The Armour Archive

http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?CMN/Life/read_archive.mv+1+1+2

Very nice article! Now I know what he looks like -- and it turns out I look like an older, grayer edition of him!

Thats nuts! theres another armourer near me, and more specifically my cousin who lives in teh St. Cloud area that I bet would be interested. In just 45 min southeast of St. Cloud in Ramsey/Anoka.

Cool story too.

Thanks for the kind words. Shouldn't this be in the Off Topics board though? I mean it isn't about armour construction really. Rather it is just some goofy information about me. I took the liberty of putting the entire article on my website complete with all of the pictures that were included with the print version as well as a few minor corrections. The only problem is that the pictures really draw attention to my ever growing forehead. Oh well, when it's all gone it will be one less thing to fuss over.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.erikdschmid.com/EDS_7.htm

Cheers,
E

Wow! The media didn't butcher the information this time!!! I mean, they explained your process, called it mail, everything!

That's freaking cool. You're getting at least a little of your much deserved recognition.

Artemis

Indeed! If we are really fortunate, some obscenely wealthy enthusiasts who have a hankering for the real thing will become interested, and make orders enough that you are forced to hire help, and then the making of quality mail will become more common.

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Are the person like you, and fortunately many other, that make this board unique in the whole galaxy!

Yeah but for some reason the keep saying Erik is the only one that makes authentic mail...

Isn't the stuff from Forth rather authentic?

Don't get me wrong, all of us who strive for accurate chain owe Erik a lot.

I still have to laugh at people who say chain is too heavy with plate in SCA combat...

I still have to laugh at people who say chain is too heavy with plate in SCA combat...

Well, when you're wearing a hauberk made from butted 12g wire, it is too heavy!

Pietro
(who thinks about how bad the modern soldier has it, after trying to lift his brother's "light" field pack. At least all my stuff's well-distributed.)

Alright, how to go about explaining this in a manner that will not offend anyone...

Both Steve and myself make products for specific markets. The mail Steve has produced for him is perfect for the market he is targeting. It is also produced quite quickly due to the process of manufacture that he pioneered. Because of this it lacks somewhat in accuracy. This is not a slam on Steve or his products merely an observation and I hope he will agree with me on this point.

Now, the process I use is much more tedious and time consuming. Were I to do what Steve did the products would lack the details that I worked so hard to achieve. This is completely due to the process I use. Everything is done by hand except for the initial winding of the wire which I use a drill for. Certain aspects of my operation are continually changing due to new ideas. This is another reason that mass production wouldn't work with my processes.

In a sense it is like comparing apples to oranges. Yes we both produce mail, but the characteristics of our products differ greatly. Steve's products are more of a one-size-fits-all whereas mine are custom made to each person. Yes I know Steve can tailor his products, but only as it relates to the whole garment. Mine are tailored with regards to the garment and links as well.

Anyway there is no sense in going into each little detail as it will serve no purpose. Suffice it to say that as far as I know the degree of accuracy that I am achieving is not being done by anyone else. Especially as it relates to producing mail for sale.

Respectfully,
Erik

Well, when you're wearing a hauberk made from butted 12g wire, it is too heavy!

But it's not, it's a fine Forth Armoury haubergeon.

Erik,

Please don't interpret my post as anything even remotely near a slam. I'm very aware of the product you make, and have always been very impressed by them, much like my impression of Historic Enterprises plate armour. All I can really say is thank you for bringing the level of accuracy you do to the armour market.

... returning to the original subject:

Nice article. Good to see something done right (both the mail and the writing). You obviously provided the reporter with excellent information. (It's been my experience that what they don't know they'll just make-up, so the more clear and concise information you give them, the better the news piece will be.)

Well done.

"Ummmm, steak!" (Homer Simpson)



(Still wearing my 29 year old butted mail.)

Now if only I hadn't gotten so excited about the S.C. part of things and put Saint Cloud, Minnesota, in South Carolina! And I used to get such good grades in geography, too!

If I may try to nutshell things here:

Steve Sheldon builds for the combat market, and for the fighter on something of a budget. It's still high-performance mail that will handle live steel. It'll even work for Living History applications.

What Erik builds is museum-accurate stuff for the Living History à-outrance-and-hang-the-expense set.

No, I don't think it belongs in OffTopics. It's about a particular armourer, true... however, it's also about the design and construction of armour. So tough luck, Erik -- you have your 15 minutes (plus) of fame.

Yup, Erik is exactly correct.

Our stuff was designed as a way to make a fairly authentic rendition of maille, while still utilizing modern manufacturing techniques to get the price down. As it turns out, and as I have said in the past, maille is one of those things were any shortcut shows in the finished product. What we produce is close, but not exact.

It is in no way comparable to Erik's work, which is completely hand-crafted and equivalent to museum pieces in nearly every respect.

Further, as Erik is pushing the envelope of research in maille, he is discovering patterns not only in the garments but in the "physiology", if you will, of the rings themselves. We only produce an approximation of one particular style of ring (fully flattened, wedge rivets). Erik, as I understand it, does a wide variety.

