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Historical Armour Weights Needed (Cross-post)
Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2004 6:23 pm
by Josh W
Hey Folks...
I need to locate a few books that contain information regarding the weights of armour, both whole harnesses and individual pieces. I need as many as I can find. I've got data from both the Churburg Catalogue (though I don't think I have all of this...) and Boccia's "Mantova" book, as well as what little is given in AAotMK and that outdated Charles Ffoulkes work. I'm particularly interested in finding weights for pieces (especially torso defenses) that date from before 1450.
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 6:25 am
by Kenwrec Wulfe
TOMAR has some of that information, and I believe that European armour does as well, but dont quote me on that.
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 4:42 pm
by Josh W
Thanks, Wulfe.
I gleaned what I could from TOMAR, and am looking for a copy of European Armour now...
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:29 am
by chef de chambre
Josh_Warren wrote:Thanks, Wulfe.
I gleaned what I could from TOMAR, and am looking for a copy of European Armour now...
It sounds like he is reffering to the old Wallace catalog. A lot of the weights in that are incorrect, merely being Ffoulks regurgitated, and Ffoulks weights are largely wrong. (I got this information from a very good source. The yet to be published new catalogs (likely never to be done at this rate) were supposed to correct this).
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:42 am
by Kenwrec Wulfe
Anytime Josh - and I will check the few resources that I have to see if I can find more.
Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 5:37 am
by Marshal
There's a table of armour weights in Malcolm Vale's "War and Chivalry". Pieces from the Wallace Collection, including a couple of helms c. 1390, the bulk ( and all of the body and limb armour ) 1450 and later, alas. Do you have those? Also a couple of helms in the exhibition catalog "Treasures from the Tower of London"---a German or North Italian pig-faced visored bascinet c. 1370-80, skull 3 lb. 2 oz ( 1.42 kg ), visor 1 lb. ( 0.453 kg ), and a Pembridge style great helm, 3rd quarter of the 14th century, 5 lb. 8 oz. ( 2.49 kg ). A couple of other helms and armours, but 15th century or later ( incl. the famous Henry VIII foot-combat harness, a tilt suit with reinforces for Dudley Earl of Leicester, and the Rennzeug composite of Maximilian I.
I'll post any more I come across. Published stats on armour seem rare, I've always been mystified as to why...