knees from the painting "The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara

knitebee · Post by **knitebee** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:32 pm

The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara by Cranach http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/170 ... otostream/
close up of showing the knees better
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elissacorsini/2349094549/
When I first saw this painting in a book at a friends house I instantly feel in love with the knees on the exacutioner. So he printed me off scans from the book and I let them sit around the shop for months, finally last week I decided to make them.

metal shaped, lots of subtle shaping to get them right, and the top is larger than the bottom like in the photo.
[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee1.JPG[/img]

doing the leather work, its 3-4oz vegy tan.

tooled, dyed and gold trim painted on.

left knee finished down to the green tassel from the photo

left knee done, tooling allmost done on the right

back view of the finished knee

Anyone need these? I can easly be talked into selling them
Brian[/img]

Tristan vom Schwarzwald · Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:37 pm

HOLY CRAP THAT IS GORGEOUS...

I mean

Very nice.

Lord O'Quinn · Post by **Lord O'Quinn** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:45 pm

VERY nice, you don't see that everyday!

Beautiful work!

O'Quinn

Effingham · Post by **Effingham** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 4:47 pm

Brilliant work.

My complements on making a real 3D version of something like that. You have my admiration.

Oh.... some envy, too.

Effingham

Baron Alcyoneus · Post by **Baron Alcyoneus** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:33 pm

YOU SUCK! :p

Chris Gilman · Post by **Chris Gilman** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:14 pm

Awsome, nicely done.

Armoured Air Bear · Post by **Armoured Air Bear** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:50 pm

Kudos.

this is how more things should be done-taken from art, rather than the same old extant pieces copied and copied again. it's nice to see something taken from 2D (art) and faithfully reproduced to a working item.

excellent work.

Aaron

Vigmund Gunnarson · Post by **Vigmund Gunnarson** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:20 am

WOW INSANE!!! Those are real beautys!! Thanks for sharing those.
I first saw the pic with just the metal knees, not noticing there will be leather sewn over it, and at that point I arleady was stunned how nice they turned out.... then scroll down.... *jawdrop* :twisted:

Keep up your good work
Vigmund

Mac · Post by **Mac** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:29 am

knitebee,

That's splendid!

As I scrolled down the pics, I chortled and grinned like an idiot!

Mac

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:47 am

uber spiff!

I am afraid to ask. But I will, how much?

Greylond · Post by **Greylond** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:18 am

Beautiful work!

Rittmeister Frye · Post by **Rittmeister Frye** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:53 am

Nice Work, Lad! That's a very well done interpretation, I must say! Putting together cool "parade armour" pieces like that is a real inspiration.

The only minor detail I'd add or change is to make the aglette/arming point be a real point of attachment, rather than just decoration. But heck, that's just quibbling over nothing. You done good there!

Cheers!

Gordon

knitebee · Post by **knitebee** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:14 pm

Rittmeister Frye wrote:The only minor detail I'd add or change is to make the aglette/arming point be a real point of attachment, rather than just decoration. But heck, that's just quibbling over nothing. Gordon

Actually Gordon, Looking at the painting I think its a tassel to represent a garter not an arming point at all. Its to far back on the knee and is a loose tassel not solid cord like an arming point. If an arming point is needed I'd stitch it to the back of hte leather allong the top, where it would work better and be totaly hidden.

Thanks all for the compliments, the right knee shoudl be finished today, allmost done witht he tooling.

Brian

Rittmeister Frye · Post by **Rittmeister Frye** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:17 pm

Oh, I see what you mean, now that I check it closer. Gotcha.

Cool!

Cheers!

Gordon

adamstjohn · Post by **adamstjohn** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:24 pm

Great idea, great work!

Only - why do you keep Odor Eaters in your cookie jar?

brunoG · Post by **brunoG** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 3:03 pm

A big, big BRAVO

Talbot · Post by **Talbot** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:03 pm

Two thumbs up!

James Arlen Gillaspie · Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:05 pm

My past response to seeing artwork like this has been, JAPIAAFS! (Just Another Painting of Imaginary All' Antica Fantasy Stuff), but now, due to Knitebee's remarkable work, I have to rethink this. Once again, I find that there were more things in heaven and earth than I had imagined. I think it more likely that such a covering would have been done in embroidered cloth, but hey, I don't sew either! :wink:

audax · Post by **audax** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 4:06 pm

I am severely impressed. :shock:

Johannes The Bald · Post by **Johannes The Bald** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 4:25 pm

And thus the bar is raised that little bit higher.

sigh

Very nice.

