The Armour Archive

The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara by Cranach http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/170 ... otostream/
close up of showing the knees better
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elissacorsini/2349094549/
When I first saw this painting in a book at a friends house I instantly feel in love with the knees on the exacutioner. So he printed me off scans from the book and I let them sit around the shop for months, finally last week I decided to make them.

metal shaped, lots of subtle shaping to get them right, and the top is larger than the bottom like in the photo.
[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee1.JPG[/img]

doing the leather work, its 3-4oz vegy tan.


tooled, dyed and gold trim painted on.


left knee finished down to the green tassel from the photo


left knee done, tooling allmost done on the right


back view of the finished knee


Anyone need these? I can easly be talked into selling them
Brian[/img]

HOLY CRAP THAT IS GORGEOUS...

I mean


Very nice.

VERY nice, you don't see that everyday!

Beautiful work!

O'Quinn

Brilliant work.

My complements on making a real 3D version of something like that. You have my admiration.

Oh.... some envy, too.



Effingham

YOU SUCK! :p

Awsome, nicely done.

Kudos.

this is how more things should be done-taken from art, rather than the same old extant pieces copied and copied again. it's nice to see something taken from 2D (art) and faithfully reproduced to a working item.

excellent work.

Aaron

WOW INSANE!!! Those are real beautys!! Thanks for sharing those.
I first saw the pic with just the metal knees, not noticing there will be leather sewn over it, and at that point I arleady was stunned how nice they turned out.... then scroll down.... *jawdrop*
Keep up your good work
Vigmund

knitebee,

That's splendid!

As I scrolled down the pics, I chortled and grinned like an idiot!

Mac

uber spiff!

I am afraid to ask. But I will, how much?

Beautiful work!

Nice Work, Lad! That's a very well done interpretation, I must say! Putting together cool "parade armour" pieces like that is a real inspiration.

The only minor detail I'd add or change is to make the aglette/arming point be a real point of attachment, rather than just decoration. But heck, that's just quibbling over nothing. You done good there!

Cheers!

Gordon

Rittmeister Frye wrote:The only minor detail I'd add or change is to make the aglette/arming point be a real point of attachment, rather than just decoration. But heck, that's just quibbling over nothing. Gordon

Actually Gordon, Looking at the painting I think its a tassel to represent a garter not an arming point at all. Its to far back on the knee and is a loose tassel not solid cord like an arming point. If an arming point is needed I'd stitch it to the back of hte leather allong the top, where it would work better and be totaly hidden.

Thanks all for the compliments, the right knee shoudl be finished today, allmost done witht he tooling.

Brian

Oh, I see what you mean, now that I check it closer. Gotcha.

Cool!

Cheers!

Gordon

Great idea, great work!


Only - why do you keep Odor Eaters in your cookie jar?

A big, big BRAVO

Two thumbs up!

My past response to seeing artwork like this has been, JAPIAAFS! (Just Another Painting of Imaginary All' Antica Fantasy Stuff), but now, due to Knitebee's remarkable work, I have to rethink this. Once again, I find that there were more things in heaven and earth than I had imagined. I think it more likely that such a covering would have been done in embroidered cloth, but hey, I don't sew either!

I am severely impressed.

And thus the bar is raised that little bit higher.

sigh



Very nice.

There needs to be an icon for envious.

Man those are super cool! Just what every pimped out Landesknecht needs. I'd never thought about how that fanciful armour could be made.

Hi Knitebee
Those are very nice indeed. It almost seems a shame to use them .

I have a question about the sewing of the leather onto the steel.

Why did you choose to lace the leather parts on over the steel edge of the cop rather than drilling a second line of holes close to the edge of the cop and sewing directly on?

I would have thought that this could lead to premature wear of the threads.

Rgds

Alex

Not that I know Knitebee's reasoning, but from experience, drilled holes in metal will wear the stitching more quickly, actually. One could allways deburr the holes, but that would still wear the stitching material rather quickly. Perhaps punching the holes would be better?

In any case, a gorgeous interpretation of those knees. As I climb very slowly out of the morass that has become my personal life, I find myself inspired for some period interpretation pieces....after the back ordered pieces of course.

Knitebee, very nice work, I would love to see close up detail pics of the tooling after the shaping. Also, were these leather peices hardened at all?

House of the Wolf wrote:Not that I know Knitebee's reasoning, but from experience, drilled holes in metal will wear the stitching more quickly, actually. One could allways deburr the holes, but that would still wear the stitching material rather quickly. Perhaps punching the holes would be better?

I would love to see close up detail pics of the tooling after the shaping. Also, were these leather peices hardened at all?

Holes are drilled and then slightly counter sunk on both sides (except for a few opposite the wing that I couldn't get the drill to). As to reasoning there are lines in the painting that while could be just highlights are set perfectly for stitching. As to Alexanders questioning why not a second row of holes, to be honest that idea never occurred to me, might be a good way to do it.

They are partially oven hardened (A great thanks to you Dan for your how-too on your site and the video available from Talbot)

I'll see if I have a good photo of the tooling to upload for you. Tooling is basic and simple, just carved with a knife (not even a proper tooling knife) then bevelled with a couple of stamps I made from some spare 1/4in square stock.

Brian

Ohhhhhhhhhhh my!

That is two-fisted awesome! That is sweeet!

Christopher

Finished pair, the slight color differance was due to not yet having oiled the right knee. Once oiled the color matches perfectly from knee to knee. I didn't put the green tassel on the right knee, as I think it represents a garter and you find more than one painting where there is only the left garter being worn with armour.

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee15.JPG[/img]

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee16.JPG[/img]

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee17.JPG[/img]

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee18.JPG[/img]

Brian

those are super cool.

You suck.

And I mean that with the greatest affection.


Effingham

I have knee cop envy!!!


Nicely done. is this just a project you decided to do or is it other reasons? you may have answered in earlier posts butI'm blown away by these to read back... any of doing them in metal ?

Mercyful fate.....

I just can't say anything. They are too awesome for my meager grasp of language......

Just........augh...<melts>

Christopher

Mostexcellent!

rhys wrote:I have knee cop envy!!!


Nicely done. is this just a project you decided to do or is it other reasons? you may have answered in earlier posts butI'm blown away by these to read back... any of doing them in metal ?

These are a replica of an original. The finished product is hardened leather over steel. You can't see the steel because they look to be blackened under the leather....

Well Im not really that impressed. I mean, I could've done that...... if had thought of it. *Gosh*


(but you beat me to the punch, and a damn fine job my friend ...bravo.)

Spacfrakintacular ... Nice Knees... Wow nice werk