The Armour Archive

Dear all,

Sorry if this sounds like a rant just thought someone might get something out of my experiences.

A few weeks ago after many many nights of playing around with stuff over the last few years, something clicked and things started to work.
I have started to make lots of stuff and I have found a bunch of people that are willing to buy anything I make as I learn (providing the price is right).
So I have started doing this.
I pulled out my finger and now spend most of my nights and weekends giving things a go. It is seriously amazing how much improvement you see in the things you make if you stop worrying about being as good as the best armourers every time and just progress at your own rate. Both living history and the SCA have members that can’t afford top shelf armour and this is the market you can target while you learn.
I still make it as well as I can, I make sure it fits in with all the rules and the best part is I sell it really cheep (enough to make the steel cost back and a little for time). This may not work for some but I have a full time job as well so this is a hobby not a business.

Anyway, if you have been thinking about giving it a go, stop thinking about it and get out there and do it.

Here are some of the simple things I have started learning on, your constructive criticism is much appreciated. Most of these come from patterns on here and from the net, they are my first goes and so far people are happy.

Some Knees and Elbows

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/mille.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/gothk.jpg[/img]

Effiggee style and The Met style sholders

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/spfinished.jpg[/img]

The first 3 plates of the 9 plate BP

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/bpf.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/ne2.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/ne3.jpg[/img]

A mix of things.

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/ss1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/gs.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/gs2.jpg[/img]

If this Gorget had padding and so on, would this fit into the SCA rules ???

[img]http://www.knighthospitaller.com/database/images/madearmour/g1.jpg[/img]

This gorget style should easily fit within SCA rules. I make similar ones myself, and depending on fit, have had no problems.

Your pieces look very uniform, evenly dished, and have a good polish from the photos. Good work. I can see why you have no problem selling what you create to the SCA crowd.

Very nice.

Sweet work.

I'll second what Ceawlin said.


Effingham

Kit Houston wrote:I pulled out my finger and now spend most of my nights and weekends giving things a go. It is seriously amazing how much improvement you see in the things you make if you stop worrying about being as good as the best armourers every time and just progress at your own rate.

There is no such thing as perfect. Even the best armorers out there (unless they've ben bit by the ego thing) have something on every single peice that THEY are not happy with. Most customers wouldn't ever notice it.

If there's no such thing as perfect, and you accept that, then you will progress much faster. You will do this because you will finish peices. When you finish a peice and look at it you can say "I like this. I don't like that." and make the next one better.

Enjoy and embrace the freedom of "This is what I made, and this is how I make it. If you don't like it, don't buy it. The next one will be better." It's pretty awesome when you figure out that "Hey, I AM good"

Thanks for the kind words so far.

I really want to improve as much as I can as quick as I can so please take out the 'constructive' if needs be and just criticise.

Pull me up on any fault you can see, anything I need to fix and anything that just doesn't sit right with you

With both guns blazing pull my work apart

Kit

Hmmmm, criticisms.... Well, it's not in my cupboard, I suppose that's a bad thing.

How long did it take you to polish that metal?

Criticisim.....I see nothing to ctiricise. It all looks well made. If you want opinions on your work i.e. Improvements you can make things that don't work...then talk to the sca people who you sell to. Give them a couple of weeks of fighter practice and they can tell you what they feel needs to be improved upon.

Grendal

I’m not sure.....

I did all the knees and elbows in a production line kind of a way.....
(this really cuts down time).
So in order....

I did all of them in 100grit , 120grit, smoke, 240grit, 400grit

A quick hand sand with 400grit ,smoke, then cut, buff and polish. Smoke.

Around an hour I think maybe less if I stop smoking

Thanks Grendal.
There is a big SCA event coming up Easter next year, I’m thinking of making a bunch of stuff and selling it at the market there to cover travel costs

I will ask them if they take stuff to get back to me with improvements.

Good idea!.

What period do you make stuff for?

I'm in a few groups at the moment with the main one being 1380 - 1415.
Once I have the basics ill be looking at only doing authentic armour that is document able by extant finds and manuscripts/art.
Between the above times but.... being a part of a 15th and 17th group ill need to start stuff for that as well.

Kit Houston wrote:If this Gorget had padding and so on, would this fit into the SCA rules ???

I've made one of those with the "spring clip" rivet type of fastener (no buckle) and Heavy Combat marshals I've shown it to don't like it because it can easily pop apart if you compress it front-to-back. (eg. If you're laying on your back and it gets stepped on, or you get sandwiched between two unstoppable forces). Using buckles should make it okay though.

I've had some rapier marshals say it did not come up quite high enough (on me) for use with schlager weapons. I wear it with a doublet that has a high collar plus a hood that goes under it, so the additional padding inside (as per rapier armour regs) is not needed. But then, I've had other Rapier Marshals pass it. All the same, i'm going to try making a version that's a bit taller, or else figure out how to make an articulated upper lame for it.

I mostly wear it (for use with epee weapons) because it looks cool.