The Armour Archive

A while back I believe I seen a link here to a website that detailed the construction of Japanese armour for SCA combat.

I would be appreciative of any links you may have. I have agreed to attempt to recreate the armour for my better half, who wants to start in heavy weapons.

Thanks in Advance



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Silver Griffon
Audaces fortuna iuvat, Facta non Verba

The armour I have had made for me will be at my door (with a little luck), tomorrow.

It's mid 16th century (Just around 1550) okegawa style with tôsei sode. I still will have some lacing to do when I get it in (I do a lot of traditional lacing for people who have antique armour they wish relaced), but once I am done I will be more than happy to post some images. In my opinion it's a lot better protection, and much easier to take care of (and in some cases make) than the O-Yoroi (with the fancy ito/lace)...

The kote (arm armour) and suneate (lower leg and knee armour) is still being made, it's a tsubo (pipe) style, which is MUCH easier to make list legal. About all I am going to be needing that is not "traditional" Japanese armour would be a set of elbows which will be under my hitatare (like a shirt) so it should be hidden from view. And of course my clamshell gauntlets, which I will be painting in a similar style to my armour which will allow me to pass the 10 foot look test.

About all I am really in need of is a kabuto. Mykaru, with a little luck, will be taking care of this for me.


[This message has been edited by Evil_Merlin (edited 11-13-2002).]

Thank you for the Links. I have everything I think I need now.

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Silver Griffon
Audaces fortuna iuvat, Facta non Verba

My Lady wants a Kabuto with a face in it, vs a bar grill. Who is currently producing these, if anyone. Its beyond my skill.

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Silver Griffon
Audaces fortuna iuvat, Facta non Verba

Well i have been attempting to recreate japanese armor. Its not SCA approved, but i can help you with questions regarding supplies. I am pretty much complete with a mogami sode (shoulder gaurd), with "full lacing". I will see if i can put up some pics of it soon, i also took pictures while i was making it.
Anthony Bryant's Webpage is the best source of construction than i can find. Also if you have any questions, i would happy to help you to the extent of my knowledge (which isnt that much, but i sure as hell can tell you what not to, with regards to the mistake i have made).

Mykaru does them. I don't know how busy he is or if he has slots open in his commission queue.

He posts here often, and his SCA legal kabuto have in intergrated mempo and grill.

Thanks EM. Does he have a webpage ?

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Silver Griffon
Audaces fortuna iuvat, Facta non Verba

'lo all,

I don't have a webpage as I don't do this full-time anymore. EM will be contacted about measurments in the near future, but I'm not taking any orders until I finish Nagamori-san's helm (planned for Halloween, I'm about 3 weeks behind).Anyone interested in an order NEEDS to get into this next queue as I am going to take a break after this group to make some for myself. Although I prefer Nuinobe-do, I just picked up Kagemusha on DVD and am starting to jones for an iro-iro odoshi do-maru. Here are links to the last Zunari I did:

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/mykaru/Ang1.jpg
http://home.armourarchive.org/members/mykaru/Front2.jpg
http://home.armourarchive.org/members/mykaru/Side2.jpg



[This message has been edited by Mykaru (edited 11-13-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I just picked up Kagemusha on DVD and am starting to jones for an iro-iro odoshi do-maru.</font>

Yeah, that one kinda did it to me, too. That's why I have an iro-iro odoshi mae-kake-do. The thing Shingen wears is also nice; it's a murasaki susogu (for those who don't grok the lingo, it's an armour where the lacing grades from pale at the top to deep purple at the bottom).

Waitaminnit... DVD of Kagemusha? Damn! Amazon doesn't say there is one!!! Is it one of the Asian (Hong Kong?) products? Please tell me it's region free...

My particular jones now, however, is for omodaka odoshi. I'm laying out diagrams for a haramaki that is orange backed with omodaka in white, green, purple, and red. I'm also planning an omodaka o-yoroi, based in black (okay, VERY very dark blue) with the outline omodaka in white and the fill in red.

I'm using these as an impetus to lose weight, as if I don't lose the weight by the time I'm done, I won't be able to wear them.

I'm also working on a do for a knight out here which is "aka kata shiro" -- that is, red laced with the top two rows of lacing white. Ah, the glorious things one can do with kebiki lacing.

Effingham

While I like the "fancier" Yoroi, I really don't wanna wear it, especially in the heavy lists. I hadda make some "changes" in my own okegawa dou, mostly because the armourer put the hinges on the wrong side but I'm not going to be a fanatic about it, as few people would even know what side the hinges are usually on, on a dou, and I will also be wearing a jinbaori over it =)

Most of the stuff I find I like is from Ran. It seems to be much closer to my period than anything else. I know Ran is mostly a Japanese adaptation of King Lear, but it seems to be very much a 16th century Japan in the background. I very much enjoy okegawa (yokohagi) dou, yukinoshita dou and mogami dou. O-Yoroi (and O-Sode) are simply too fancy for my tastes as I am mostly going an ashigaru route, like an ashigaru captian or the likes, so the higher end stuff is right out for me. All my stuff is/will be simple black with kon sukgake odoshi.

[This message has been edited by Evil_Merlin (edited 11-14-2002).]

Unfortunately I don't know the region. I had an all region chip put in my DVD when I bought it. It does make region one (USA) DVDs look kind of stretched, so I suspect it's region one. The collection now includes Ran, Seven Samurai, Rashomon, and Kagemusha. I'm still searching for Heaven and Earth and The Iron Fortress. It's also nice to see what an aquaintance of mine (Yui-san)looked like 20 years ago (He looks like a Japanese Gerry Garcia now).

Hey Merlin, you mentioned that you wear a jimbaori over your armor. You wouldn't happen to have a patter would you? And if you don't, any tips, ideas, suggestions, ect.? Thanks.

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"The greatest test of faith or courage is always the last one."

No, not yet. I'm going to be making the jinbaori by hand as soon as I figure out how the hell to use the sewing machine.

I know the overall look by getting lots of pictures from sales of real jinbaori from Ebay.

grrr...That means that I'll have to suffer through and use the same meathod you are..oh well such is life.

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"The greatest test of faith or courage is always the last one."

Other than the lapel and the collar it does not look all that hard. I'm going solid black (and also one in red) so it's not too bad.

Still have yet to figure out this beast of a sewing machine... it's new and I cannot figure out how to work it...