The Armour Archive

I am looking for an armourer who can do later 16th century full arms, with pauldrons/spaulders. Whichever one doen's cover the chest. The floating articulation works, and I would discuss with them doing the black and white step work to match my helm and BP. Big thing is, I'm looking for them in spring steel... any ideas?

Anshelm, maybe?

We can do them for you as well.

Cheers!

can do.

Hi there, Can anyone post a pic of some 16th century arms? Im just finishing up a 16th century inspired suit and was wondering what type of arms should have been on it. I made some shaped arms for the suit but Id like to get a whole 16th century harness together along with a 14th century suit.

Thank you

Pitbull

This is my work....

http://wildarmoury.com/images/DSCF3808.jpg

There are lots of subtly different 16th c. arms out there. But here are some examples:

http://www.allenantiques.com/A-156.html
http://www.allenantiques.com/A-1.html
http://www.allenantiques.com/A-102.html
http://www.allenantiques.com/A-128.html
http://www.allenantiques.com/A-27.html

etc.

Typically they have turners in the upper arm, more bracelet like elbows and often less fitted forearms. All of these rules are violated on particular pieces, so you need to decide what decade or so and where before people will really know what you want. There are certainly more rolls - around the edges of the pauldrons/spaulders and the wings of the cops than we see earlier.

Wade

Hi there, thank you for posting the pics for me I apreciate it.

Take care

PB

While I like the look of this kind of shoulder defense, it would be hell trying to fight sca with them.

http://www.allenantiques.com/A-102.html

this thread needs more love

Al at Mercinaries taylor makes some, Knitbee made some spectacular ones a while back, I would be interested in seeing pics of some others work in comparison.

I have a set of those shoulders and couters from Merctailor and they rock... need to get the fit just right or they get caught in the back... they look really sexy

"getting caught in the back" - one really important point is that your backplate has to be formed correctly. Then the pauldron has to be formed correctly.

This means that you really need to build this stuff from the inside out. You shouldn't buy arms then try to fit a breast/back to them.

Gorget, then breast/back, then arms/pauldrons.

You can get away with more if you are just doing spaulders, but they still need to fit to the breast/back too. Like the ones on this:

http://www.allenantiques.com/R-28.html

Again, pick a period. And a country. If the person making the arms doesn't ask those questions, move on. It is quite possible to make some for the first time and have them work. But you have to think a lot. When Aaron and I did it, we had these lying around the shop:

http://www.allenantiques.com/A-27.html
http://www.allenantiques.com/A-35.html

Which don't go together, but they illustrate the ideas pretty well. They got us on the right track.

I don't have online shots of the first arms we did, but these were the second pair:

http://www.allenantiques.com/R-xx.html

Not perfect, but they turned out ok.

Wade

Hi, Wow nice clean looking suit there in the last pic Wcallen. Ive always loved those type of pauldrons and have wondered how they were made. Its like they are shaped like part of the breast and backplate. Close fitting with full coverage. Is there a name for that style of Paulds? Thanks again for info.

Take care

Pitbull

Thanks Pitbull. They weren't all that hard, you just have to get a feel for how they need to be made. The upper plates are pretty funky in form. The main plate is pretty evenly dished in the back, a little more over the top then just curled in the front to fit to the breastplate. Flair the front and back edge out just right so the arm part fits and there you go. If you were making 100's of pairs like they did, probably gets almost automatic.

I would say that pauldrons that fit the breast and back like that are just called pauldrons. They should all fit pretty closely.

This is, of course, the best position. They will look a lot more stupid with your arm up in the air. Just the way of these things.

Back to real armourer's comments.

Wade

CT03 wrote:I have a set of those shoulders and couters from Merctailor and they rock... need to get the fit just right or they get caught in the back... they look really sexy

You really can't go wrong with the work that Al does at Merctailor. I did/have jousted in his gear for years. Top notch work and quality.

wcallen wrote:I don't have online shots of the first arms we did, but these were the second pair:

http://www.allenantiques.com/R-xx.html

Not perfect, but they turned out ok.

Wade

heh, I think I have the elbows from that set, or a related harness