Eyeslots on SCA Great Helms...do they HAVE to be 1 inch by 3

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Mon Jun 04, 2001 9:17 am

Howdy,

I'm making a Great Helm for SCA heavy fighting, and I have a question about the rules.

Frankly, in the rules I only see that the mask has to block a 1 inch dowel from entering.

Now, I would like to make a Great Helm with the eye-slot being 5 inches by 1/8th of an inch on either side of my head. Would it be legal?

-Aaron

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Mon Jun 04, 2001 9:54 am

According to your kingdoms standard (AnTir?) it should be, if it is unlikely that the eyeslot would deform so much as to be illegal, or hit your face.

Gundo · Post by **Gundo** » Mon Jun 04, 2001 12:24 pm

The eyeslot can be as long as you want[as long as the helm is solid], and one thing I've seen some people do is make them too short, cutting off peripheral vision...1/8" seems rather narrow, though.

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Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Mon Jun 04, 2001 1:06 pm

Gundo,

Thank you for the advice on peripheral vision. That did concern me quite a bit (and that's the reason I would like to do 5 inches by 1/8 inch on each side).

From the Great Helms I've seen in drawings and intact examples (photographs) the opening is VERY narrow -- I guess to restrict the lance thrust to the face.

I'm the sort that is interested in the "feel" of the armour (even if I can't armour worth a darn). I've cut out, dished and rivetted together the front and rear pieces of the Great Helm, and I'm cutting out the top of the Great Helm soon. But, when I taped the poster-board bottoms to the top that I rivetted...the "regulation size" (3x1 inch) eyeslot didn't "feel" right. So I looked up the Great Helm referances and...yep the eyeslot IS a slot!!

http://hometown.aol.com/vanishwood/other/ghelmapp.htm

I made this modification to the eyes (put tape over them until I had a 1/8th inch slot) and it "felt" better. It didn't feel like the vision was seriously reduced (really)...in fact I felt that having just two slots "sharpened" my perceptions (in that little slot).

Maybe I'm just a nutcase....

Thanks for the help!

Aaron

[This message has been edited by Aaron (edited 06-04-2001).]

Derian le Breton · Post by **Derian le Breton** » Mon Jun 04, 2001 1:16 pm

1"x3"? That seems rather insanely small, IIRC, Calontir has the most stringent rules for eyeslots, and theirs are 1"x5"...

By my understanding, in the Midrealm it just has to prevent the passing of a 1" dowel, and be of sturdy construction. See your local marshal for details

-Donasian.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Mon Jun 04, 2001 1:28 pm

It seems that this is a "highly suggested" thing to have 1x3 inch openings. As Gundo said, properly re-enforced it should not be a problem.

Now, should I try to "roll" the edge of the eyeslots to give it re-enforcement (like the Pembridge Great Helm)?

From:
http://www.antir.sca.org/Pubs/Abc/5armoredcombat_r6.html#Helms

Helm Standards

Face guards shall prohibit a 1" (25mm) dowel being applied straight on to the face guard from entering any facial opening. The standard for face guard openings in any Kingdom shall be less than the minimum allowable cross section for weapons.

If you are new to Armored Combat in An Tir the following are recommended:

Each face guard opening should be less than 3" (7.6 cm) long, in order to minimize the probability that the metal (minimum 16 Ga. non-reinforced) will be deformed by impact.

[This message has been edited by Aaron (edited 06-04-2001).]

Garridan · Post by **Garridan** » Mon Jun 04, 2001 4:22 pm

If you rivet a thick piece of brass (14ga+) to the rim, you'll get the same effect as flaring the eyeslot, and it'll be pretty, too.