The Armour Archive

Is there any way to justify using mirror polished stainless? I am making a complete gothic kit from mirror polished stainless primarily cause my lady wants her "knight in shinning armour" (aka the 'Excaliber syndrome'It doesn't matter to us that I'm not even squired to anyone.)
I know that rare examples of 'silvered' armour are in existance, does it look similar to stainless?

They did have mirror polish on some of there armor. The problem with Stainles is it is not the rite color. It is to white in apearince. I use stainles with a nice polish and love it. The hard part is geating the polish. The good part is you just have to polish ounce or twice. Brian Price recomends using spring steel I have not tried it yet though.

From Knoch

Chef de Chambre quoted some sources a while back where pieces riveted together were separated and the two insides were mirror-polished. Perhaps he could post his findings?

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Virtus vincit invidiam
"Virtue overcometh envy"

Interior surfaces could become mirror polished due to wear, rather than by deliberate work on the part of the armoror.

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Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

The color of the steel could be determined by the alloy it was made with. If your ore had nickle in it (like some German sources), your finished product would appear whiter-like some German Maximillian armours.

As the piece in question Bascot refers to is the area under the brow reenforce of an armet (one of the Maddona della Grazzi armets), which cannot move and had not been removed in the 500 years since it's manufacture, wear can not have been a factor.

Master Cad had posted the pic - not I. It is from the Lionel Boccia book regarding the armour in the sancutary - a nice colour pic, if I remember aright.

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Bob R.

my old suit is made in part of a high manganese and low chrome content stainless. It has a more silver coler while my new suit is a more traditional stainless that is mostly chrome ( for additives). the metals, however have very different properties. The manganese stainless has a much higher shear stegnht and is more maluable. It also weighs less then most stainless and its not as brittle.

Hasn't she seen Excaliber? That armour has to chafe the 'nonarmoured' partner. Tell L to rethink that fantasy!

Chafe? The first time I tried it she screamed from the cold!

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Virtus vincit invidiam
"Virtue overcometh envy"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by chef de chambre:
Master Cad had posted the pic - not I. It is from the Lionel Boccia book regarding the armour in the sancutary - a nice colour pic, if I remember aright.</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

here is the link:


<table cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2 border=0><tr><td width=95 align=center><font size="-1">Period polish
Click the picture to see the full picture (236k)</font></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://www.isd.net/cdavis/images/period_polish_sm.jpg" width=95 height=100 border=0 alt="wisby gauntlet #1" align=bottom></td></tr><tr></table>

-Cad

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-Chuck
aka Cadwallon y' Rhudd

Is it period to wear modern stainless? No, neither is cold rolled mild.

Can you make stainless look very good? yes.

Both are still too heavy, from what i understand spring steel is the closest you can get.

I use both stainless and mild pieces, almost no one can tell the difference when they are that highly polished.

For SCA (esp in humid climates) stainless is more practical. Here in Al, mud, sweat and the general humidity will turn high polish mild to a poop brown in a day if your not very careful. Dents less, tape marks come off better. Just be sure to tell people at demos that the materials in your rig are not authentic.