The Armour Archive

Doing demo's are great. Every one brings out their best kit and goes to play for a crowd. It exeplifies what the SCA can be. With Green Lane we can impose a level of "periodness" in the kits. Sort of like a Pas d'Armes.

The fighters include...

Finn Finigan O'Flynn (Knights Marshall of Hartshorn Dale)
Sion Ap Llewyllen (Sean Powell)
Talan Gwyllt (Yours truely)
Eric (1260 something crusader? Red and white with chainmaile)
Sir Gabrielle
Lady Sonya
Alexander
Asbjorn Johansen
Sir Yuan (spelling?)

Enjoy.

http://www.hartshorn-dale.org/gallery/album14

Wow! Well done! Some of you have armour that's almost as spiffy as mine

This is SCA? Do you guys look this good all the time, or only for public demos?

everything looks great. Nicely done.


one thing though...
http://www.hartshorn-dale.org/gallery/a ... mo_2004_21

Whats the deal with the Timberland slip on shoes and white jeans?

That's me in my best kit.

The pants are linen. Using a hospital scrub pattern. Very comfortable to fight in. Breaths very well. I need to make a linen shirt!!!

The shoes. Heh. My cheep $100 ren boots bit the dust and these are better then sneakers.

There are things I know I need. Like greaves, boots, proper vambraces, arming coat, and a proper 14 century helm. But that will come in time. As money allows.

Oh and a device wouldn't hurt either.

Josh_Warren wrote:Wow! Well done! Some of you have armour that's almost as spiffy as mine

This is SCA? Do you guys look this good all the time, or only for public demos?

I'd like to see your spiffy suit. I always seem to have my back to the camera but at least there is a good picture of my new demo shield:

http://www.hartshorn-dale.org/gallery/a ... 2004_5_001

The only front good face on picture is this one:

http://www.hartshorn-dale.org/gallery/a ... 2004_6_001

I'm the tank on the right.

This is now my demo only suit. I fought in it consistantly for 2 solid years. I found that the weight and the over-all protective quality of the suit deteriorated my fighting skills. The weight was signifigantly higher than the suit should be and that would tire me early (I'm just a desk jokey during the day) Also I could rely on the armor to take considerable punishment. Sooner or later the brain starts to process that the muscles hurt more to lift the shield for the block than to take the hit as good and fight again... BAD habbit!

I try to keep my sport kit looking as nice but it is a plastic covered with uppolstery velvet Corizina. While people at a demo may not be able to tell the difference I like to pass around the gear and they would know if they picked up plastic. Besides I like to mention how a 94lb kit is WAY too heavy and talk about proper suits weighing 65lbs.

Sean

94 pounds???!!???!!!!! Good God, man, what is that made of?

Here's my harness, because I never tire of showing it off:

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/ArmorbyRalph%20045.jpg

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/ArmorbyRalph%20046.jpg

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/July4parade%20002.jpg

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/KSU%20Demo%20031.jpg

It weighs between 65 and 70 pounds, because a few components (headpiece, cuisses) are still a bit on the heavy side. I know 16ga seems to be the norm in the SCA, but I think it's *way* too heavy to make limb armour out of, except for knees and elbows, so most of my limb armour is 18ga. I don't mind banging out the occasional dent, and I enjoy the added lightness on my feet it affords.

The 16th cent guy in the first few pics has THE BEST SCA basket hilt I have ever seen. Great Schiavona design and works in pretty close with his kit. Looks loads better than someone with a 14th cent suit sporting a nasty weld "basket".

Josh_Warren wrote:This is SCA? Do you guys look this good all the time, or only for public demos?

To be honest, we definitely try to put our best foot (or armor) forward for the public demos. This one (Green Lane Scottish/Irish festival about an hour N/NW of Philly), will have 80,000 to 100,000 people attend over two days.

For practices and melee's I have a lighter brig-style kit. But for demos, Pas, etc, I have my 14th C. kit (from Dragon Forge). I'm the one with the klap visor:
http://www.hartshorn-dale.org/gallery/a ... emo_2004_3

What I really enjoy is that we have a number of SCA members in this area that care enough to make the effort and put together good kits. While there can still be a number of 'generi-celt' armor kits out there, the amount of people in the SCA getting better looking gear is increasing all the time. I also like to do the 'lead-by-example' of trying to get people into better kits.

Just my thoughts...

-Finn

Green Lane is probably the best demo I've attended in the SCA. The local group goes out of its way to focus on history and not the SCA (which actually makes the SCA look better). I am already looking forward to next year.