Did you manage to take a look at the ful body lamellar suit from 19th C. India? It's in the same room with the Sipahi and other Islamic arms and armor. Wow. Talk about time-consuming - and a PAIN to get into and out of... http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/wink.gif Worst part would be for the armorer ...

Leather laces are your friends. You can also try suede leather lace - find it at bead stores, where it's used in necklaces. I've even heard of some crazy bastards using RAWHIDE, but I couldn't imagine that doing much but defeating the purpose of the lamellar, which is to be flexible. Heh. Just remem...

Well I got two gifts this year. The first was a very tangible object - my long-coveted drill press! http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/smile.gif This will make my lamellar cuirass happen about twice as fast as by hand, at least. My other gift was actually one I gave to an old friend - I bought him his...

I've seen detail work just like that in the Military Museum in Istanbul - well done! Keep it up, and if you want some pictures of the Islamic breastplates or helms or whatnot, let me know and hopefully I can find a way to get them to you. Happy hammering...

As a fellow Byzantine enthusiast, I admire your work - it's both intricate and sturdy, and carries the spirit and look of Byzantine lamellar as well as any painting or drawing I've ever seen! Keep sending us in more, and I'm sure we'll continue to be impressed. Well done; you've inspired me to get a...

I've gotta think that anywhere from 22-18 GA would work, of a sufficient material. The real key is the proportions of the size of each lame to its thickness. Or, at least, that's what I'd have to assume, given the differring kinds of lamellar I've been fortunate enough to see. The Turks (and Arabs) ...

Thanks for the advice! I presume that the thing to soak in is just plain ol' water? http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/wink.gif I don't have a proper press, so I figure it'll have to be a job for said timbers and some C-clamps. Not sure what to weight the timbers down with, but I'll figure that out. A...

Grrrrrr...

...must say I'm not surprised. If I knew how to post the pics in this forum, I'd just do that instead. Sorry fellas!

Okay, here's a question for you woodworking folks - possibly metalworking as well, but I'm not sure on that one. I'm looking for a design or pattern or at least advice for how to build a wing shield. These shields are (were) mostly found in Eastern Europe in the 14th-16th c. I've got a few pics of e...

Drilling out holes for chain maille attachment in my lames and plates, and I managed to get a piece free of the vise. Said lame spun around madly as the drill for a few seconds while the drill was spinning down to a stop, and it sliced open my finger. Lots of blood. Not a major injury, but still rea...

Hey again Targe! You asked me what I like, so here goes. My interests are mostly in Eatern Europe - the Byzantine Empire and surrounding states that grow, change, and collapse during the Medieval period, especially the Late Medieval perios. As such, my focus is generally on stuff they would have use...

Welcome aboard! I've also only been on the forum for about two or three weeks, and I have to agree that the volume of information is amazing. Gotta love it - hope you get a lot out of it! What region and period are you interested in? Welcome aboard again, and I look forward to hearing your ideas and...

Try the book "Arms and Armor of the Crusdaing Era 1050-1350" Make sure it's the Eastern Europe book - which also includes Islam, and Asia. VERY useful! It's by David Nicolle, who is an expert in the field. I've been working on lamellar as well, and I can vouch for the book as helpful. Also, pictures...

Mystic and/or thomas- I still gotta give the nod to naval bronze - not quite as gold-like, but less of a pain in the ass than brass to work. And tougher, too. Although your rivets might be a problem if they are brass - that's also an important consideration, to be sure. Sounds like you're largely se...

Two words: scroll saw. Or, alertanitvely, Jeweller's Saw. Either way, your pattern there is going to be a LOT of painstaking detail work. One suggestion that might help: drill out the holes you want for your cross (although that looks almost more fleur-de-lis like, to me), stick the blade THROUGH sa...

I second that - copper is the cheapest (and easiest), and is also, as an added bonus, fairly period for most of human history!

Finally going to finish that 12th-13th c. Lamellar vest[?] (for lack of the proper name, which escapes me at present), and then perhaps move on to the Ottoman ceremonial breastplate I've been meaning to get around to...

