ok, a warning, i may get a bit long winded here...
latley i've been working on some japanese armour, 15th century, thats edo period i think.
anyway, i've been doing some research on japanese armour overall and have come to realise that it has some serious flaws in a combat situation, my harness i'm making is going to be munitions grade with a go mai do, because of the munitions part it's getting minimal lacing, the do is about 9 plates total, and has all of 2 rivits in it, the rest is held together with cord, the sode(shoulder gaurds) are 7 panels each, all held together with cord as well, same with the Kusazuri(the skirt thingy).
keeping that in mind, as well as the nature of the jappanese blade think of how well this armour would hold up in combat, i get horible pictures of your sode stopping your arm from getting cut off, then half of it falling to the ground while the rest slowley unravels, droping a plate a a time.
then i found a quote from a guy named Sakakibara Kozan. i'm not gona put the whole thing in here because it's rather long, but the gist of it is that when the armour gets wet, it gets really damnn heavy, the cord molds and rots around you while becoming a haven for lice and other vermin. on a winter campain it will freez solid. no amont of washing can completley remove the abrasive mud and dirt from it and it is easily damages due to the fact it retains spears and arrows instead of letting them glance off.
so to sum up my mini rant like thing, japanese armour is beautiful, there is a LOT of craftsmanship and efort put into it, and i'd even fight rattan in it, but, in a real combat situation, give me some high gothic plate anyday.
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Japanese armour
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Armourkris
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Hi All,
Just a few brief points. Arms and armour do not exist in a vaccume, they are created through a varietly of circumstance. You will find a cultures arms and armour tend to be idealy suited to the type of warfare enngaged in by the culture, which is brought on by a combination of social, psychological, and climactic dynamics, not the least to be considered is the resources available to that culture.
You will find the classical samuri harness (the mondo-laced ones complained of as being problematic on campaign) is intended to be used by a mounted horse archer, in brief campaigns, in warfare that is remeniscent of the heroic age of every culture with combat being formed around challenges of heroic personages.
When social pressures caused a change in the composition of Japanese armies, and the method of warfare engaged in (an increase in Ashiguru, and in units of same employed on the battlefield with similar weapons, trained & disciplined together, involved in lengthened campaigns), then you find the harness being simplified - composed of smaller numbers of large plates, with a slightly differing overall form - the armour evolved to face the challenges of the then modern battlefield of the 16th & 17th centuries.
Effingham can give you a more elaborate description of cause & effect - this is his area of expertise. I have found in my own studies that this basic principle is true throughout recorded history.
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Bob R.
Just a few brief points. Arms and armour do not exist in a vaccume, they are created through a varietly of circumstance. You will find a cultures arms and armour tend to be idealy suited to the type of warfare enngaged in by the culture, which is brought on by a combination of social, psychological, and climactic dynamics, not the least to be considered is the resources available to that culture.
You will find the classical samuri harness (the mondo-laced ones complained of as being problematic on campaign) is intended to be used by a mounted horse archer, in brief campaigns, in warfare that is remeniscent of the heroic age of every culture with combat being formed around challenges of heroic personages.
When social pressures caused a change in the composition of Japanese armies, and the method of warfare engaged in (an increase in Ashiguru, and in units of same employed on the battlefield with similar weapons, trained & disciplined together, involved in lengthened campaigns), then you find the harness being simplified - composed of smaller numbers of large plates, with a slightly differing overall form - the armour evolved to face the challenges of the then modern battlefield of the 16th & 17th centuries.
Effingham can give you a more elaborate description of cause & effect - this is his area of expertise. I have found in my own studies that this basic principle is true throughout recorded history.
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Bob R.
First off, if there's somebody complaining about his armor (or about anything), he must not be a samurai! (A real samurai does not duck.) ;D
The lacing on Japanese armor is done with silk cord. This is about the least absorbent natural material; trying using some for a dishrag! Thus it would be a relative thing. For instance, leather laces (often used on lamellar) would tend to soak up much more water, and stretch to boot!
What you see there is probably the product of Japanese perfectionism. Traditional armor is excellently designed for its purpose, else it would have been thrown out long ago.
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Baldurstrand
The lacing on Japanese armor is done with silk cord. This is about the least absorbent natural material; trying using some for a dishrag! Thus it would be a relative thing. For instance, leather laces (often used on lamellar) would tend to soak up much more water, and stretch to boot!
What you see there is probably the product of Japanese perfectionism. Traditional armor is excellently designed for its purpose, else it would have been thrown out long ago.
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<><><> <><><> <><><>
Baldurstrand