The Armour Archive

Can anyone give me some details on the shoulders in this pic. The guy with the spear looking all tough. They are pretty neat looking, curious of time and location.



Thanks
leikr

You are mostly seeing 15thC munitions grade Italian armors. The pauldrons in the center you will find from the 15thC onwards, and the spaulders on the right you will find from the late 14thC onwards into the 16th C, with some variations.

I think they are horseman's pauldrons early 15th century (I think).

There is a pattern here on the archive similar to the one in your picture.

ahh ok. thanks for the info. They are certainly very good looking but too late for my time, last half of 14th.

For the latter part of the 14th century the most advanced spaulders are going to be strikingly similar to the one you see on the fellow's shoulder just inside the right side of the frame in the picture you posted. Rather small, articulated and simple in design.

-Gregory

I liked the big over the shoulder piece. Looks very nice compared to the plain down the arm spaulder. In the process of reevaluating my kit and found that picture. Looks very nice. The guy has a good look.

Leikr, there you see, literally, the central characteristic of the pauldron vice the spaudler/spaulder (yes, same root word in all of 'em, since they do the job of covering the shoulder) -- the middle of the works is a large plate, bowtie-shaped in a flat blank, which is dished or raised in the narrowest central part of the blank to fold the large ends about the armholes, covering everything there regardless of whether the arm is raised or lowered, and floating around with the movements of this loose-linked joint. This coverage is bought usually at some penalty to the extremes of arm motion -- you might lose a couple inches of arm-swing across the chest, though probably not anything to speak of in the arm going straight up -- might lose a bit of angling inward from that position, which depends on how much articulation is on the medial (centerline) edge of the pauldron. Spauds are a lot better at staying out of the way,

With the big central bowtie in place, there is then articulation down the arm, very much like that of the spaudler, plus a bit, optionally, going in towards the neck. Later model (16th- & 17th-c.) pauldrons had their medial edges cut up into numerous lames riding on leathers, so about half the main plate could flex some and allow the arm over the head.

I would be inclined to put them as (very) late 15th, more like early-mid 16th century.

That is just from the shape of the upper plate on the shoulder- I'm guessing that it matches very closely the back of the shoulder- a design more suited to the 16th century.

Looking closer, that looks like a turner on the rerebrace- another 16th century feature (according to Blair at least).

JonT

I agree with Jon. Doesn't look even vaguely 14th century. Late 15th. That guy in particular could be late 15th to early 16th century with that rig. His gauntlets look 16th century.
His shoulders are pretty rough. I'm sure you could find better constructed examples.

Honestly I wasn't sure of the time period but I liked the picture. Part of what I like is the dirty, beat up kit. Presents a more realistic picture that pressed clean kits to me. I like the lived in look. I think that is Seth Green with the goofy look in the back ground too lol.

What a great picture ...

W

They're 16th century, and look wrong to me. They're part posh part "beaten up" as you put it.

I would suggest almain rivet style for a cool "lived in" kit.

Leikr wrote: I think that is Seth Green with the goofy look in the back ground too .

The beetling fellow on the left, w/kettlehat and bevor?

Konstantin the Red wrote:

Leikr wrote: I think that is Seth Green with the goofy look in the back ground too .

The beetling fellow on the left, w/kettlehat and bevor?

The guy in the back with the shiny hat and white shirt, he looks like Seth Green to me. Guy on the right could be the Prince of Persia dude. hmmm I feel a photoshop contest coming on. I am sleep deprived, that is my excuse