The Armour Archive

I am curious on where i might be able to find some direction on where i can find a suit, or some direction on how to build a suit of LS. I wont ask for anyone's particular pattern because those are sacred to all armourers. I have found a few "patterns" but they dont work, probably due to my error, but any input would be helpful.

Thank you

also, please excuse any misspellings

Ave!

Been to the Legio XX site, yet? The page on Lorica Segmentata has instructions, patterns, photos, and down at the bottom there are recommendations on where to buy one.

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/lorica.html

This is all aimed at reenactors who are looking for historically accurate armor, so if you want something for SCA fighting or some other purpose, you may need to make modifications or buy from some other armorer.

If you do want to make your own, make a cardboard mockup first! Spend some time just arranging the plates and getting the fit right before cutting metal. Just laying the pieces all out on the floor and studying how they go together will help a lot.

I hope that helps, but be sure to yell if you need more! Vale,

Matthew/Quintus, Legio XX

http://www.arador.com/construction/lorica1.html

Very very simple. Do it first with posterboard, and see how it translates to your body. Add/remove where necessary. Make sure you pay attention to the pics of the construction. They'll show you how to cut the rectangles to make it more.... loricalike (i guess that's a word )

~Arty

There's not really that much difference between a historcally accurate lorica and an SCA one.

My Corbridge A lorica, besides being a little bit thicker metal and stainless (I live near the coast it helps alot on maintinence) is almost exact on as far as plate design, etc.

Never had a problem in SCA combat.

Xanthier wrote:

There's not really that much difference between a historcally accurate lorica and an SCA one.

<whistling casually> Or you could just MAKE and fight in an accurate one - since they work better than the SCA-ized versions...

Going to Portrero?

Sasha

I've had experience with segs made from a variety of materials (steel [mild, hicarbon, stainless...] , plastic, leather, aluminum) and with a variety of patterns (SCA, Hollywood are authentic) and I have found that those segmentatas that are made with 16g and or 18g steel (cold or hot rolled), that are made with authentic fittings are functionally superior than any "modern" improvements especially when used in SCA combat.

I have also found that authentic fittings are far better than store bought. They are more durable which means fewer repairs and fewer field failures.

A seg made from 16g/18g steel moves better, hangs betters, functions better than a seg made from any other material. It's also generally less expensive.. the 18g steel costs $15 - $18... maybe $90 for all materials (steel, copper rivets, leather, bronze for fittings).

The Romans had decades of experimentation and research.

In a few days the Lorica Segmentata section of our Codex Hispana will be posted to our webpage: http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org
Detailed description with customizing modifications, patterns, and such.


Hibernicus
LEG IX HSPA

Hey Hibi - when did you finally decide to show up, you goober?

yeah, yeah yeah

Hibernicus

Thank you, Hibernicus! When it comes to armor...you get what you pay for! I figure that if something worked for the Roman legions for what...about 200+ years, then it could do well in SCA combat.

Gratis Tibi Ago

Hey FoegerKnot
The best resource I have ever found for Lorica Patterning DIRECTLY from Archeological info.... Is a book intitled "Greece and Rome at War".
It details thru both Artistic secondary sources and Primary Archeological evidence the equipment, tactics, history, and effects on other cultures the military forces of greece and then rome had.
It has a exploded view graphic of a Totally Accurate Corbridge A type Lorica (In Scale).
HAve fun with a pair of Scaling dividers... Its what I did

That's Peter Connolly, and his books are generally terrific. BUT some caution is needed, since that exploded view is rather old and does have a few minor mistakes. A better one is in his book "The Legionary", but even that won't show all the plates or give dimensions. Connolly doesn't have much in the way of "raw data" in his books, though his reconstructions are great.

The best source is the Corbridge excavation report, which has scale drawings of every plate found there (basically enough pieces to build 3 loricas). Not sure if it's in print or available, but the patterns on my site are pretty much taken straight from it, so they aren't bad. Oh, you can also look for the 2-volume set called "Lorica Segmentata", the first of the monograph series from Journal of the Roman Military Equipment Studies. Volume 2 by Mike Thomas is a catalog of published lorica finds, so it should have pretty much every plate and hinge!

The full bibliographic information for these are on the Legio XX Bibliography page,

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/bibliog.html

Vale,

Matthew/Quintus

Some excellent segmentata resources.....

Excavations at Roman Corbridge: the Hoard
English Heritage Archaeological Report no. 7, 1988,
L Allason-Jones and MC Bishop
---The best source is the archaeological report about the Corbridge segmentatas. Its nearly impossible to find except in libraries. I, among others, have begged for its reprinting!


Lorica Segmentata, Volume 1, A Handbook of Articulated Roman Plate Armor, JRMES
Monograph No. 1, 2002, MC Bishop
---This new book is essential. Its in print and readily available. David Brown Books is my favorite on-line book dealer.


The Armour of Imperial Rome, 1975, H Russell Robinson.
---Robinson's book is extremely difficult to find, but many other books use his exploded views of segmentatas.

I have used the techniques detailed in the CODEX HISPANA to build or supervise the building of over 70 Corbridge segmentatas.

Hibernicus

thank you for the excellent directions. Granted i have done one in poster board, and it didnt come out, but ill try again. thank you again

The poster board technique is okay.

My opinion, its best for the Collar Plates primarily in determining the arch of the rolled edges on the Top Back Plate, Mid-collar Plate and Breastplate.

The rest are way easy.

Hibernicus

Matthew Amt wrote: Oh, you can also look for the 2-volume set called "Lorica Segmentata", the first of the monograph series from Journal of the Roman Military Equipment Studies. Volume 2 by Mike Thomas is a catalog of published lorica finds, so it should have pretty much every plate and hinge!

I feel that I should mention that BOTH Matt Amt and Hibernicus are cited in the books by Dr. Mike. Matt even gets some photo credits!

This is a wonderful case of an acedemic viewing what we do as having some relevance.

Way to go, guys!

Sasha_khan wrote:Xanthier wrote:

<whistling casually> Or you could just MAKE and fight in an accurate one - since they work better than the SCA-ized versions...

Going to Portrero?

Sasha

Not quite sure what you mean? My SCA lorica is, other than the fact that it is made of 18/16ga stainless a historically accurate one.

Maybe I need to restate my origonal post. You really don't need to modify the design of the lorica for use in the SCA. The way the bands distribute blows protects very well (better than most).

As for potrero, unfortunately no.. Got a baby on the way soon. So I'm takin an SCA break. Kinda upset about this one. Corvus (the group I fight with) is looking to field about 45 fighters this war.

<whistling casually> Or you could just MAKE and fight in an accurate one - since they work better than the SCA-ized versions...

The SCA version I'm planning will appear historically accurate, but it will have some modernisms. It will be SS, the hinges will be of modern design (although the lobes are accurate), and the internal "leathers" will be nylon webbing. All changes are to minimize required maintainence.

I should mention that I fight part of the time in my LH rig; I love it!