proper maintenance and padding of armor

Livia Tasia · Post by **Livia Tasia** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 7:48 pm

In reading one of the other threads about calibration there was a lot mentioned about being able to properly maintain helms, have adequate padding in them and good solid chin straps.

I looked through the archives and didn't see anything related to armor maintenance and padding so I wanted to ask here.

What is good maintenance for armor, not just for helms.
What is good padding for your helm (type/thickness).
What is a good type/style of chin strap.

Regards,

Livia Tasia

Jehan de Pelham · Post by **Jehan de Pelham** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:25 pm

I have a 14G Mild steel bascinet from Anshelm Arms. I have been told I am no slouch on the presentation department.

This is what I do:

1. I make a cloth bag for each peice of armor. Mine are made of cotton, others have said wool is best. I spray the interior of each bag with Liquid Gold brand furniture polish and place the articles within after they are dry. Then I rub them good to take off my fingerprints from handling them

2. I use the round tube batting you can get from your local sewing/cloth/craft store. One inch thick. I start at the top and make a coiled hat out of it, having my wife sew the rings together so they stick together. Then I put that inside the helmet. A cloth cover makes it last longer. I do not stick it inside the helmet using adherents. I take it out after practice and set it somewhere where it can dry. I paint the inside of my helmet with white paint. Spray Krylon is what I used.

3. My chin strap is a three quarter inch wide strap of sturdy latigo, riveted onto my helmet at about the place where the middle of the ear is. This goes under the chin. Then, there is a peice which is riveted onto this, which goes in front of the chin. This holds the helmet in place both vertically, and front and back.

Hope this helps.

Jehan de Pelham, esquire and servant of Sir Vitus

Uilleag · Post by **Uilleag** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:50 pm

Before and after every use, check over your armour. You are looking for bent or cracked rivets / welds. Check your straps, make sure that they are still sound. Stretching and deteriation is a natural thing to happen over time, they will need to be replaced at some point, possibly several times. If your armour is mild steel, it needs to be oiled or waxed frequently. Never store your armour wet.

If you use leather, make sure that it is dry and clean it with saddle soap or any other leather cleaner at least once a month. Have serious dents repaired. Check for fatigued metal, this generally happens on metal pieces that have been bent back into proper shape several times. It will start to crack on the edges.

The key to armour maintenance is to never store it dirty or wet. If it must be transported that way, make sure that it gets properly cleaned and dried before storing it again.

Jehan answered the helm padding and chin strap questions very well, so there isn't much I can add to that.

morristh · Post by **morristh** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:16 pm

Jehan de Pelham wrote:
2. I use the round tube batting you can get from your local sewing/cloth/craft store. One inch thick. I start at the top and make a coiled hat out of it, having my wife sew the rings together so they stick together. Then I put that inside the helmet. A cloth cover makes it last longer. I do not stick it inside the helmet using adherents. I take it out after practice and set it somewhere where it can dry. I paint the inside of my helmet with white paint. Spray Krylon is what I used.

Tell me more about the tubes. That sounds really handy, but I am not sure I have ever seen them.

3. My chin strap is a three quarter inch wide strap of sturdy latigo, riveted onto my helmet at about the place where the middle of the ear is. This goes under the chin. Then, there is a peice which is riveted onto this, which goes in front of the chin. This holds the helmet in place both vertically, and front and back.

So you are essentially making a homemade version of a football helmet chin strap??

Tim

Charles the Brown · Post by **Charles the Brown** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:22 pm

the tube batting is natural cotton fiber bound up into a net basically. the fiber stays in its round shape because of the net and how the fiber is woven. its mostly sold by the foot.

Jehan de Pelham · Post by **Jehan de Pelham** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:11 am

Charles is right on with the padding.

And Tim, you're right. My chinstraps go under the chin, then have a peice that is riveted on that comes tightly in front of the chin, so that the point sticks out. Just like a football helmet chinstrap except with it being open rather than closed.

Jehan de Pelham, esquire and servant of Sir Vitus

mordreth · Post by **mordreth** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:33 pm

Excellent advice all around
If you are using ensolite as padding for any part of your armor it does deteriorate with age, and use. I generally replace any ensolite padding once a year.
Leather should be cleaned, and oiled (I like neetsfoot some don't) on a regular basis. I replace straps at the end of each fighting season since I hate suprises.