Hello! My name is Sean and I am a long time lurker and first time poster. I'm hoping you fine folks here at the AA can help me with a problem. I suffer from a terrible illness that a few of you seem to suffer from as well at least from what I have read. I can't settle down on a culture, let alone a time period. Which is why my name is a terrible generic one.
Today I want to be in the CotT smashing the french! Tomorrow I want to be a late roman killing the evil barbarians! Next week I will dream of going off on the crusades. However right now my gear that I managed to get together looks 16th century to me. I also figured that if I could not manage to pick a time period or culture that is my prime interest I figured I would at least look as good as I can right now.
I have seen your first kits I don't wish to be the Road Warrior so I have hidden most of my armour. I have been told all I need is a waffenrock to look like a decent landsknecht. So my question is what culture do you think I look the most like right now? I don't want to spend a lot of money on a persona that I probably won't keep for long, so a few changes is the best possible solution. I don't want to change everything. Well here I am.
Which is the hidden form of this abomination from Highland War.
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I apologize for the poor quality of the first photo. Thank you to all who respond!
A better view of the first helmet would help. Also a list of what other stuff you have and what you are willing to replace would also help. Finally what your budget, time constraint and tool using skills are would help.
Personally I find it useful to set a goal. Example: by August 2011 I will have a Landschnect kit good enough for Warriors of History. You may not succeed until 2012 but we can give much more advice with a solid objective.
Thanks for the welcomes and replies. Unfortunately I don't have a camera to work with right now so my pictures are coming from the webcam So I apologize for the poor quality. Here is the helmet.
It was all pretty cheap so I am willing to replace anything I just don't want to replace everything until I have found my chosen persona. My goal is to have a landsknecht kit that would be close to Warriors of History quality by the time of Estrella. The budget I am looking at is about $1200 over the next 3 months to get it to that quality. My tool using skill is pretty poor but I do have friends that are willing to teach with just about any tool I need. I am wondering do you think if I got rid of the burg and added a Sallet and a waffenrock that it would bump the kit to the next level? Thanks for any replies!
Burgonets start c1510, and go until very late in the 16th, or even 17thC. With the scalloped borders, that would be more like 1570ish or so, but how many people would see it and know? They'd see the burgonet and think "16thC".
So keep that burgonet as it is for now, and spend your budget on items that add more immediate value to your prospective kit.
Baron Alcyoneus wrote:Burgonets start c1510, and go until very late in the 16th, or even 17thC. With the scalloped borders, that would be more like 1570ish or so, but how many people would see it and know? They'd see the burgonet and think "16thC".
So keep that burgonet as it is for now, and spend your budget on items that add more immediate value to your prospective kit.
I agree with Alcyoneus, but to improve the look you could either a) repaint it or b) strip it and see what kind of base you have to work with. Add a waffenrock and it could make for a pretty decent looking kit.
Better than mine when I started out, it's taken me 10 years to get near where I want to be with mine.
If it were me, I'd strip the paint off the burgonet & polish it up, buy the finest waffenrock I could get my hands on, and ditch the leather brig/scale thing for some hidden armour that will conform to your body (for good concealment under clothes) and provide better cooling properties. If you're putting money out there for your kit, I'd strongly advise you to upgrade your gauntlets to something period-correct and less bulky. They can have a big impact on your fighting ability. Then add in some katzbalger hardware for your sword and call it good until you're ready to decide what big thing comes next on your list of priorities.
Thomas de Bristol
Nissan Maxima wrote:God grant me the courage to change what I can't accept...
Ive settled on (in my mind) 13th century Saxon/Bohemian. Largely because buying properly made 16th century Saxon clothes is expensive, and my wife refuses to make anything post 1300 due to complexity. And as I hate sewing, and if I MUST do it, I need simple and cheap, I opted for 3rd quarter of the 13th. Even if me new boots are 10th century. But I think I can tweak those a shade.
I personally went with the third quarter of the century because for armour I can start showing some plate bits (not much, but not everything needs hidden), and because I wanted to be able to do a look distinct from the 14th century. It's also an impression I don't see too much. At least not the particular look I'm going for.
But yeah, totally in the same boat as you so far as wanting to do it all.
Hmm, maybe I'll do Danelaw for soft kit, and 13th century for the hard kit....
Christopher
War kittens?!!!
"Born to lose. Live to win."
Historical Interpreter- Jamestown Settlement Museum
Master's Candidate, East Carolina University
Graduate of The College of William & Mary in Virginia
Thanks for the help everyone. I have decided(for now) on a timeline and kit. However since I am pretty close to a decent landsknecht kit I will finish it. I don't have that much experience with stripping paint, would you reccomend liquid paint stripper? Also I have some Katzbalger furniture for my sword but I think it could be confused for a Tsuba and that's not so good I will post some pictures when I get it all done.
Sean I know where you are coming from... too much to be interested in.
I usually run 2 kits.. late 15th century and later-mid 14th century.
Lately I have been hearing the call of Agincourt... or the Normans.. or or early Norse...(might not be a bad idea for the winter months... the clothing looks warmer! lol)
Soo many cool time periods!!
Good luck on your quest. Let me know how you figure out how to narrow scope! I'd love to know! lol
Sean of Starkhafn wrote:Thanks for the help everyone. I have decided(for now) on a timeline and kit. However since I am pretty close to a decent landsknecht kit I will finish it. I don't have that much experience with stripping paint, would you reccomend liquid paint stripper? Also I have some Katzbalger furniture for my sword but I think it could be confused for a Tsuba and that's not so good I will post some pictures when I get it all done.
You could use a brass wire wheel on a drill for paint removal-faster, easier, less messy than chemicals if you're not used to working with them, IMO.
As for the katzbalger hardware, if you mount it on the proper sized stick with a straight blade and use it in the context of a 16th C. kit, those who actually know what a katzbalger is to begin with will immediately recognize what you're clubbing them with and appreciate the touch.
Thomas de Bristol
Nissan Maxima wrote:God grant me the courage to change what I can't accept...
I myself have persona ADD. I've almost got my Ottoman kit tied up and already I'm thinking about moving a few hundred years earlier and trying a Russ persona.
I've also wanted to do 15 cent Hungarian, and Greek, and a 16th cent. Border Reiver for Cut and Thrust.......to many to go with, and now I'm being dragged into steampunk.
I feel your pain, whatever you do though, do it well. You'll feel much more satisfaction having one awesome comprehensive kit before you move on to the next.
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I will post some pictures when I get it all done.