The Armour Archive

Well here is the last commission I'll be doing for quite a while. All the joy has gone out of it, mostly because I'm not doing anything for myself. I've decided to take a break. The only armour I'll be doing for a while is for me. Maybe after I've got *my* kits together, I'll start on other stuff again.

Anyway, this was made for August. Maybe he'll pop in with comments.

I am glad I got my hat while you were still in the biz.

But seriously, find what you love to do and do nothing but that. I hope you start having some fun.

If that is for the August here in Carraig Ban, I am going to have to check in out. It looks SWEET! I will feel bad when I wack it at fighter practice.

Armyeric

Man... that sure is a nice helm.

Bravo.

Well that's a damn shame, because your work if very impressive. Just remember, even if you don't do comissions doesn't mean you can't help the rest of us learn to make stuff that looks half as good.

Actually Nissan some of *your* comments in the interview helped me on my way to the decision. *In* the SCA I never gave a flip about anything but having fun and fighting well. I've got a nice local group and I'm NOT out having fun with them. I've been busting my butt all week, then spending my precious free time building stuff for other people who don't pay me enough anyway.

I'm not hanging up my hammers, but I have *3* harnesses for myself that need to be completed before I make anything else. After that I'll build what I build as I get around to it. Not taking any orders means I can get around to that high end Norse face helm I have designed ( Which I expect someone someday will buy). It means I can finish my weekly practice Japanese, my 14th century mafia, and my high end Japanese.

It means I can go thump all these kids in Road Warrior cast offs and show them you can be competitive *AND* look good. Standing around at fighter practice telling NSTIW stories doesn't cut it for me. I'm old but I'm not dead.

Good for you Mykaru!!! It is always unfortunate when our passions become "just work". One positive about work though is that it tends to keep us more disciplined. I sometimes find that I must make my self get off my butt to work on art, because I don't pay the bills with it. I hope your new free time is fruitful. I look forward to seeing your new projects, especially the "high end Norse face helm".

Richard

Michael, what are you working on for yourself? Anything early and odoshi-laden? I'd love to see you do something maybe Nanbokucho-shugo like.


Effingham

Well, I sorrow for the Japanese-harness community, but I see you do what you must do, Mykaru, and I understand and respect your decision and its necessity. Take that break, spend the me-time. No doubt some other good maker will step in and fill your bearskin shoes.

Some darn tasty kabuto-cake there; thank you for the look.

Eff,

For myself? I have a munitions grade okashi dou that I will re-lace and add Kydex kiritsuzane kusazuri. The zunari to go with need Menpo and kanamono. The hi- end piece is inspired by the Mori Kobayakawa Takakage harness. I've changed a few things but it will be true to the spirit. The ita for the dou are 1.6 1050 with repousse sane. I'll try and post an old in process pic of the front. My 14th century is a corrazina with 1055 arms and legs and a nice bascinet. All 3 are in various states of completion and need some attention.

If I could make a suggestion here: I wen throught this right after I finished up Tin Man last year, I have finally learned to reach out for custom orders that were items I wanted to make for myself because working both at the same time only uses 60% more time. It will be challenging in the business, I went to refill my tanks today and found the acetlyne has gone up 30% since he last time I filled them in January. At the same time today, someone on this board emailed me this afternnon about my recent arm sale to the effect of: $95 for arms? I'll offer $85 take it or leave it. You know in 2001 when I started on ebay, I could sell every arm set I listed for $145, legs $165. Our economy is so messed up that I now have people ask when I plan to have a sale so people can buy arms and legs from me and sell their old Icefalcon stuff to use the difference to buy food for the next month. I see the foreign intrusion into the market, and I'm sure tyey are good, honorable peple, but I thing the Russians are wihin 9 months of destroying the US armour making market. I'm only putting up with it because even with my reduced prices, I am still making 2 to 2.5 times my old job.

Eric

Sweet projects.

I like the idea of kydex kiritsuke. I'm planning a few projects (a do-maru yoroi for a kniggit friend and an o-yoroi for m'self) along those same lines. The kniggit actually wanted the do-maru-yoroi -- I thought he'd be more suited to an o-yoroi, but he wants lighter and tighter, and those adjectives do NOT equal o-yoroi.

I can't wait to see the corrazina. What are you facing it with?


Effingham

Yes, I stopped making custom helms for the same reason.
I like to make helms and all, but cannot afford to anymore.
I still make other things but I am not sure about them now.
I want to be more than a part time newbie toolmaker.

Speaking of tools. I will tell you of one that did not work.
I wanted to un-dish a spangen panel around the bottom.

So I welded two pieces of 1-1/2" pipe about 3" apart on a 1/2" steel base.
Hummm... I thought... this should work real well.
It didn’t... The ends curled up real bad and the center flanged out.

I fixed the panels with my doughnut.

Is that an SCA helmet?

Is that an SCA helmet?

Why, yes, it is. Why do you ask?

WOW, Japanese armour is not my main area of study, but that hat is sweet! Great work man, Sorry to hear your not taking commisions for awhile. But I completely understand. Make some nice stuff for yourself. And when your ready, pick commisions that sound like fun.

Uh, I ask because..uh...it's like mind-blowing. It looks so real it don't seem like it could be possibly legal. Think about what that means. I can see now that it is an SCA helmet, but it don't look like one. It's too real.

That's what attention to detail -- and a whomping chuck of skill -- can produce.


Effingham

I have a Mykaru Kabuto. And from that experiance I can predict the following:

August's head will be impervious to harm in that beautiful hat.

Those little wing things will get flattened back against the helm, but will still look cool there.

August's neck will grow strong. (my hat weighs 22 lbs.)

When those laces wear out, August will wish that the neck guards were not permanantly rivited on. (It makes lace swapping a lttle tedious.)

That helmet will last forever.

You know, something has just occurred to me. I've known you as Michael (and Mykaru), but I have NO idea what people in the SCA actually call you...

Okay, Michael. Give. Your persona is really Italian Ren, isn't it?


Effingham

Sir Vitus,

Thank you. Coming from someone who values a good kit as much as I do that is indeed praise.

Nissan,

August will grow a thicker neck. The fukigaeshi are removable on his and the byo (attaching rivits) on his shikoro aren't permanent like yours.

Eff,

Mykaru was an attempt to trick heralds into pronouncing Maikaru correctly. When not in proper wafuku, I tend to run with swiss mercs so landesneckt it is. Of course my 14th century mafia harness is in the works and when lazy I do admit to trews and T tunics.

Mykaru wrote:Mykaru was an attempt to trick heralds into pronouncing Maikaru correctly. When not in proper wafuku, I tend to run with swiss mercs so landesneckt it is. Of course my 14th century mafia harness is in the works and when lazy I do admit to trews and T tunics.

Oh, I can't relate to that at all.

At Pennsic and other hot, long, tsuris-laden events, I make do with Boksten tunic and hosen (of some sort) myself.


Effingham

Damn, you mean that you make 14th century stuff of high quality and your only across the straight. shame I missed out.

Which part of Stormhold are you in?

Are you still working in Spring?

I'd be interested in talking to you about techniques and stuff and hey if you ever come down to Tas look me up (we are having a royal visit in June)