The Armour Archive

Okay, my wife has decided that she'd like to participate in SCA heavy combat again after more than a decade away from it.

I made her a 14th century style globose breastplate, and a friend donated a gambeson. Then I strapped spare limb armour I had laying around on her; none of it fits well except for the breastplate.

[img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5085/5330472532_46476b98f8_b.jpg[/img]

I have better-fitting limb armour in the works, but what she's really worried about is her midsection and hips. What can I do that would work for her, isn't too heavy, and is still accurate to the late 14th century?

I have a leather c-belt that holds up my legs and does a surprisingly good job of taking the worst of the sting out of shots to my hips. It's padded with 2 layers of felt to make it more comfortable.

I have a breastplate that goes all the way down to my belly button, which I intent to replace with a corrazina as soon as I can save the money for it. But one option could be to do some sort of detachable splinted fauld or something. I'll look through my effigy pics and see if I can find any examples. Some kind of hidden sport protection would work too. If she's going to have a jupon or surcoat over the top you wouldn't be able to see it.

Josh,

Pitbull makes -if you ask him- lightweight C belts that are easier on the hips than the heavy duty ones, yet they are excellent support for lighter legs.

If she wants hidden padding, perhaps she will consider this:
http://safesports.com/pro-pant-with-tail-shield/

I wear a slightly different version and it is phenomenal. No padding on the legs so the legs can be a lot lighter on her waist., and all can be covered quite nicely.

Glaukos

My splinted legs and arms are both padded with 2 layers of felt. It makes a huge difference and it's cheap. I just glued it right to the plastic/leather. M c belt is also not super thick. It's the padding that helps.

In Germany and Bohemia, a scale fauld would be appropriate.

The effigy of johann von wertheim shows what looks like a scale fauld.

A well padded gambeson (Revival Clothing sells them) or a well padded jupon can provide a lot of protection for the hips etc. Not rigid protection but it is simple, works and it is appropriate for the time period.

I envy you. My sweetie has decided not to fight and she was almost authorized before she went and got herself pregnant five years ago. Silly girl.

A fauld of most any kind would fit her requirements, and look 14th century.

It could be mail, scale, brigandine, or steel attached to the breastplate.

Seeing as how well you've crafted the breastplate, attaching a steel fauld articulated on leathers should be well within your abilities. Keep it short, just to the top of the leg armor, and it shouldn't add too much weight in 18 ga.

Or, make it a covered breastplate, and attach a fauld by the same fabric.

Ekkehard der Hunnen wrote:In Germany and Bohemia, a scale fauld would be appropriate.

Could you expand on this? I'm interested in seeing examples. I know there is plenty of evidence of this in the 15th, but I haven't seen much for the late 14th.

Isabella E wrote:The effigy of johann von wertheim shows what looks like a scale fauld.

This effigy is dated about 1407 - a bit past the goal of 14th C.

I certainly don't plan on doing a scale fauld for her breastplate, but I have seen this illustration dated to the late 14th century a time or two:

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/alexand ... ey-264/98/

Thanks for the ideas, gentlemen; keep them coming by all means. Images begin to form in my mind...

Josh, that dating is interesting. I know the bulk of that manuscript is dated to the 14th century (1338-44), but there are a number of folios attributed to a later artist (c. 1400 according to the Bodleian Library, owner of the manuscript), of which the linked miniature is from. So, possibly very late 14th century.

Galfrid atte grene wrote:This effigy is dated about 1407 - a bit past the goal of 14th C.

Though of course there is the effigial fudge factor -- was the image designed/commissioned during the life of the deceased; just how bleeding-edge, up-to-the-minute was the image when it was engraved anyway; does the armor represented actually show the decedent's gear from his fighting age and had he died old, not young? These blur the dating somewhat, and to unpredictable degrees, as definitive record may have long been lost. Style cues for the harness have to be assessed too.

Wife wants to fight again--armour suggestions?

Don't fight! Even if you win you lose. Wear what you want but regardless of her fighting style I highly recommend a cup to protect your junk.

How about:

[img]http://studio930.com/jetrefilm_photography/grace_holley_plate11.jpg[/img]

Aluminium armour? No thanks.

In all honesty, while I would prefer to put her in some proper 15th century gear as that's the direction that my own tastes run, the 14th century stuff is just easier to put assemble.

That she ended up with the breastplate is an accident, since I (with the assistance of the Archiver who goes by "jarlragnar") originally made it for someone else who wound up not wanting it. So, when I was scratching my head, wondering what to do with a girl-sized 14th century globose breastplate, my wife pipes up and says that she'd like to try combat again, and now I'm building a kit for her around the breastplate. As of yesterday, she has a bascinet (visorless at the moment) to go with it, and I've got more components in the works.

For the remainder of the torso defense, I think I'm just going to put together something like the breastplate worn with a coat-of-plates depicted in green at the bottom left of this modern illustration, with a back based on either the c.1370 Prague St. George or the "falling knight" misericorde from Lincoln cathedral.

http://www.studio88.co.uk/acatalog/info_GT_58_H.html

Not that you are likely to want to cut the globose in half but I'm a big-fan of corazinnas for the time period you are looking at. They move well, protect well, accommodate most feminine forms well (better then the modern male) and includes good hip protection.

If you don't want to cut open the BP then you might consider the Munich breastplate design. Some pictures are here.

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic ... sc&start=0

It at least includes partial hip protection.

Good luck. A hobby that husbands and wives can share is a wonderful thing.

Sean

I had briefly considered a corrazina, but I don't want to cover the breastplate.

There's a great picture of the holy madonna all kitted out in armour with full plated angels. It looks awesome and that breastplate would work perfectly.

zachos wrote:There's a great picture of the holy madonna all kitted out in armour with full plated angels. It looks awesome and that breastplate would work perfectly.

Oh yeah--I remember that picture! Does anyone have a link to it?