Plate Armour Exhibition + catalogue, Czech Republic

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:32 am

Still have not gotten mine yet but Jiri has. I will let you know how it is when (I hope) I get it.

RPM

BruceWayne · Post by **BruceWayne** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:31 am

Signo wrote:Uhm nothing that you can't see on his online catalogue.
http://www.fabri-armorum.cz/medieval_swords.htm
The swords in general have not a high level finish on them
Hilt and pommels could be quite rough, hilts are hot forged and show it clearly.
They are cheap and sturdy, usually properly balanced, they don't dent so easily and don't dent deeply.

it have returned me every mail i sent him... is there any other way to conntact him???

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:35 am

I just recieved word from my girlfriend that my book has arrived, so when I get home it'll be a good old fashioned evening of armour pornography!

Joy!

James Arlen Gillaspie · Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:26 pm

Hello, Ben,

Some of us have been having trouble ordering the book. Paypal doesn't work for us, and Marcella Budinska wants us to use an IBAN that seems to be a digit short. Could you tell us what you did that worked?

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:10 pm

Hi everyone, the package my girlfriend messaged me about was indeed the book.

It was sent in a very sturdy package, consisting of bubblewrap, a misprinted poster of some Czech historical event, wrapping paper, tape and rope.

The book looks very good, with clear photos of the armours as a suit and each seperate part with it's own image, some even with shots of the insides! When I say 'clear photos', I don't mean photography like in the Churburg Armoury book, but good total shots of the pieces, although some are a bit dark. Nevertheless, I think it's a valuable addition to an armourlover's bookcase.

Another thing that stood out was the accompanied translation of the book in english, very nice that they supplied that with the book, it's good service that they did.

The contents will surely please those who have interest in maximillian armour, but the occasional 15th century piece is also worth buying the book. It also show lesser grade armour, the kind that, even though properly reconstructed, usually gets comments on re-enactment events because it wouldnÂ´t be a proper design. Funny, I would think.

In closing, this is the mail I recieved with the payment details and I copied this IBAN directly in my online banking program.

We are sending you a number of our international bank account number
(IBAN).

IBAN: CZ8801000000787777510247

SWIFT: KOMBCZPPXXX

Good luck with ordering, while IÂ´ll lock myself up with this book now. :wink:

James Arlen Gillaspie · Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:16 pm

AHA! The last digit was left off in the email I recieved.

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:12 am

I just went yesterday and found likewise. Thanks for posting that.

RPM

Jiri Klepac · Post by **Jiri Klepac** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:45 am

Hello Kaos,

thanks for description. My own would be nearly the same (except good English:-)
I am sorry I did not post payment details. I hope it is all right for everybody now.

all the best

Jiri

btmcrae · Post by **btmcrae** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:09 am

Looks like a nicely put together book.

Oh how I lament the fact that my Grandmother Peisar only taught my mother a few Czech children's songs and not the whole language, which she then could have passed at least some of along to me.

Perhaps this will encourage me to learn a bit of Czech on my own. Of course the source of my learning may lead to some interesting conversations if ever I visit. I will mean to say "That is a lovely dress you are wearing, miss." and instead say "That is some lovely embossing on your breastplate, miss."

Zanetto · Post by **Zanetto** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:42 am

Is there anyone in the US that has gotten a copy of this from the museum? I have had sporadic email contact with them. The last one said they were going to mail me an invoice. I would really like to get a copy of this.

Thanks,
Rob

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:51 am

Rob and all you other people,

Got my copy (though I live in the U.K. now but used email to communicate so it should be the same- sporadic yep. I do not think the lady who sends the emails works everyday or if she does she does not answer emails every day).

The catalogue is great. Every item had pictures from the front the side and back. It has the weight of individual parts in suits even. Well done.

What a good use of 20 bucks.

RPM

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:11 am

Some of the sallets that are shown are very interesting, very unique items, especially the sallets. For you sallet lovers this books has two that are a must see. On it a very strang shaped one with a very square visor and laminated neck guard and it is painted with flames from the bottom up toward the crown. There is also another one piece one that is of a very odd shape to me. It has a super long tail and is fluted with interesting chevrons almost along the crest. Very neat pieces.

