The Armour Archive

I worked up a new pigeon breasted pattern and put it into plastic today in an attempt to upgrade my line beyond my "basic armor" roots. Comment sought on the implementation. This is not an invitation to have a plastic bashing forum. Let's take that dance elsewhere.
http://darkvictory.com/assets/images/Pigeon%20Breast%20front%20version%201a.JPG
http://darkvictory.com/assets/images/Pigeon%20Breast%20front%20version%201b.JPG

(glad my armor is better than my photography!)

Jordan Weinstein
SCAlled Dieterick Von Berne
Dark Victory Armory http://darkvictory.com

It is not really "pidgeon breasted" in style.

It may look nice when covered and stuff....but if it is meant to be the pidgeon breasted style then I suggest you get a butane torch and a good book and do some further testing.


Needs more bulge.
Needs a clear centre line.
Too much shoulder strap.

Think about bending out the bottom edge so as to provide a shelf to hang tassets or fauld from.

I would happily take a look at prototype number2

As a bit of advise about lowering the "plastic furor" tension. How about you do a "finished" harness, with all the plastic covered and all the decorations and stuff. Take a lot of pics of it and have it on your site to show people an option of what can be done. Give them a clear idea of a good way to finish the armour...rather then just sell tabards.


Sasha
Riverforge...we also use plastic

It looks to be rather shallow and too long to allow someone to bend at the waist. It is definately a move in the right direction, however.

Dan

It looks good for a first shot. I would second DanV, I'm pretty sure breastplates are supposed to stop just below the ribs, right about belly button level. (Right where you bend, that's how you can still move decent in them) That one looks longer than that (But it's hard to tell from the pics).

[This message has been edited by Troy (edited 01-08-2001).]

Umm, I may be off my rocker (and tell me if I am) but when I think of pigeon-breasted breastplates, I think of globulose-esque breastplates with a droop that would look alot like a squashed "J" in profile.

So, if i'm right, it could use more droop. Seems to me that plastic is a pretty good medium to make breastblates like that.

(see, we can have civil dicussions about plastic! It just happens to help that the plastic looks respectibel and professional)

How much are you thinking this one would go for?

What you are thinking of is a peascod breastplate. A bit later period.

A [idgeon breast can be anything that has that forward "keel" effect with a clearly defined centre-line.
They tended to be highish in the chest and flattened out towards the belly. This is why many women like this tyle to fight in. If you do not want to emphasise your "qualities" then this is a good style to pick.

Some glabose breast plates did tend towards the pidgeon breast look. They certainly had the very high waistline and the bulge at nipple level. The example that I am thinking of did not have shouldery bit at all. It just rounded off at the top.

Pidgeon breasts came back into style after period in the 1700's. They provided a good profile for deflecting musket balls and such.

Sasha
Riverforge

That sure looks a lot better than your earlier armour.
I'd put an articulated lame along the arm holes, this will give the armour a better profile as well as improving arm protection.

Shame you can't get rid of that bump running from left to right midway up, it detracts from the line of the armour. Though I imagine that it is part of the barrel the armour was formed from, and it probably adds strength to the armour.


Juz

------------------
The third pig said "We've tried straw, sticks, brick, specially
reinforced concrete and now armour-plated, molybdenum-laced steel.
If this doesn't work, we're going to have severe credibility problems
with the insurance company."

Constructive criticism:

Perhaps you'll want to acquire a thin (about 20 gauge or so) metal version of the breastplate (using one as a press, the other as a form), and heat-form the plastic. Then clamp the metal pieces on either side. Once it cools, you'll have the shape you want.

What do you think?



------------------
Robert Coleman, Jr.

The Noble Companie and Order of St. Maurice

Those who beat their swords into plowshares end up plowing for those who don't.

20ga is wat to thin to bend the plastic...even at near liquid tempretures.

If you want to use forms....old street signs work a treat.

Aluminium forms for plastic and leather moulding are what I use, and so far (about 6 years) I have no complaints.

Sasha
Riverforge
...oh, and you only need one layer. There is nothing to gain by sandwitching the plastioc between two molds

Dieter,
Call Daniel, he used to have a peascod style breast kicking around. Somebody had banged the thing together out of a fifty gallon drum, it is too heavy for mere mortals to wear but might be the perfect thing to use as a form, then do as Templar Bob suggests.

Thanks very much for the commentary, advice, and ideas. I try them out and see which ones work in my construction.

Jordan Weinstein
SCAlled Dieterick Von Berne
Dark Victory Armory http://darkvictory.com