The Armour Archive

Steve S.

There are some very small video cameras you might get away with: https://www.google.com/#q=keychain+video+camera Santa brought us a GoPro for Christmas. It's too big for putting in a helm though. But we are going to do lots of fun things with it, like attach it to the dog, a radio controlled boat, b...

Steve S.

First thing I was thinking of was a musical triangle. I was like, "Well, fold it once at 120 degrees, then fold again at 120 degrees, you've got a triangle!" http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/pezography/pezography0809/pezography080900003/3496938-nostalgic-western-style-dinner-bell-triangle-mounted-t...

Steve S.

From experience I would recomend against merging the university club with a regional group. If there's non university interest help them found a shire and you can work together but mixing and matching can go sour quickly. I agree. If you want to have the benefits of a University club (money and a p...

Steve S.

Here is a close of of the Charles VI pourpoint and you can see a visible whip stitch, gaps in the button hole stitching, and an irregular running stitch quilting the outside and this is a garment for a prince.

And yet it's still better than I can do with a sewing machine.

Steve

Steve S.

I have been known to use a sewing machine on period clothing for hidden seems, but even as shown above that can leave a tell-tale also. Sewing machines sew in a different manner than a person does with a needle and thread. It's not just that a machine is doing the sewing, it's the mechanical nature ...

Steve S.

I have seen this before. You might try making the point of your drift a bit sharper. I have seen it many times where the drift does not pierce the ring overlap but instead raises a little bridge of metal making either a "lance" or a "louvre", in sheet metal terms. Also you can try adjusting the diam...

Steve S.

Thanks, Steve! Have you dealt with any of these folks?

Mac

Nope, just used google. However, having just seen the post about Rotometals, I buy all my lead from them for N-SSA competition shooting, and I like them a lot.

Steve

Steve S.

I helped run a SCUBA club at Georgia Southern. Basically most larger universities have a "Campus Recreation and Intramurals" department. It covers unofficial campus sports like rugby or lacross or badminton or whatever. But it also often covers hiking or camping or martial arts activities/clubs also...

Steve S.

Steve, in France in the c14 and c15, nearly all French men-at-arms were noblemen. And most of them would not (at least through the 1420s, I'm not sure about later) be wearing hardened steel. Cliff When I think "man at arms" I think of any man bearing arms in an army. Are you suggesting that in the ...

Steve S.

Oh crap... I have my first how to make a spangen helm on there.
I do not know how to pull content.
Could JT do it and put it here?

No, no one can modify a site except the owners of that site. You'll have to use their Contact Us form and ask them to remove your content.

Steve S.

I just finally got my own harbor freight buffer. The polishing compounds that they sell at HF are useless for armour. You'll want to get greaseless compound from some place like McMaster Carr. If you do your own polishing wear a real respirator with appropriate filters, and safety glasses or even a ...

Steve S.

I think the general consensus is that the Charles garment is a civilian garment. However there were similar garments designed to be worn as coats over armour. This is not to be confused with the arming coat / foundation garment worn under the armour for pointing the harness to.

Steve

Steve S.

Eric Slyter informed me that his domain got sniped. The new owners of the site have retained the content but removed ownership attribution to the articles. You can prove ownership via the wayback machine. I suggest anyone who had content there contact the site owners and demand it be taken down. Steve

Steve S.

A decent starter book on the subject is "Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction". It has a nice history of the modern armourer's craft, and goes into some detail about necessary tools and techniques for different armouring applications. You can probably get it through inter library loan. If you ...

Steve S.

Looks good.

Steve

Steve S.

Very nice. I especially like the kettle helm with the small brim. Reminds me of the chessmen.

Steve

Steve S.

Here is an article I wrote years ago for beginners: http://www.arador.com/armour/how-to-make-armour-introduction/ I agree that a coat of plates requires minimal metal working and fabric skills. It can be made out of 18GA steel which is cuttable even using hand shears. It does not require compound fo...

Steve S.

Some of these contacts can probably point you in the right direction:

http://www.sisweb.com/index/referenc/msservic.htm

Steve

Steve S.

I think it's obvious and reasonable that a missile weapon can be used at any range up to its maximum, including at very close range. However, if you are at very close range, you had best have some kind of support near at hand or you will be overrun if you and your missile-shooting comrades are not 1...

Steve S.

Planishing is a means to an end. That end is to have the surface adequately shaped, and sufficiently smooth that you can move on to the grinding and polishing. However you get there is good. When you think the shape is right is about how discriminating your eye is. How smooth is "smooth enough" is ...

