Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:39 am
As someone who wore DV armor for years (*please* don't burn me to a crisp! it's pretty common armor up here near where it's made, and I didn't have the guidance from folks here, back then...!), here's my take:
- The biggest issue is that the overall shape is VERY hard to disguise. The shoulders, and chest armor, have a distinct silhouette that is hard to just toss a tunic over. I glued thin leather over mine, which looks...better...but is still not really ideal.
- The knees are grossly oversized for what is needed. They will knock together. They will trip you. The legs will slide down even if pointed (550 cord is NOT enough for straps).
- This is stuff you can probably make yourself. It's pretty cheap, but cheaper to do your own, if you have any skill with tools at all. Yours will fit better, too, and the process of making will help you learn how to do repairs.
That said, on the plus side:
- The DV armor is impenetrable. You're NOT going to get hurt wearing this stuff. I got bruises if the leg armor slipped, but my first Pennsic I had been in armor only a couple of months, and was buried three deep a time or two, without any issues at all. *Highly* protective armor.
- The gorget is just darned good. Covered with leather (I glued mine on) and restrapped with leather cord, it looks like a leather gorget. Lined with some padding, it is the best gorget I have worn. I continue to wear it, and am fairly convinced it has saved me from serious injury several times.
All that said... If you have access to some loaner gear, use that for a bit. Learn what you like, what you don't. Figure out what period you'd like to represent. You have multiple offers of local help from people with workshops - that's HUGE, and wonderful, and will be of immense value to you. Take those offers!
Don't jump into the first easy set of armor you can toss money at. Unless you tend to have a lot of free cash, you might end up stuck in this first set for a few years. Take the time to get or make something you will be happy with!
Concretely, if you want viking, an option might be something like:
- Hjalmir spangenhelm - $100
- *Riveted* mail shirt - $200 (but try one on first, they're a lot of weight for not a huge return in protection - but look GREAT and add amazing value to the look and feel of your kit!)
- Stonekeep or Hjalmir knees and elbows - ~$20-30 total
- Four yeards of linen from http://www.fabrics-store.com/ gets you shirt, pants, and winnigas (leg wraps) for about $25 (you want linen, start right!)
- gorget from Hjalmir is $25, or $20 from Dark Victory, or similar prices from several other places
- $10 or so for a big barrel - useful for making splints for forearms, upper legs, and chest/back. Hide the chest/back armor under your tunic and mail - I know a couple people who wear plastic that is basically four circles strapped together with leather - two big ones front and back, two smaller on the sides. Totally invisible under the tunic and mail.
- Some leather for strapping things together, maybe for covering wrists (with splints under?) - varies, but you can usually find some pretty cheap.
Total is a bit under $400, and half of that is the mail, which you can probably do without as a newbie. Move up to the mail when you can afford it.
Again, take that local help! In my experience, fighters everywhere love talking armor, and love helping get new targe...er, people into armor. We're a crowd that tends to believe in "the more, the merrier!"
And welcome! =)
- The biggest issue is that the overall shape is VERY hard to disguise. The shoulders, and chest armor, have a distinct silhouette that is hard to just toss a tunic over. I glued thin leather over mine, which looks...better...but is still not really ideal.
- The knees are grossly oversized for what is needed. They will knock together. They will trip you. The legs will slide down even if pointed (550 cord is NOT enough for straps).
- This is stuff you can probably make yourself. It's pretty cheap, but cheaper to do your own, if you have any skill with tools at all. Yours will fit better, too, and the process of making will help you learn how to do repairs.
That said, on the plus side:
- The DV armor is impenetrable. You're NOT going to get hurt wearing this stuff. I got bruises if the leg armor slipped, but my first Pennsic I had been in armor only a couple of months, and was buried three deep a time or two, without any issues at all. *Highly* protective armor.
- The gorget is just darned good. Covered with leather (I glued mine on) and restrapped with leather cord, it looks like a leather gorget. Lined with some padding, it is the best gorget I have worn. I continue to wear it, and am fairly convinced it has saved me from serious injury several times.
All that said... If you have access to some loaner gear, use that for a bit. Learn what you like, what you don't. Figure out what period you'd like to represent. You have multiple offers of local help from people with workshops - that's HUGE, and wonderful, and will be of immense value to you. Take those offers!
Don't jump into the first easy set of armor you can toss money at. Unless you tend to have a lot of free cash, you might end up stuck in this first set for a few years. Take the time to get or make something you will be happy with!
Concretely, if you want viking, an option might be something like:
- Hjalmir spangenhelm - $100
- *Riveted* mail shirt - $200 (but try one on first, they're a lot of weight for not a huge return in protection - but look GREAT and add amazing value to the look and feel of your kit!)
- Stonekeep or Hjalmir knees and elbows - ~$20-30 total
- Four yeards of linen from http://www.fabrics-store.com/ gets you shirt, pants, and winnigas (leg wraps) for about $25 (you want linen, start right!)
- gorget from Hjalmir is $25, or $20 from Dark Victory, or similar prices from several other places
- $10 or so for a big barrel - useful for making splints for forearms, upper legs, and chest/back. Hide the chest/back armor under your tunic and mail - I know a couple people who wear plastic that is basically four circles strapped together with leather - two big ones front and back, two smaller on the sides. Totally invisible under the tunic and mail.
- Some leather for strapping things together, maybe for covering wrists (with splints under?) - varies, but you can usually find some pretty cheap.
Total is a bit under $400, and half of that is the mail, which you can probably do without as a newbie. Move up to the mail when you can afford it.
Again, take that local help! In my experience, fighters everywhere love talking armor, and love helping get new targe...er, people into armor. We're a crowd that tends to believe in "the more, the merrier!"
And welcome! =)
You can also find 'em for $100-200 on assorted "I import cheap crappy armor" sites all over the web.
I've actually been watching the one for shirt and coif. I wish I had a contact in India who could pick it up for me and ship it over cheaper. I want a blackened flat riveted 18ga shirt REAL bad, but can't swing the big payout.
Missed the shipping. Darn. Only ones I can find right now are aluminum riveted: one on Ebay for $215 (including shipping, from UK) and the ever-fun ThinkGeek ones ($99-199 - *no* idea how good the construction is on these...! I am not recommending them, just mentioning them!).