You just can't beat Erik Schmid's work. It's world-class, and the only stuff of it's kind that's been made in probably 300 years.

Steve

Right. Erik Schmid's work is an example of what it means to force the last ten percent. It becomes a matter of logarithmic increases in effort. I'm damn glad he's doing it. Why? Because one day I will have a haubergeon he made.

Steve, your articles are nice, but I'm glad you have the humility to see the truth. It can be very rare for a person who has reached a point of goodness in their craft to also see the farther horizons and say "Yes, I am here, but from my vantage I see only farther shores."

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

I have been fortunate enough to have owned two Schmid pieces, and they were both astounding pieces of art. Alas, the sweat from my face and Jupon was slowly corroding them away, so I sold them before they could become utterly destroyed.
The man deserves twice the money he asks for.

Well, to be honest I really don't know what to say other than thank you. Yes, I know that is very hard to believe especially for those of you who have had the displeasure of meeting me.

Sean, were I to charge double I would be out of business so fast you wouldn't believe it. Plus I would be under more scrutiny than I already am. This article, while flattering, has caused me to have to defend myself every time I turn around. I almost think it was more trouble than it was worth. I wanted it to contain more information about the research society than myself. However, not too many people would be interested in that. Oh well. Live and learn.

Again let me say thank you to all of you. You all have given me some much needed inspiration. I often find myself sitting back and wondering why am I doing this. Your words have given me the answer.

And now for something completely different...

I know it has crossed the minds of some people that the reason behind the research society is simply to give me an edge in my business. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, I do use the research for that purpose, but the information I obtain is there for anyone who wants it. All they have to do is ask. Certain things are held back, but that is only because they are in the process of being used in an article by someone. Once published that information is then free for the asking. Just give me a call and I will try my best to answer any question you might have. Except of course whether or not I wear boxers or briefs as it is not applicable in my case. Perhaps that was too much information, but it got your attention I'll bet. My posts tend to ramble on, so every now and then I have to throw something in that makes people have to do a double take.

One of my goals for the research society is to have it be self sufficient through donations and sales from the Journal. It is a completely separate entity from my business. Another goal is to be able to offer limited research grants to select groups or individuals.

In the museum community arms and armour is a slowly fading subject. We may even see the end of armour displays in certain museums in our lifetime. The reason for this is because museum officials do not believe that this subject is interesting to anyone other than a few scattered individuals. What that means to them is since no one is interested in it why should we display it? Let's display items that bring people into the museum thereby generating much needed revenue. We know there is a very large percentage of the populace that is greatly interested in this subject, but they don't.

One thing that really gets my blood pressure up is information hoarding. I despise it. There are many who do this and it sucks. By people not sharing information, especially with those who are new to the SCA or other organisation concerned with this subject, it may turn them off to the subject permanently. We need all the people we can get. We cannot afford to let people slip through the cracks.

Right now a great many museums are in financial trouble both in the US and overseas. Many of the ones I visited on my recent trip to the UK are in an almost daily struggle to stay open. The powers that be don't think they are worth keeping open. The first thing that these places do is look to see what will bring people to the museum. Unfortunately 99.9% of the time armour is the first to come face to face with the headsman's axe. This is really hard for those institutions that have armour as their main display.

Now, you are probably thinking "what can I do, I'm only one person". Not much with that kind of mindset. However, if enough people contact the various museums with armour collections and let them know how much interest there is in this subject, they may start to do more research on their pieces, which they will then publish. Also, they might display more of them giving us a reason to visit. Keep in mind that when you contact a museum the best way to do it is by writing a letter. Don't e-mail or call them. A well drafted letter will go a long way. Another way to show them how much of an interest there is in arms and armour is to buy the academic journals put out by the various organisations like the Arms & Armour Society. In addition to these there are the various publications put out by the museums themselves.

I realize that this can become quite spendy. However, you don't have to subscribe to every periodical. Instead buy only the ones that have things that interest you. The bottom line is that you have to buy something or contribute in some way financially. Don't expect to have all the information you want handed to you without contributing anything in return. There are many who think this way and to them I say "piss off, you're not worth the effort of a second thought". A little rough I'll grant you, but you get the point.

Damn, you would think I was campaigning, preaching or something. Anyway I'll step down from my soapbox now. After reading this I am sure there are those among you who are thinking "Holy shit, what the f*ck bit him in the ass?" The answer to that would be nothing actually, I was just venting some pressure before I went into cranial meltdown.

Alright then. Are you all still awake?

"pushing the envelope in maille"? HAHAHAH

Sorry, had to be said.

Terrific work, Eric, and congrats on well deserved recognition.

Thanks Morgan. It's been a long time. I see your still down in Texas. Don't you miss the wonderful winters of the north country?

Good article, how about some info on the journal?

Just have a look here:

http://www.erikdschmid.com/TMRS_3.htm