One interesting bit is the varied weights of the gauntlets. One set is about 2 pounds (part of the full 15th century suit) while the two that are lone gauntlets weigh just around 1 pound togther. It makes me wonder if the quality difference was one of cheaper munitions gauntlets or something else. What thicknesses perhaps were used. In some of the pictures it seems the lames are all very thin while the metacarpal is thicker. I'd love to really look at them in person. I had the chance to repair some 16th and 17th century gauntlets and that was interesting in itself but these would be something.

One odd thing to me is it seems the auther of the text seems to place the development of armour further behind most sources I know of (blair in particular), poleyn's till after 1300 and COP's not till sometime after the 14th century has started. Perhaps plate armour was slower in the east? It would seem odd as the earliest COP's were in eastern germany but I have not studied it enough to say, just an observation. It also could be the english translation is worded different than the Czech one?

Over all though I am very happy with the book. Too bad there is not a CD of it with high res pictures!!!

RPM

Jiri Klepac · Post by **Jiri Klepac** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:06 pm

Randal,

there was a problem with the pictures, as organisations lending the armour did not want to offer larger wiev (got knows why) They were made but probably hard to get as they are "clasified" :-)

Personal study was great! We had a whole day with the suits and reffering to the german gounts: theese were all quite thin (fluted examples) nr49 is 0,8mm cuff, 1,2mm lames + knuckle plate.
The text is nothing new, myybe except the list of collection is here, this is mostly "the picture style" book for me

Jiri

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:36 pm

Jiri,

I do not suppose you got to look at suit 5? The gaunts seemed almost 1/2-1/3 heavier than the rest. Do you think the suit looks of high workmanship? It had two master marks on it so I was curious if it perhaps was a quality comparison. Did it look like it had a bevor originally or not?

Shame they would not allow the bigger pictures. Some of the sallets are pretty one of a kind and deserve more looking into. If you ever get an in there into classified pictures there is one I really would like to see larger.

I am envious you got to look around the items. I got to go back behind the scenes at the R.A. on a number of occassions and looking at an item or holding it is an experience that is one of a kind.

It is somewhat sad so much of the armour did not end up on display that they had anticipated, makes me wonder who the people are that own all this stuff. For all we know there is a medieval world of arms and armour we can only see half of.

I know someone who was in Austria and they visited some people who lived in a manor-castle and had all sorts of old arms and armour inside? I cannot even imagine. It would be cool to get into some of these places and see what jems they have hidden away.

RPM

Richard Blackmoore · Post by **Richard Blackmoore** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:41 pm

I inquired about ordering the book and got this response. Sounds like I need to do a bank transfer and hope they mail me the book. I had also asked if they were going to put more of the collection online, it does not sound like it.

Richard

__________________________________________________________
From: MVC HK [mailto:info@muzeumhk.cz]
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 8:34 AM
To: James Peck
Subject: Re: Armour Exhibition Catalog Purchase Information Needed

Dear Sir ,
Thank you for your interest in our catalogue tittled "The Cold Beauty of the
Plate Armour". The catalogue costs 27 USD and a postage (a charge for
dispatch) is about 17 USD (for 1 copy).
In this time only one way how to send your payment for the catalogue and shipping is a transfer via bank accounts (payment order). Our International bank account number (IBAN) is

IBAN: CZ8801000000787777510247. Is necessary to set a code of our bank, too: SWIFT: KOMBCZPPXXX.

This operation can take about 3 days. After receiving your payment we will send you the book.

Please, confirm your concern in this way because of sending our invoice. Do not forget to write your forwarding address.

Our website - we are sorry, we are not going to plan on putting more photoâ€™s of the collection online in the future

Best regards

Ilona Razimova, Museum in Hradec Kralove

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:35 am

Yeah thay is how it works now. I sent the money and got an email from them telling me when the had sent the book. % days later it was at mt door.

RPM

Jiri Lucius. · Post by **Jiri Lucius.** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:39 am

Richard Blackmoore wrote:I inquired about ordering the book and got this response. Sounds like I need to do a bank transfer and hope they mail me the book. I had also asked if they were going to put more of the collection online, it does not sound like it.