Steve S.

No doubt your criticism are right for the video I posted but once again Steve this is my point and you just walked right past. I already said that was the case. I already said the video was not perfect and listed a number of flaws... but that is what I am trying to get across. My point is there is ...

Steve S.

Both the previous video you posted and this current one are shot against flat sheet metal. So once again, I say that I have yet to see a video of arrows being shot at plate armour and defeats it in a incapacitating or lethal manner. See this video from your first set of links: http://www.youtube.com...

Steve S.

I have made coats of plates out of one layer of canvas and a layer of upholstery fabric. My current coat of plates is made from two layers of canvas.

http://www.forth-armoury.com/photo_gall ... es/cop.htm

I think it's plenty durable for SCA combat.

Steve

Steve S.

My coat of plates is made from two layers of cotton duck canvas bought from the local fabric store. Works fine for SCA combat. Most of your rivets will not need washers/burrs as the plates themselves will serve this function. Only rivets for things like straps that do not have a plate behind them wi...

Steve S.

It is a joke that backyard testing is hardly largely humorous and ridiculous and to me hardly reliable for evidence. I assume you mean "largely humorous" and not "hardly largely humorous". Well of course it isn't, and I've said so many times. That's why I keep including "backyard" in "backyard test...

Steve S.

"Virtually all the backyard testing on YouTube seems to corroborate this idea." Honestly I am loosing faith in humanity because comments like this. I can't tell from your winky smile if you are joking or not. There is not a single video I have seen of any backyard testing that shows arrows punching...

Steve S.

If you can get the reprint of Armor from the Battle of Wisby 1361 it has all the archeological find drawings, with scale. Be aware, however, that making such an armour to scale of the original may or may not result in an armour that actually fits you . The "coat of plates" style of armour can be som...

Steve S.

I only really remember Sir Theatyn's yurt that he used to set up down at Lake Tobesofkee. The thing had latticework walls, roof beams, and of course the cover. As I recall he had a flat bed trailer that was dedicated nearly 100% just to the yurt. Too much work and transport for my tastes.

Steve

Steve S.

When you can buy the pit with stand and cover for $30 at Home Depot it's hard to imagine building one for less, unless you want to make the collapsible version mentioned above.

Steve

Steve S.

We just bought one of the cheap-o $30 fire pits from Home Depot for Castle Wars. However, they do not come with a grill for cooking food. You can also buy replacement BBQ grill grills at home depot and you could use it in conjunction with the "big bowl" fire pit. However, these things are about the ...

Steve S.

You see, this is why about 1350 is where armour stops for fat guys.

Steve

Steve S.

The goal isn't just to survive the battle; the key is to survive period. I agree with this, but I also think it's a given that no armour of any time period was ever thought to, or expected to, render the wearer invulnerable to any and all injury. I think the general expectation for worn armour was ...

Steve S.

Basically it appears that they have made a new kind of hauberk with cloth over major portions of the torso now covered in plate.

Steve

Steve S.

Again, I don't find those videos convincing, and in fact I feel they support my assertion. In the first video, the maille is defeated by the archery, but the (metal) scale armour was not. The butted maille fails as you would expect it to. The riveted maille (which did not appear to be of very high q...

Steve S.

Yup. The fitbit is basically just a digital pedometer. If you are doing exercises that mimic walking, it works.

Steve

Re: helm cam?

Re: How do I forge bar stock into a triangle?

Re: Armoured Combat in a University Club?

Re: Machine stitching vs Hand stitching in period

Re: Machine stitching vs Hand stitching in period

Re: Another Riveted Maille Question: Rivet Holes!!

Re: Analysis of a pewter alloy?

Re: Armoured Combat in a University Club?

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: Pull your content from arador.com

Re: Armor Rust Buffing in Colorado

Re: "Straight" arms for the 14th century arming garment?

Pull your content from arador.com

Re: Brand New to everything

Re: My Mail Collar

Re: couple helms finished up

Re: Brand New to everything

Re: Analysis of a pewter alloy?

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: How acceptable are unplanished/minorly planished items

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: Working on a coat of plates

Re: Working on a coat of plates

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: wisby coat patterns?

Re: Tamerlane Yurts? Yurts in general?

Re: Looking for a Portable Cooking pit

Re: Looking for a Portable Cooking pit

Re: where to end a 14th century breastplate

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: Any extant examples of mail like this?

Re: crossbow bolts and longbow arrows against armor

Re: Fit Bit Flex wearing while fighting?