Hello again everybody, a few more questions for you. I just got my shoulders and elbows in the mail, and made my torso and bracers out of blue plastic, but now I have come to an impass. How does one strap/lace the shoulders, elbows and chest pieces?? My shoulders and elbows have holes punched in them, should I get some leather straps and buckles and just rivet them on?
And by the way, I ended up placing my armor order at the Armour Store, and I have nothing but happiness from it. My pieces all arrived on time, (he even went in on a Saturday to finish up my Brig Gorget), and are beautiful. Very nice work, and good communication too, in the course of a week and a half I talked to the guy four times. I recommend the Armour Store!
Newbie armor news and questions
- Mad Matt
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NO STRAPS ON SPAULDERS.
Those holes are called the base for the attachment of an arming point.
Rivit on a small leather tab.
Put holes in the leather tab.
Lace the leather tab to your gambeson or sweatshirt or whatever you've got to wear underneath of your armour.
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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
Those holes are called the base for the attachment of an arming point.
Rivit on a small leather tab.
Put holes in the leather tab.
Lace the leather tab to your gambeson or sweatshirt or whatever you've got to wear underneath of your armour.
------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
- Mad Matt
- Archive Member
- Posts: 7697
- Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2000 1:01 am
- Location: Ontario Canada
- Contact:
Sorry that's wrong.
No straps on the top of the spaulders.
You can use a strap at the bottom of the spaulders which encircles the upper arm. Or you can use arming points there too.
------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
No straps on the top of the spaulders.
You can use a strap at the bottom of the spaulders which encircles the upper arm. Or you can use arming points there too.
------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
-
Gaston
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- Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2001 2:01 am
- Location: Piney Flats TN, USA
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Malaki,
I bumped up Jake Stallion's post on arming points (also found here)
This might give you a better idea of how to use points and laces (or, in the modern, holes and strings). I'd be glad to try to answer any questions you have on the issue, and to take some more fuzzy pictures if you need them.
You'll find points infinitely more comfortable than other forms of attachment. And, they're period for most hardsuit armour!
I bumped up Jake Stallion's post on arming points (also found here)
This might give you a better idea of how to use points and laces (or, in the modern, holes and strings). I'd be glad to try to answer any questions you have on the issue, and to take some more fuzzy pictures if you need them.
You'll find points infinitely more comfortable than other forms of attachment. And, they're period for most hardsuit armour!
OK, I read that thread, and I understand almost nothing of what it said. Let us all *pretend* that I know nothing about armor, or at least nothing practical. How do you go about fastening the shoulders and elbows to...lets say a sweatshirt underneath? If one of you could explain the whole process to me without any slang I would be much appreciative.
Thanks again for all the help!
Thanks again for all the help!
-
Gaston
- Archive Member
- Posts: 826
- Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2001 2:01 am
- Location: Piney Flats TN, USA
- Contact:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by malaki:
<B>OK, I read that thread, and I understand almost nothing of what it said. Let us all *pretend* that I know nothing about armor, or at least nothing practical. How do you go about fastening the shoulders and elbows to...lets say a sweatshirt underneath? If one of you could explain the whole process to me without any slang I would be much appreciative.
Thanks again for all the help!</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Actually, it's not slang, it's correct armour terminology. In fact, most of it is from Middle French, although the Anglophiles here forget that French was the language of the English nobility and court for centuries.
Sweatshirt? Noooooooooo, tooo stretchy. If you can't make a gambeson, at least get something like a denim jacket that won't give.
Points? Just punch some holes in it. If you do it with an awl or icepick and work it larger, it won't fray as badly.
Now make rerebraces (that's the upper arm part, and actually only needs to guard the outside of the arm. Having some of it wrap over the bicep will be appreciated, though), and vambraces (that's the forearm part).
Lay/tape/hold the vambrace on your arm, and put the coultier (that's the elbow "cop") over it (starting to notice how much of this is French?). Bend your arm and note where the pivot point should be. You'll find it much closer to the "funnybone" that you expected. Mark the coultier, remove it, mark the vambrace, remove it, mark the arming coat.
Do the same with the rerebrace and coultier.
Punch holes in pair in the arming coat. Look at my pics again for ideas on how to align them, they go more or less perpendicular to the limb being armoured.
Lay the spaulder (the shoulder armour) on your shoulder and move your arm around a lot. Do it holding various weapons. When you decide where it should go, mark the arming coat under it to match the holes in it. Punch a pair of holes to match.
The "snug strap" on the spaulders goes at the very bottom. Put the buckle over the bicep so you can get to it easily.
Put a snug strap in the center of the coultier, making sure the buckle doesn't end up inside the bend of the arm. This should be a thin, soft strap, it's just there to keep the coultier in place and a big strap will bite.
