgen]

Baron Alcyoneus: That's AWESOME!

Can I ask what that's reproduced from?

Thanks

-Tal

[Baron Alcyoneus]

That is the liner from The Galiot's helmet in The Met.

[Jonathan Atkin]

*Tagged for later viewing*

[sha-ul]

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/alcyon/Armet%20lining.JPG[/img]

STRAIGHT TO THE PHOTO-HOARD