12th century & SCA Legal can it be done well

[TheArgentlion]

Fellows,

I would think this is the correct venue for this question please don’t flame the snot out of me if its not.

The Back round:
I am an SCA fighter, truth be spoken I lack the discipline and attention span to really reach the upper echelons of my kingdom, and I am mostly into the combat for fun. I enjoy the recreation aspects as much as the fighting.

The set up:
Because I am into it for fun and the recreation aspect I have decided to set aside my 14th century armor (which I fell is really the best for doing SCA combat) and try out a period I think is particularly cool, the 12th century, specifically the first crusade, maybe do a full Hospitaller rig.

The Question:
Bout time huh, Riveted Chain is now cheap and abundant so the bulk or the armor will be easy. The real issue is the helm, Primarily they are using a “Norman Nasalâ€Â

[Oswyn_de_Wulferton]

Yes, it can be done well and fairly easily. For the cheekplates on the helm, simply add a mantle at the brow line. You can do this by simply drilling holes and attaching the maille to the helm directly or some people rivet on leather and then sew the top row of maille to the leather. If the leather is a dark brown or black, people wont be able to tell (even from 5') that it probably isnt just hanging off your head. A hidden gorget (usually made out of leather) or just using the maille serves as neck protection, hidden arms and legs, a kidney belt, and you are pretty much set. If you have any ideas about how to hide your baskethilt or gauntlets, there is another thread on the Weapons board about how to do that. If you want more information or pictures of anyone's kits, check out the I wanna be a Crusader and most people are doing early crusades. I am personally looking at doing the same thing (except in butted as I cant afford riveted). Maille Chausses might be interesting addition as well.

Edit: Oh and welcome to the Archive. You will find that most intelligent questions receive intelligent answers and very few flames. Not so intelligent answers...well, people like to exercise their funny bone every so often.

[Alcyoneus]

I am an SCA fighter, truth be spoken I lack the discipline and attention span to really reach the upper echelons of my kingdom, and I am mostly into the combat for fun. I enjoy the recreation aspects as much as the fighting.

That is the primary reason to do it.

[Koredono]

[duplicate post deleted]

[Koredono]

I know a couple of people who do good late 11th / early 12th century (during and post-Conquest Normans); unfortuneately I only have a good helmet shots of one of them Sir Graedwyn (another is Sir Mordreth, who is pretty active here, and may be able to provide good pics of his own helmet).

In the first one
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~katsuichi/images/graedwyn_nasal-1.jpg[/img]
you can clearly see the nasal, and the leather drape that covers the sides and back of his head; in the second
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~katsuichi/images/graedwyn_nasal-2.jpg[/img]
you get a feel for how it looks in higher res, all the way around. The leather is purely for aesthetic reasons - there's steel sides and back beneath it, since our armor requirements would not let him get away with just maille there, and the leather probably does a much better job of concealing the rest of the helm than maille would. Unfortuneately, there's no way to get around the bar grill, but even with that in mind, it does come reasonably close to the look you're shooting for.

FYI, he used to be fight in a full mail hauberk, but that was 30 years ago, and they say wih age comes wisdom

[InsaneIrish]

If you go to the medieval combat and weapons section and look at the "top notch kits" thread you will see some pictures of really nice crusader outfits AND a good picture of "Greenshield" with his norman Conical for SCA use.

[Robert P. Norwalt]

Do a search on the archive for "T-Bob". He does one of the best 2-3rd Crusaders in the business.

[Egfroth]

Yes, it is certainly possible to do it well, and still be SCA legal - even the helmet can be made to look good - without a ghastly obvious bar-grille. Check the pictures Greenshield posted in this thread. The two bottom ones show him fighting SCA.