The Armour Archive

I put on my armour (and a loaner helm) for the first time yesterday at fight practice. Lots of fun! It was well worth the wait (no loaner gear in my size), I had a blast.

Lots of complements on my kit too. People were very impressed that the newbie (my first event will be this weekend) had put in so much effort into a period kit. I was aiming for c1340 English. Here's what I have made
(all in mild steel):

- Knee length gambeson (hand sewn, all cotton)
- Coat of plates (canvas with leather washers; type 7 with type 1 chest and some extra plates for hips, buttocks and upper back)
- Plate cuisses and demigreaves with Krag's pattern polyens (floating articulation on leather straps)
- Encolsed plate vambraces, open rearbrace with Krag's pattern couters (floating articulation on leather straps)
- Spaulders with fewer lames than normal (I ran out of arm since I'm a short fellow)
- Gorget from Alan's pattern (wrong century for gorgets but necks are a good thing)
- Clamshell gauntlets (Not period, but I wanted gauntlets. Truehearth generously let me use his pattern and guided me through construction)

Some pieces were made in my cobbled together workshop while others were made in the workshop Dalewyn (Alchemy Armoury) and Carlo (Truehearth Armoury) share. I was kindly given many pointers as I worked.

I was very comfortable in my armour and could move well. Everything was pointed to my gambeson so the weight was well distributed. The only exception was the anacronistic belt I attached my leg harness to. Hello hip bones, you don't seem very happy this morning...

I'd like to say think you to the archive for inspiring me to make the best suit I could. Pics will eventually appear when I make my helm

Bartok

What event are you going to...
You are in Canada if you are working with Carlo and Dalewyn...where do you live??

I live in Halifax Nova Scotia. Canton of Seashire in the Barony of Ruantalon.

There is an East Kingdom University event on Saturday and it's also to be attended by the king and queen of the East.

I'm quite excited to go to my first event and try midieval food by people who know how to cook! I'm still sewing my garb together. So far I have shirt, hosen and hood. The tunic/kirtle/whatever-you-call-it is cut out and I'll be threading my needle after lunch!

Bartok
Up to his ears in preparation...

Bartok (Gilbert the Short in the SCA) was introduced to the King, who was quite impressed with his kit. Bartok has done a great job for his first few projects; I've seen (and sold, in my early days) lesser armor at Pennsic. I'm trying to persuade him to post some pics here for constructive criticism.

------------------
Dalewyn
Dalewyn@dbis.ns.ca
www.AlchemyArmory.com

Those of you in Nova Scotia:

A very good friend of mine moved to Nova Scotia recently. He is a Mongol named Yesungge. Short, blond guy; fights in a nice leather lamellar hauberk...

If you know him or have met him, I'd like to know how he is doing and what he is up to...

Yesungge is well known here. He took Baronial rattan champian, his first event.
Great fighter and not a bad guy either.

Also, I have to say Bartok's kit is great.

No shit? Baronial Champion? Not that it comes too much a surprise... He was well on his way to knighthood here in Calontir. He is a Huscarl. I spent a couple years being his lackey. Moreover, he was my employer in the mundane world. Yes, he is indeed a great guy.

If one of you would kindly do me a favor... Tell him Joaquin (that's "hwa-KEEN") from Kansas says "Hey". I'll have to try and make it up there sometime. Ann and I are tying the knot later this year, and we were planning to honeymoon in that part of the world anyway. See the Higgins, visit all the fine Archive folks in the NE...

Thanks Dalewyn and Donnal

I'm still grinning from ear to ear from Saturday. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. There were way too many things to possibly see and do... I'm hooked!

His majesty King Lucan was very friendly and a wealth of information on Byzantine armour. Seamus Esperanza (whose title I forget but he was a prince at some point) was also very friendly and gave me a coin he made himself as a token welcoming me to the SCA

JJ took a picture of me without the loaner helm and a second one sparring with Lord Gareth (I think). I'll see if I can link to them when he posts them somewhere. I know someone with a camera, so I'll see about making some more detailed pics so everyone can pick my work appart

I can't say I'm surprised that Yesungge is considered knight material. He is a very kind and honourable man. Yesungge is also great to spar with even at my lowly level

Bartok
SCA: Gilbert the short