Most Honorable Meh-San. SCA low end Kabuto FS.

[mattmaus]

There's a reason very few armorers make these, and fewer still are any good. Turned out ok, but I really had wanted it to be much much more.






Mild steel, painted (rustoleum auto primer and semi-gloss if it matters).
14g bowl, etc
Shikoro and throat lames are 16g.
1/4” bar stock on the grill, slightly flattened.
550 cord laces, with the guts pulled out.
1/4” nylon rope to hold the face plate on.

Measures at the koshimaki on the inside:
9 3/4” front to back
7 3/4” side to side
28” circumference

There is a full/rigid plate under the shikoro. It's short though, and tight.
D-rings are mounted to the koshimaki under the shikoro. The rope doubles up on each side through the D-ring and catches the hooks on either side of the somen. The center of the rope and knot are under the chin. The bargril has a hook on the center bar, that catches on a staple mounted to the koshimaki under the brim. Brim has a 3/16” bar welded to the leading edge for strength (and trust me it's pretty rigid).

The Shikoro are hemmed and folded on the top, and hemmed on the bottom and ends. Fukigaeshi are only hemmed and folded on the top. Cross section looks like this:


I'm probably forgetting something obvious. Feel free to ask any questions.

I'd like to get $400.00 plus $30.00 shipping and handling.

Void where prohibited by law. No warranty expressed or implied. Purchaser assumes all risk from use or misuse of item. Don't sue me, I'm destitute.

[Edward of Blackthorn]

Sending info to megan

[Edward of Blackthorn]

Sending info to megan

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Posted on Tousando for you.

[Ironbadger]

Come on, Matt.
Thats a beautiful helm!
Worth every penny you are asking.

Pity I don't do Japanese.

Wonder if anyone has ever done a field legal jingasa?
(Wouldn't be much harder than doing a kettle helm, I would think.)

-Badger-

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Myarku has done SCA jingasa. Pity they are a low rent hat, cause I think they look cool, and just ooze the orient.

I agree with you Ironbadger, my only complaints with this Kabuto are the odoshi (which I imagine most folks would redo to match their dô, anyhow) and the fukigaeshi, which I just personally wouldn't want on a SCA helm. Otherwise, I really like it.

[Effingham]

First, it's a nice job, structurally. That's got great lines for an Etchû style shikoro. I just have to wonder why you... well, kinda blew it with the lacing on the shikoro. Where's the suspensory lacing, and why is there a string of zigzaggy white braid along the bottom?

[Kurama Kenshin]

Love this wish i could afford it right now.

[mattmaus]

Posted on Tousando for you.

Thanks. I'd forgot all about them.

Come on, Matt.
Thats a beautiful helm!

Thanks.

First, it's a nice job, structurally. That's got great lines for an Etchû style shikoro.

Thanks.

I just have to wonder why you... well, kinda blew it with the lacing on the shikoro.

Um... cos I'm a idjit. Or cos I didn't know what I was doing. Probably both.

Where's the suspensory lacing

I'm pretty sure I don't understand the question. Could you elaborate?

why is there a string of zigzaggy white braid along the bottom?

I'm gonna blame all the methamphetamines for that.

Love this wish i could afford it right now.

Thanks. For what it's worth, I wish you could afford it too. We'd both be happier.

[Kurama Kenshin]

If it is still around when i get the money I am definetly interested :p If it isn't would you be interested in making another?

[Ron Broberg]

I just have to wonder why you... well, kinda blew it with the lacing on the shikoro.

Um... cos I'm a idjit. Or cos I didn't know what I was doing. Probably both.

Where's the suspensory lacing

I'm pretty sure I don't understand the question. Could you elaborate?

I wouldn't normally do this in a classified thread, bit since you asked ...

Eff, if you look very closely, for instance along the left side of the last pic, you can see that it's there.
Just laced directly into the upper holes of the next lower lame.
So the holes are there, just zero length on the suspension.

Mathias, check this link, ignore the bowl
Notice how the lace lets the next lower lame hang loose a bit, half inch or so.
This gives the shikoro a bit of an accordion effect, allowing it to squeeze together a bit tighter,
or hang a bit lower, as you move your head side to side.
http://005d6d4.netsolhost.com/images/Sa ... webver.gif
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/ ... o_big2.jpg

Not a shikoro but same effect
http://galleryplus.ebayimg.com/ws/web/1 ... _1_0_1.jpg

[mattmaus]

If it is still around when i get the money I am definetly interested :p If it isn't would you be interested in making another?

Cool. I don't in any honesty see it moving fast. Japanese stuff never seems to do so. I really don't see myself making another one though.

I wouldn't normally do this in a classified thread, bit since you asked ...

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. And your observations seem to be accurate.

