The Armour Archive

should a scale vest fasten on the side or slip over the head like a mail coate?

I've always thought it to be quite stylin' if you could make it work like a CoP...check out the pattern archive if you want a picture of the layout

I just finished mine. It buckles down the front just a little on my left side.

Some of the Roman examples I've seen are built like a mail shirt, with a neck slit to let your head through. They then have a clasp setup to close the opening up.

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Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

I personally like and am in the process of making one (slowly) with a diagonal front opening. See Norman's site for an excellent drawing and lots more information on scale armour.

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

how 'bout late period (16th 17th cent)russian and turkish?

Most likely do something like a breast and back but fastened under only the one arm -- with the other side underarm in one piece.

Think archers - like the Japanese harness -
unless I'm getting confused again, the opening would go under the right arm (the one most often away from the enemy when shooting).

But I'm not sure that 16th - 17th cent Russian and Turk would do Scale.
More like 15th
16th - 17th is more like Poles -- and I'm not at all up on what they were doing.

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Norman J. Finkelshteyn
Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505
The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.enteract.com/~silkroad
Jewish Warriors - http://www.geocities.com/jewishwarriors
The Red Kaganate - http://www.geocities.com/kaganate
silkroad@spam.nycmail.com (remove "spam" from e-mail to make it work)

I was under the impression they got the scale idea from the turks and tartars.... I'll try under the right arm

Yes and No --

As I understand, the late Polish armour was their idea of harkening back to the glories of ancient Rome.
-- but they do look more Chinese than Roman.

In late period I believe the Turks, Russians, et-al went all out Maile-n-Plates.

If you're going for late Turk -- your clearest and most accurate representation would be to go with the simpler looking Turk style Zertsalo (see my article on Disk armour).

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Norman J. Finkelshteyn
Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505
The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.enteract.com/~silkroad
Jewish Warriors - http://www.geocities.com/jewishwarriors
The Red Kaganate - http://www.geocities.com/kaganate
silkroad@spam.nycmail.com (remove "spam" from e-mail to make it work)

I'm building 2 sets of late period polish hussar armour,
how should the leathe backing be cut into what type of pattern?

well yesterday I finaly found a copy of a pick of karacena without the gorget, it seams that it fastens ove the shoulder. Now does any body have a pattern for a realy large tank top? How should I pattern the side of the armour? I will need to curve the scales right?