I wanna be a SAMURAI

[Yagyu Tametomo]

I've seen those before but I haven't seen any examples from period. Does anyone have an earlier example?

[Vermillion]

I recently bought this little booklet published by the Royal Armouries.

An Introduction to Japanese Armour

That link to Amazon, has the current cheapest copy at $57 plus shipping, but I just bought a copy used from an Amazon seller in perfect condition for $15 last week. So keep an eye open.

While I'm sure a hard core Japanese Armor fan will find it lacking, I thought it was a good primer on the subject and well done.

[CT03]

I study Batto Do and recently came across this, which I figured some of you might be interested in. Japanese battlefield forensics from Kamakura. http://www.tameshigiri.ca/2013/12/29/we ... kura-1333/

[hornsofodin]

Some of my old stuff.

[hornsofodin]

one more.

[ericc]

My kit. Where do I start. Lol

[Mlanteigne]

Oh, I don't know...maybe the first post of this thread? <insert incredulous face here>

[hornsofodin]

My kit. Where do I start. Lol

[Henrik Granlid]

Find the one iconic piece that you simply cannot be without, research what other pieces go with it and build from that piece and out.

Could be that it's a cuirass you absolutely need, or a certain form of helm, but there are so many different styles through the ages that helmet A might not go with armour B, so pick one piece that is a must and design everything else around that piece through historical sources.


EDIT: Just found this in a search of the database of the royal armoury of Sweden

http://emuseumplus.lsh.se/eMuseumPlus?s ... &sp=l70346

Figured somebody could put a date to it and someone else could find it inspirational.

[CrownOfThorns]

While I found much information here I am also interested in pursuing a kit for this. I read most of the 2005 armor posts but like most information it is either dated or just that - information.

Does anyone know anywhere you can purchase SCA approved Samurai Helmets/armor? it seems almost every post or suit I see is a hand made labor of love. I feel like I could make most of the armor but the Helmet is something I'd want to look top notch.

I've tried looking at pretty much every armory / place I could scrounge up online.

Looks like everyone either doesnt make Kabuton's or is out of stock or has a 1 year waiting list. The search continues.

[Sevastian]

Clang for the helmet would be my first choice.

[CrownOfThorns]

Clang for the helmet would be my first choice.

It looks like it was a custom piece for him and not taking any custom orders

[Sevastian]

Apologies. His work is what I'm most familiar with. Such a helmet, like the armor is often bespoke. Perhaps someone else can chime in? If all else fails, it never hurts to ask, yes?

[CrownOfThorns]

Apologies. His work is what I'm most familiar with. Such a helmet, like the armor is often bespoke. Perhaps someone else can chime in? If all else fails, it never hurts to ask, yes?

Absolutely, I am about at my wits end searching the internet for somewhere that has them in stock/available lol!

Thank you

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Brennainn here on the archive does a solid munitions grade Zunari for a reasonable price. Not super fast, but he will admit that upfront.

(edit: I always mis-spell his name on the first attempt)

[raito]

The files here (from my website) may be of use to someone:

http://www.raito.com/nagamochi

[tbeckett]

What sorts of footwear options are there for 13th century Japan? Specifically for heavy combat, and not necessarily a samurai, but probably for more of a common soldier (i.e. Ashigaru).

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

What sorts of footwear options are there for 13th century Japan? Specifically for heavy combat, and not necessarily a samurai, but probably for more of a common soldier (i.e. Ashigaru).

Ashigaru's gonna be waraji maybe with tabi.

You probably don't wanna fight in those.

there are some options out there for safety-toe tabi, and even some with cleats, though the cleated ones are ugly as sin. (Honestly a lot of the safety toe tabi, need kyahan or suneate to cover the tops.)

http://store.japan-zone.com/rikio-gemba ... p-153.html

http://store.japan-zone.com/marugo-magi ... p-329.html


Should you decide to bring honor to your clan and ancestors and be a true bushi, there are also kegutsu, bear-fur slippers. These I believe were fairly common in Heian era. Less so in Momoyama.

Here are mine, made by gluing fake fur, with some other embellishments onto an old pair of slip-on mocs.

https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hp ... e=55C4728E

[Owen Longstrider]

One of my SCA friends recently finished his do and received the helmet he bought; here are a few photos. He is still working on arm and leg armor, so right now he is still using his old European articulated arms and legs.

10504911_1567822160152597_2682888432234459124_o aa.jpg (98.54 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

11169697_1567822063485940_7942791198482562392_o aa.jpg (97.56 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

[Owen Longstrider]

And one more.

11187229_1567822016819278_4751238282719851012_o aa.jpg (98.91 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

[Friethjoph]

Ojama shimasu.

While reading up on the thread, I found a fatal flaw in the first post due to internet growing older: rinohide.cx went offline. However, the Wayback machine is still offering some of its content, even though pictures suffer heavily and are not available in some cases. The captures can be found as listed below.
Another link that didn't age well was tousando.proboards18.com, which at some point changed to tousando.proboards.com - if all content is conserved I can not tell. But as it is all listed in the post 4, see a bit lower again, and for convenience I listed all changed or archive links I could find together.

As an update to the 4th post:
2.4 has to be taken from archive: https://web.archive.org/web/00000000000 ... php?var=na
3.4 has to be taken from archive: https://web.archive.org/web/00000000000 ... terns.html
3.5 has to be taken from archive: https://web.archive.org/web/00000000000 ... hp?var=clt
3.7 moved to http://www.wodefordhall.com/kosode.htm
4.3 has to be taken from archive: https://web.archive.org/web/00000000000 ... o/yoriaku/ (see above!)
5.2 has to be taken from archive: https://web.archive.org/web/00000000000 ... arashisan/
5.4 kitemitsu.org went offline without an archived version.
5.5 has to be taken from archive: https://web.archive.org/web/00000000000 ... anmap.html
6.2 moved to www.tousando.proboards.com
6.3 has to be taken from archive: https://web.archive.org/web/00000000000 ... firms.com/

If a moderator would be so kind to update the 4th post, it would be really helpful for upcoming researchers or new members trying to find the advertised items.