There needs to be an icon for envious.

Fearghus Macildubh · Post by **Fearghus Macildubh** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:31 pm

Man those are super cool! Just what every pimped out Landesknecht needs. I'd never thought about how that fanciful armour could be made.

Alexander of Derlington · Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:15 am

Hi Knitebee
Those are very nice indeed. It almost seems a shame to use them

.

I have a question about the sewing of the leather onto the steel.

Why did you choose to lace the leather parts on over the steel edge of the cop rather than drilling a second line of holes close to the edge of the cop and sewing directly on?

I would have thought that this could lead to premature wear of the threads.

Rgds

Alex

Uilleag · Post by **Uilleag** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:39 am

Not that I know Knitebee's reasoning, but from experience, drilled holes in metal will wear the stitching more quickly, actually. One could allways deburr the holes, but that would still wear the stitching material rather quickly. Perhaps punching the holes would be better?

In any case, a gorgeous interpretation of those knees. As I climb very slowly out of the morass that has become my personal life, I find myself inspired for some period interpretation pieces....after the back ordered pieces of course.

Knitebee, very nice work, I would love to see close up detail pics of the tooling after the shaping. Also, were these leather peices hardened at all?

knitebee · Post by **knitebee** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:09 pm

House of the Wolf wrote:Not that I know Knitebee's reasoning, but from experience, drilled holes in metal will wear the stitching more quickly, actually. One could allways deburr the holes, but that would still wear the stitching material rather quickly. Perhaps punching the holes would be better?

I would love to see close up detail pics of the tooling after the shaping. Also, were these leather peices hardened at all?

Holes are drilled and then slightly counter sunk on both sides (except for a few opposite the wing that I couldn't get the drill to). As to reasoning there are lines in the painting that while could be just highlights are set perfectly for stitching. As to Alexanders questioning why not a second row of holes, to be honest that idea never occurred to me, might be a good way to do it.

They are partially oven hardened (A great thanks to you Dan for your how-too on your site and the video available from Talbot)

I'll see if I have a good photo of the tooling to upload for you. Tooling is basic and simple, just carved with a knife (not even a proper tooling knife) then bevelled with a couple of stamps I made from some spare 1/4in square stock.

Brian

RenJunkie · Post by **RenJunkie** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:35 pm

Ohhhhhhhhhhh my!

That is two-fisted awesome! That is sweeet!

Christopher

knitebee · Post by **knitebee** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:07 pm

Finished pair, the slight color differance was due to not yet having oiled the right knee. Once oiled the color matches perfectly from knee to knee. I didn't put the green tassel on the right knee, as I think it represents a garter and you find more than one painting where there is only the left garter being worn with armour.

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee15.JPG[/img]

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee16.JPG[/img]

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee17.JPG[/img]

[img]http://members.armourarchive.org/knitebee/knee18.JPG[/img]

Brian

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:21 pm

those are super cool.

Effingham · Post by **Effingham** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:28 pm

You suck.

And I mean that with the greatest affection.

Effingham

rhys · Post by **rhys** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:10 pm

I have knee cop envy!!!

Nicely done. is this just a project you decided to do or is it other reasons? you may have answered in earlier posts butI'm blown away by these to read back... any of doing them in metal ?

RenJunkie · Post by **RenJunkie** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:43 pm

Mercyful fate.....

I just can't say anything. They are too awesome for my meager grasp of language......

Just........augh...<melts>

Christopher

D. Sebastian · Post by **D. Sebastian** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:29 pm

Mostexcellent!

Uilleag · Post by **Uilleag** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:13 pm

rhys wrote:I have knee cop envy!!!

Nicely done. is this just a project you decided to do or is it other reasons? you may have answered in earlier posts butI'm blown away by these to read back... any of doing them in metal ?

These are a replica of an original. The finished product is hardened leather over steel. You can't see the steel because they look to be blackened under the leather....

Andrew Young · Post by **Andrew Young** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:17 am

Well Im not really that impressed. I mean, I could've done that...... if had thought of it. *Gosh* :roll:

(but you beat me to the punch, and a damn fine job my friend ...bravo.)

Abom · Post by **Abom** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:16 pm

Spacfrakintacular ... Nice Knees... Wow nice werk

knees from the painting "The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara

knees from the painting "The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara

Lovely work