The Armour Archive

Alrighty...while I was thinking about my lamellar plates I had a thought. Are the lamellar harnesses (like what Templar bob wears)a single unit pulled over the head or is a part left open to be laced?

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I expect to pass through this life but once. If, therefore there be any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do for any fellow being let me do it now...as I shall not pass this way again.
-William Penn(1644-1718)

Templar Bob's harness has several buckles up the front to hold it closed. I've never seen a slip on or lace closed piece and there are many, many people around here that wear them.



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Ld. Ondart de Clermont
Squire to Ivar Rhidri Eithr Drenger
Haus Kriegsturm
Barony of Sternfeld
Middle Kingdom
House Kriegsturm Message Board

My leather harness buckles on the right side so the front side overlaps the back side behind my shield.

I think that I might try doing the straps in the back with the 20 ga steel set I am making.

Note that different cultures prefered different ways to buckle or lace their lamellar armor. While the byzantines often fastened it at one or both sides, turks seem to have mostly buckled their armour at the back. Some iranian soldiers again had their armour opening down the front - easy to put without any help.

My lamellar buckles at the left side. I've got a piece of leather than extends continously under the right side of the joint. When I buckle, this piece slides under the left side of joint, while the actual lamellae butte up against each other.

My lamilar buckles once on both sides
that way I can have people bigger and smaller
wear it and not have problems
now if i can only figure out how to do lamilar
hip protection....

My lamellar goes on like a T-shirt much to the amusement of my knight and squire brothers. It makes getting out of it in a hurry difficult. But there are fewer buckles to catch shots on, and the sides are one continuous sheet of lamellar from the arm pit to the skirt. I have no documentation for this harness, it is total conjecture on my part.

As Far as I have found there is no documentation for how Lamellar laces together. There is no surviving complete harnesses and all the miniatures and statues don't show that much detail. I personally lace up the front with brass picture hanger D-rings laced into the harness itself and then I use a piece of cord to lace it up.

I'm thinking of leaving the left side open with 3 buckles and the right side closed. This way the buckles don't get in the way of my sword arm. But I was also thinking of having both sides lace closed into and overlap or butting together. It's hard to choose.

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"I am the thing that goes bump in the night."