The Armour Archive

Hello, Im new and very "challenged." I have aquired a few sections of armor over the years trying to piece together a rig and have come to a road block. How do I attach all of these pieces of metal to my body?! I also would like to know how secure a helmet has to be on ones head.

Thanks-
Brood

First we need to know what "sections" of armour you have, what time period you are trying to portray, and what group you are "fighting" with.

Welcome and well come to the Archive, Broodwarcd.

I assume you're starting in the SCA. Do mention which group you're in; it's important.

The SCA requires a chinstrap, efficient enough that your helm can't be pulled off your knob. Most of us prefer a chin-cup strap, often anchored at four points inside the helm, two at the top of your ears and two at or just in front of your earlobes. These two pairs of anchor points strap your helmet on so it can't be pulled off, and so the faceplate can't be pushed into your phiz.

Meanwhile, searching the site on "armor straps/strapping" should give you something to read.

Essentially, the principles for affixing plate armor are like this: torso armor closes over your shoulders if it's big enough, and buckles around you too. Limb armor, both arms and legs, has to be secured firmly to the body's "ledges" as it were: the places where the body gets narrower. Arm armor suspends from the shoulders, even about the neck if you stretch a point about gorgets -- and that point can be stretched in either direction too. Leg armor is suspended either from a belt cinched at the waist, or a combo of waistbelt and shoulder straps -- like a shelf stocker's lifting belt. The other principle is never to expect to hold limb armor up by trying to strap it tightly to any part of the limb. Steel is too heavy for this to work. Any buckling around that you do is not to hold the piece up where it belongs, but to hold it either on, or closed. Your extremities are conical, and when conical armor pieces are strapped on conical anatomy and the conical shapes are pointed at the ground, the slightest loosening up means the armor slides right off. So it must be suspended instead.

Suspension may also be accomplished by lacing pieces of steel onto fabric foundation garments with thongs called "points," an old term. This works every bit as well as straps and buckles. Perhaps even better in pieces designed for this from the beginning.

well, I only have a set of spaulers and the plates of a coat of plates...well that and a helmet. I am not sure if the helmet fits. I am comfortable in it but it has about 1 1/2' all the way around and it fits relatively snug. Ill post pics when i get my hands on a camera.

Well a coat of plates usually straps at the sides, at least those I've seen to Spaulders tend to point to an aketon then strap under the arm. helms are either held on by the weight of a ventail or with a strap under the chin.

You say you have the plates for a CoP, are they already attatched to some sort of backing, or is it just a pile 'o plates? If you have just the plates a quick search of the archive will produce all sorts of discussion and pictures (check the pattern archive as well) on methods of building and fastening a CoP. While I'm not sure if this is how it's "supposed" to be done, the spaulders could attach to the CoP, depending on how it's built. Pics of what you have would be great, and again what you're using this for (SCA, Larp, etc..) would help as well. Cheers.

~roO