Richard

__________________________________________________________
From: MVC HK [mailto:info@muzeumhk.cz]
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 8:34 AM
To: James Peck
Subject: Re: Armour Exhibition Catalog Purchase Information Needed

Dear Sir ,
Thank you for your interest in our catalogue tittled "The Cold Beauty of the
Plate Armour". The catalogue costs 27 USD and a postage (a charge for
dispatch) is about 17 USD (for 1 copy).
In this time only one way how to send your payment for the catalogue and shipping is a transfer via bank accounts (payment order). Our International bank account number (IBAN) is

IBAN: CZ8801000000787777510247. Is necessary to set a code of our bank, too: SWIFT: KOMBCZPPXXX.

This operation can take about 3 days. After receiving your payment we will send you the book.

Please, confirm your concern in this way because of sending our invoice. Do not forget to write your forwarding address.

Our website - we are sorry, we are not going to plan on putting more photoâ€™s of the collection online in the future

Best regards

Ilona Razimova, Museum in Hradec Kralove

They will send it to you 100% after the payment, do not wory. Other wise it would be their last sale, believe me that.

Jiri

Jiri Klepac · Post by **Jiri Klepac** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:40 am

Richard,

donÂ´t worry. This is a state museum. Anyway the similar situation as with Churburg catalogue. Moreover 30 bucks is not much to loose honesty:-)

Randall, the gaunts seems to be preciselly done, but all of them in Hradec do... I would say the lighter the better, but probably also the individual taste can ask thicker steel... ? The lighter ones are rusted through but it seems the thicknes was about the same as I wrote.

Jiri

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:57 pm

Jiri,

Just an idea. Always looking for ideas on the large variety of aRmour. I just was wondering if anything caught you eye as perhaps why they were different. Thanks for the info.

RPM

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:26 pm

Be aware that international wire transfer fees can be more than you expect. I ordered 8 copies and when I went to Wells Fargo to send the wire transfer, they told me the fee was $42! Ouch. If I knew it was going to be so high, I would have ordered another couple of copies.

I sent the transfer on Friday morning, which would have been late Friday night in the Czech Republic. I haven't heard back from them yet, but I am not too worried. They said that the transfer could take a few days (international electrons must be a lot slower than US ones. :-)

).

- Scott

Thomas H · Post by **Thomas H** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:33 pm

I'd LIKE to order one but the price of the transfer is more than the book!

Jiri Lucius. · Post by **Jiri Lucius.** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:26 pm

Thomas H wrote:I'd LIKE to order one but the price of the transfer is more than the book!

Well some time it pays to ask what would it cost if the reciever pays for the tranfer. :wink:

I have recieved some money from Denmark and the tranfer fee was cheaper for me to pay here rather if he would pay it on his side. I told the bank the amount that was goint to be tranfered and they told me how much is it going to be if i pay for the transfer and then I aded that amount to the final price.

But I not sure they would be so nice. But its worth a try to ask.

Jiri

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:49 pm

Scott wrote:Be aware that international wire transfer fees can be more than you expect. I ordered 8 copies and when I went to Wells Fargo to send the wire transfer, they told me the fee was $42! Ouch. If I knew it was going to be so high, I would have ordered another couple of copies.

- Scott

What was the shipping fee for 8 copies?

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:41 pm

I got my order of 8 catalogs in.

Very nice!

In general, they show an assembled harness from front and back, and then individual pictures of each component. Many items are shown from front and back. There's an arm harness consisting of a pauldron, rerebrace & vambrace that has pictures of each arm from four different angles. Some unassociated 15th century breast & backplates have the normal exterior picture as well as an interior picture. Each helm has three pictures - front, side & back.

The text is all in Czech, but there is a translation provided on loose pages. I haven't had time to read it yet, but the pics are great.

I think shipping was something like $91 for the 8 copies. They were wrapped in bubble wrap and then a cardboard box was modified to fit around them. Brown paper over that with string tied around the whole thing. Old-school packing, but it got here fine. Some of the corners got slightly bent, but over all they are in good shape.

Most of the pieces are 15th & 16th century. If that's your thing, then this is a great resource. This catalog provides a lot more detail (especially with pics of each component) than most of my other museum catalogs. I give it my official protected marine mammal of approval!

- Scott