The Armour Archive

The doublet is coming along much nicer than I expected.

After connecting all the separate pieces with a whip stitch, using either linen thread for the places that need a stronger bind, or cotton thread for the ones that do not suffer such pressure, I hemmed the pieces with a simple overlap. After that I asked myself how should I make the eyelets? From previous experience I'd need reinforcement for most of the eyelets that hold even the hosen, not to mention the cuisse, as the fabric stretches and after some use rips. One option was to just use more stronger thread while making the eyelet but as I wanted to use the nice linen thread for it, and don't have much of it (btw, why is linen thread so hard to come by in this part of Europe?) another idea came to mind - to use metal rings in the eyelets.

First I made a sample by using a zinc coated ring, 6mm ID, the same I used for some butted maille pieces, sewed it around a hole in the fabric made with an awl and then gave it a good stretching to see how it behaves. Being very satisfied with the results I started to make such eyelets on the entire garment - pictures will follow in the next few days

Aleksa

The doublet came out quite nice. I could have made the collar a bit taller, there are a few wrinkles here and there, and the holes for the arming points and hose are missing, but movement is good and it feels comfortable. The only adjustment will probably be to place the neck ties one hole lower, I can imagine it becoming a nuisance after a couple of hours of wearing. Next up are the hosen.

Aleksa

I think that this doublet will do the job. The fit in the sleeves could be improved but none of us are professional tailors and I do not have concrete suggestions.

Aleksa wrote:After that I asked myself how should I make the eyelets? From previous experience I'd need reinforcement for most of the eyelets that hold even the hosen, not to mention the cuisse, as the fabric stretches and after some use rips. One option was to just use more stronger thread while making the eyelet but as I wanted to use the nice linen thread for it, and don't have much of it (btw, why is linen thread so hard to come by in this part of Europe?) another idea came to mind - to use metal rings in the eyelets.

I mail-order my linen thread from sartor in Czechoslovakia. Silk buttonhole floss is probably a better choice for eyelets though because it is smooth.

If your eyelets are bursting open, your fabric is probably not strong enough. Matthew Gnagy has never seen an eyelet reinforced with a metal ring in any 16th/17th century garment, and does not have issues with ones sewn like he sees on surviving garments ... but he buys the best textiles available in New York City. If the linen available to you is not so strong, metal rings might work, I have never tried them.

Having finally found an armourer willing to make the arms and shoulders I am facing some new problems concerning their design.

We roughly agreed on the construction and materials (details will be posted) but are a bit confused about the proportions of the shoulders. Over the back they seem just fine, ending maybe just short of the spine, but at the front it looks like as if they would meet almost edge to edge. Do we know of any surviving harness that have such proportions? I can't really imagine it restricting movement any more than it already does, but it seems just too large compared to originals I've seen. Of course, this way it does a great job of covering up the armpits but doesn't leave much room for a lance under the right arm.

Aleksa

The pouldrons are not so strange as they may seem. The pose of the statue has both elbows forward or their neutral position. This will bring the pouldrons close together in front.

If your armorer makes them so that they look like this when you are standing like the statue, they will look pretty normal when you arms are at your sides.

Mac