The Armour Archive

I am piecing together a fairly accurate impression for SCA fighting. I am chosing to go with a mid to late 14th cent impression. Is there something I can use for defense of these areas and still be period correct?

Chainmaile faud?

14th C. what? That would make a difference. [img]http://forums.armourarchive.org/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

Effingham

Swiss/German region. I am gonna use a copy of the Kussnach coat of plates over a haubergeon.

When is also important. If you are going for 1301, then your only choice is a maille shirt. Perhaps later in the century you'll find some kind of plate/splint/scale defense.

------------------
Saverio
aka Daniello di Alessandro

http://saverio4444.tripod.com/

There is lots of artwork showing a sort of fauld on the bottom of a coat of plates.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

An effigy depicted in TOMAR shows a late 14th century german knight with a skirt of scale armor.

The most common defence for the hips & ass in the SCA seems to be excessive consumption of Twinkies! [img]http://forums.armourarchive.org/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

Well, at least SOMEONE was brave enough to say it. For me, however, it's the Ho-Ho, not the Twinkie that gives me extra padding. Ha ha ha. [img]http://forums.armourarchive.org/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by Wolfstone (edited 01-28-2004).]

lol YEAH WEll I am too damned skinny to not protect mine LOL

For the 13th century, I just use a well-padded gambeson. It's comfortable and it still allows me to sit on the ground or a bench. You may want to look into something similar.

The full chain shirt or chain faud, (skirt) if you don't want the weight of the full shirt, would be the best looking way to go.

Or as an alterative if you are trying to save weight at practices and such, but still maintain a decent look, would be to sew pockets on the *inside* of your gambeson around the same 'skirt' region and slide hardened leather plates (or plastic since no one will see them) inside. It will provide some rigid protection and will be hidden. The only thing that may look odd if a stiff or squarish sections on your gambeson if the plates are too big.

Good luck!

-Finn

The best and lightest defence for those areas is to block better.

For much of the 14th century, at least until the latter half or even quarter, a full shirt of maille was likely worn under many of the transitional plate harnesses of the period (coat of plates, segmented breast, etc.).

Under this shirt of maille was likely some kind of arming garment, probably quilted to some degree, though possibly not quite as much as in the previous century.

This means that an authentic harness of the time would cover the areas under question with the protruding lower edge of the gambeson and maille shirt, extending below the crotch to some length between the knee and mid-thigh.

A well padded gambeson with maille should do the trick.

Steve

------------------
Forth Armoury
Highly authentic, affordable riveted maille.

I am also a mid to late 14th century persona. For my gambeson (surrently under construction) I am adding pockets to the inside where metal plates will go. They will protect my hips and ass well. Given they are in the inside of the gamebeson which will be covered by maille, which will be under my CoP, they should never even be seen. I will take pics (along with everythign else I am supposed to tak pics of) and post them as soon as my web hosting service is back online.

------------------
"It is not the oath that gives me faith in the man, but the man that gives me faith in the oath."
With Honor,
Kenwrec Wulfe
Squire to Sir Galen of Bristol
The Shire of Ravenslake, Middle Kingdom

Im begining to think that a pair of hockey or football pants with hip pads under my clothes with a gambeson and mail will suffice. Thanks for the tips!

A well padded gambeson, or similar garment, should do you well. It's worked so far with me. My current armor has no armor on my hips and butt other than my gambeson, and it works well enough, most of the time.

Augmented with hidden plates, or covered with maille, and you'll have something that works all the time.

Not even remotely historical...

A piece of camp pad or other foam. Ace bandaged or worn under compression pants directly over the hip that gets drilled. Another square either in a pocket or again over compression pants over each buttcheek.

I went with the old, grin and bear it defense, which is a by product of the "I can block this" defense. Pain is a good teacher, but whenever I fight with a round, I get zapped on that thigh...at least once a night. Pad the sucker.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Muschijaeger:
Im begining to think that a pair of hockey or football pants with hip pads under my clothes with a gambeson and mail will suffice. Thanks for the tips!</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hockey pants make you look like you are wearing a dirty diaper.

In my household, butt armour is considered cheating. Hence the jokes about "Assguard"

My wife had a lot of success with a short, light maile skirt. It was just intended to "take the edge off" since she was getting some nasties there but it actually made her bruises disappear completely. Mail is better protection from sticks than one might imagine, especially over areas that are not too bony.



------------------
Non Onme Quod Licet Honestum Est.

http://vieuxchamps.com/photo.html