Camail for helm

[cgraber78]

I'm throwing around with a couple of ideas for adding a camail to my helm. It seems like everyone automatically brings up chainmaille, but I've seen a small handful who use leather. I'd prefer to use leather as it would go with the rest of my kit.... What I have in mind would cover about 2/3 around, leaving the front of the neck open.....

Have you seen this? Thoughts? Pics/Designs?


Cheers!!

[Sevastian]

I've seen this on several Knotwolf helmets. I know a local fighter with one such and I think it looks spiff. Of course, I have no pics handy. Some decorative rivets would really make it stand out.

[Konstantin the Red]

What? The front is open?? That flies right in the face of what a camail is. It is all around neck protection, either by itself or teamed with a gorget beneath it.

[Sevastian]

Pretty sure its a drape. Wrong terminology isall. Of course, I could be completely wrong.

[Konstantin the Red]

He's still got the chink in his armor -- at his throat! This is a whole lot of no good so far!

[Hrolfr]

Firstly, what style helm do you have? That'll give us a starting point

[cgraber78]

okay, yes a drape.... my bad :/

I do have a gorget, and wear a starter helm by accdntprone...

[Harry Marinakis]

Are you looking for something modeled after a historic example, or are you creating something fanciful?

[Konstantin the Red]

So those starter-buckets of A-prone's are pretty much in a simply done spangen style... with Roman-ish/Dark-Ages cheekplates, as is fashionable these days to minimize obvious bargrill area and add interest to the bottom half of the helm, about the face. The cleft between these and the nape-backplate also makes for good hearing, something an enclosed helm doesn't always offer.

With a gorget in place already for protection, is it some kind of style effect that you're after, Cgraber? I'd been thinking more in terms of defense in depth, which did happen -- and does now.

I feel reassured -- I've seen some bad armour design, been warned off it, warned others off it too. Always I figure I better respond if that red flag goes up.

[cgraber78]

First, it is a great helm but once it was padded 'too tall me' I had a bit too much exposure around the side/back of the neck area (gap from top of gorget to bottom of helm). A couple guys I do armoring nights with and I talked about ideas like adding a camail but I'm really not interested in adding chain mail. Other pieces of my kit (arms/legs/gorget) are leather, so the thought was adding a leather drape would add that extra slight bit of protection, without being 'shiny'... ((please forgive the rambling, cold meds have kicked in ))

Ultimately my 'plan' is to primarily participate in CA, but have the flexibility/protection to pick up a sword & board when the mood strikes and primary interest is in approx late 14th/early 15th C - ish... Thinking of adding the leather drape was not based on a specific historical image, nor was it meant to be a fancy addition, just a means to meet a need....

Thanks for helping me bounce ideas around!!

Christina

[cgraber78]

(bump)

[Sevastian]

Perhaps if you could post a couple pics of your helmet?