To dress, first put on arming shoes and next sabatons. Put on your bulwarks (knee pads) or quilted chausses (padded upper leg and knee garment), then your greaves.
Next, put your laces through the holes in your coat (with your coat off). Bring them up through the vambraces/rerebraces, then the coultiers, then tie them with an overhand knot and overhand on a bight (a "half bow", with the loop part upward). You can also tie an overhand on a bight or "French knot".
Then tie on the spaulders. If you don't have an arming coat or gambeson, put your elbow pads on now. Put on the coat, buckle the vambrace straps, the rerebrace strap, then the coultier snug strap. Buckle the spaulder strap loosely over the rerebrace, this needs to rotate so don't buckle it tightly.
Tie your leg harness to the coat at the hips. Now tie the points at the front. Button the jacket.
Put on your coat of plates and get a friend to buckle it in back, or your brayette (maille skirt) and your globose breastplate.
Put on your gorget now, so the skirt lays under your surcoat and doesn't cover your arms.
Put on your surcoat and lace it snug on the sides, or your jupon and button it.
Bend over and buckle your leg harness. Stand up and put on your belt and cinch it tightly. A tight belt helps support your back and keep your body armour in place.
Put on your helmet, buckle it carefully. Don your gauntlets and check to make sure your fingers are safely in place.
Pick up your shield and sword, and go whack a friend.
[This message has been edited by Gaston (edited 04-25-2001).]
<B>OK, I read that thread, and I understand almost nothing of what it said. Let us all *pretend* that I know nothing about armor, or at least nothing practical. How do you go about fastening the shoulders and elbows to...lets say a sweatshirt underneath? If one of you could explain the whole process to me without any slang I would be much appreciative.
Thanks again for all the help!</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Actually, it's not slang, it's correct armour terminology. In fact, most of it is from Middle French, although the Anglophiles here forget that French was the language of the English nobility and court for centuries.
Sweatshirt? Noooooooooo, tooo stretchy. If you can't make a gambeson, at least get something like a denim jacket that won't give.
Points? Just punch some holes in it. If you do it with an awl or icepick and work it larger, it won't fray as badly.
Now make rerebraces (that's the upper arm part, and actually only needs to guard the outside of the arm. Having some of it wrap over the bicep will be appreciated, though), and vambraces (that's the forearm part).
Lay/tape/hold the vambrace on your arm, and put the coultier (that's the elbow "cop") over it (starting to notice how much of this is French?). Bend your arm and note where the pivot point should be. You'll find it much closer to the "funnybone" that you expected. Mark the coultier, remove it, mark the vambrace, remove it, mark the arming coat.
Do the same with the rerebrace and coultier.
Punch holes in pair in the arming coat. Look at my pics again for ideas on how to align them, they go more or less perpendicular to the limb being armoured.
Lay the spaulder (the shoulder armour) on your shoulder and move your arm around a lot. Do it holding various weapons. When you decide where it should go, mark the arming coat under it to match the holes in it. Punch a pair of holes to match.
The "snug strap" on the spaulders goes at the very bottom. Put the buckle over the bicep so you can get to it easily.
Put a snug strap in the center of the coultier, making sure the buckle doesn't end up inside the bend of the arm. This should be a thin, soft strap, it's just there to keep the coultier in place and a big strap will bite.
To dress, first put on arming shoes and next sabatons. Put on your bulwarks (knee pads) or quilted chausses (padded upper leg and knee garment), then your greaves.
Next, put your laces through the holes in your coat (with your coat off). Bring them up through the vambraces/rerebraces, then the coultiers, then tie them with an overhand knot and overhand on a bight (a "half bow", with the loop part upward). You can also tie an overhand on a bight or "French knot".
Then tie on the spaulders. If you don't have an arming coat or gambeson, put your elbow pads on now. Put on the coat, buckle the vambrace straps, the rerebrace strap, then the coultier snug strap. Buckle the spaulder strap loosely over the rerebrace, this needs to rotate so don't buckle it tightly.
Tie your leg harness to the coat at the hips. Now tie the points at the front. Button the jacket.
Put on your coat of plates and get a friend to buckle it in back, or your brayette (maille skirt) and your globose breastplate.
Put on your gorget now, so the skirt lays under your surcoat and doesn't cover your arms.
Put on your surcoat and lace it snug on the sides, or your jupon and button it.
Bend over and buckle your leg harness. Stand up and put on your belt and cinch it tightly. A tight belt helps support your back and keep your body armour in place.
Put on your helmet, buckle it carefully. Don your gauntlets and check to make sure your fingers are safely in place.
Pick up your shield and sword, and go whack a friend.
[This message has been edited by Gaston (edited 04-25-2001).]