Dunno. I've always used a T-stake before - that's what they taught us in metalworking. Of course, that's only if you're raising the piece by crimping - if you're dishing, go for a tree stump to hollow out. Tim McCreight's fantastic book, "The Complete Metalsmith", will show you a couple of different...

Well, checking over my Osprey book on Late Byzantine Armies, I ran across two Serbian illustrations. Duh. Thanks for the reminders. Interestingly, in the same book, there are several illustrations of soldiers with lamellar armor but no chain maille beneath - is this actually done? If so, I'm both su...

You'll also want to be sure that you hit the metal squarely against your stake (or anvil) with the hammer. If you hit with an edge or at an angle, you'll likely create said golf balls. Go for even strokes with the center of the hammer face. If you start to get tired, that's when it's easiest to make...

Although you might well already know this, the #1 thing to remember about ANY hammering technique is this: Keep your strokes even and controlled, don't hit the metal too hard, and pay attention to how the metal is reacting to your hammer - whether it's too easy or too hard to move, for example. As f...

"Lets not forget the huge influence the Mongol and nomadic Steppes tribes (my subject of study) had on Eastern Europe. Some of which is still there today... " Too true. Of course, much of that (in Romania, at least) has been overrun by Soviet-era demolition and ugly rebuilding projects, but that's s...

Gotta vote for the lamellar - nicest part is, its technically period from the 4th-19th centuries AD, depending on where you are! Rule on that is, the further east you go, the later it is still found in use. Lamellar is also convenient (inasmuch as armoring ever is!) in that it requires relatively fe...

So, another question - this time more technical. Being the poor college student I am, I can't afford the serious oxyacetylene torches necessary to do major annealing and such work - nor could I legally operate them in my small apartment! My question is, would something like a propane torch work okay...

Coincidentally enough, I've got the book *and* pictures from that very monastery. I just didn't realize how useful the latter would be! Well, that's helpful - thanks! What kinds of Late Byzantine stuff do you make?

Okay, I'm going to try for something more specific! First off, does anyone know what the type of mail (chain, plate, lamellar, etc) that was used by said Serbians or Romanians? Also, info on helms used would be great. I am realizing that I can't just walk in here and expect that my thoughts magicall...

My interests are going to coincidence with both guys, I think. I'm going for something either Romanian or Serbian, but I'm also interested in the Late Byzantine style, as well. Thanks for the info! One thing I'm kinda rather nervous about is the fact that, at least in the late 15th century, the East...

Definitely keep planishing - but be careful, or you'll thin your piece too much and possibly crack it (this has happened to me, and I was very, very sad - a school project, too!). And THEN, you start sanding - from a very rough grit paper (60 is good) all the way up to a fine grit (about 600). That ...

Late Byzantine would work, too, especially something about weapons. I've seen a lot of the armor, but I only saw one 15th c. sword of "Roman" make the entire time I was in Istanbul. Ah well. Same goes for the Balkans - weapons research would be as helpful as armor!
Cheers!

Wow - I didn't expect replies do fast! Thanks to you both! As far as my interests go, it's kind of all over the place, but I'd have to say I'm looking for something Balkan - South Slavic or Romanian, maybe Magyar - from around 1300-1500 or so. I've got some photos I took from the military museums in...

Hello, one and all! As a new member, I'm going to dive right into the thick of things, and post my very own topic - Eastern European and Near Eastern Armor! Specifically, I am wondering what people know about the subject, and/or what resources they have. As you might have guessed from the username, ...

I'm new here, so far be it from me to go on rmabling, but I'd like to throw out a possibility for you all. Try Eastern Europe? The styles there were heavily influenced by Islamic armor, and much of the armor there is made with small lamellae conneted by chain links. No idea if something like your sa...

Having just read my previous post, it occurs to me that I neglected to mention anything of actual use! My thoughts on the matter are this: almost anything can be done with a cross-pein and a planishing (or even a ball pein) hammer. The stakes are, if you have access to any, actually somewhat more im...

Now, I don't want to come in here as a new member and start pontificating with my first post, so I'll try to keep it short and simple. I've been lucky enough to take a Metalsmithing class while at the University of Oregon, some two years ago, and what I can tell you is this: it's not so much about t...