[Tatsuo Okami]

@Ironbadger: Yup, made 3 Jingasa tops: sold one as a finished Helmet, sold one as a top only and still have the 3rd.
@Mattmaus BEAUTIFUL work... Personally a little high on the forehead reinforce plate (the civilized name for it escapes me right now)... But a helm most worthy of Honorable Combat non the less! There isnt any inner back skirting is there? (@Effi probably why no period spacing for the shikoro lacing)

[mattmaus]

There isnt any inner back skirting is there?

There is. This is a construction shot, naked helmet. You can see the back skirt, and the D rings pretty good in it.

[Effingham]

I gotta tell you, I'm not kidding about the lines on the shikoro. Everyone does the swooping Hineno style (as in Ron's links) and no one does Etchû. I *love* the clean, symmetrical, no-nonsense design. I think it's stunning. Aboslutely faboo.

If the lacing had been correct, it would have been MAGICAL.

EDIT: Your post with pictures was just added.

The lacing holes are FAR too broadly spaced for that width of lame. The suspensory set (the bottom pair of the six) should be halfway up the lame, and the lames shouldn't overlap by more than a fraction of an inch.

If you remake the shikoro for smaller lace and tighter spacing, it would be a masterstroke.

[Tatsuo Okami]

Just as a "Loki's Advocate" moment.... Since there is solid skirting underneath, you could probably remove one of the shikoro plates and get the right spacing and flexibility.....

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

As odd a question as this may be, how heavy is it? I may know someone who might be interested.

regards
ThorvaldR

[Effingham]

Someone should grab it. It's a good hat.

[mattmaus]

As odd a question as this may be, how heavy is it? I may know someone who might be interested.

Not all that odd. Skippy the Senile Shop Scale says between 13.5 and 14 lbs. On the heavier side, but not crazy.

I also got a pm about size. My head is 23.5" around. It's loose on me with 1 layer of blue foam. I have the padding from my last helmet still, which is a heavy weight, but open cell foam, 1" thick, with 1/4" of the really squishy open cell, and a layer of terry cloth that all compresses to about 3/4" when worn, and it sat really good with that. I'd say 23.5"-23.75" for optimal fit, with a potntial range of 23-24", depending of course on what you padded it out with.

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

sadly too large. If you were ever interested in doing something similar in about a 22-22.5 inch head send me a pm. The smaller size would give a corespondingly lesser weight and my lady might could be interested.

[mattmaus]

Bump de dump.

[Kade]

Very pretty helm man, i dig.

My eventual plan is to go Japanese. For the moment though, im stuck with starter gear due to funds. rain check

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Ragnabbit! Why hasn't this sold yet?
This is way better than trying to mount shikoro on a bascinet.

[Effingham]

Someone BUY THIS THING!

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

Eff,

I really would rub the pennies together to get this hat but it is just too large. An inch and half oversized is just too much. <sigh> It really is the first Japaneese hat that I have seen that would really interest me in doing a kit.

[mattmaus]

I really would rub the pennies together to get this hat but it is just too large. An inch and half oversized is just too much.

It really is. My best friend bought a helmet, because it was friggin awesome. Still is, even though he never let me cut teeth into the visor like I wanted. Anyway, it was made for someone with a MUCH bigger head, and he had to stuff 3" of padding into it, and it just sucked ass all the way around. Even then it was a bit loose, and if you smacked the beak just right, it would spin on his head.

Honestly a hat that is way too big it as dangerous and uncomfortable as one that's too small.

I'm not about to tell someone that they can't buy something from me. But in a case like this I'd try hard to talk you out of it, because you just won't be happy in the end.

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

Now mattmaus, if you would be interested in making another at that price in the right size.......

[mattmaus]

I doubt very much I'll be making another one any time soon.

[Effingham]

You should. You can clearly do them well.

[Kurama Kenshin]

+1

[Tatsuo Okami]

!!YEAH!!

Then I can sell them my laced Gauntlets to go with it... hehehe

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

!!YEAH!!

Then I can sell them my laced Gauntlets to go with it... hehehe

Pics?

[Broadway]

PM sent.

[Tatsuo Okami]

Sure. Here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=163124&p=2480080#p2480080

[olaf haraldson]

The one I got from you actually looks a little big on me... but I have barely over minimum padding in it. I'm just shaped funny.

I really would rub the pennies together to get this hat but it is just too large. An inch and half oversized is just too much.

It really is. My best friend bought a helmet, because it was friggin awesome. Still is, even though he never let me cut teeth into the visor like I wanted. Anyway, it was made for someone with a MUCH bigger head, and he had to stuff 3" of padding into it, and it just sucked ass all the way around. Even then it was a bit loose, and if you smacked the beak just right, it would spin on his head.

Honestly a hat that is way too big it as dangerous and uncomfortable as one that's too small.

I'm not about to tell someone that they can't buy something from me. But in a case like this I'd try hard to talk you out of it, because you just won't be happy in the end.