Armour 1340
Patterned after images from the Romance of Alexander (Ms. Bodley 264) and related brasses from 1330-1350. Composed of a bascinet closely patterned after the tall rounded bascinets with small face holes, short sides and central crease in the Romance of Alexander with an aventail formed of two trapezoids (rear one slightly larger to account for the breadth of the back) with extensions at the face. Trapezoids with forty five degree taper (one extra ring per row) on each side. Aventail secured to a leather band which is secured to the helmet by brass vervelles. Lining of linen with loose tow stuffing secured to the helmet by stitches to small lining holes along the edge. Linen gambeson lined with cotton. Full haubergeon with two thirds length sleeves. Fitted with expansion from the waist up to the chest, in the skirt and tapered upper arms. Fitting in the chest adding 4 rings every other row. Fitting in the skirt of two added rings every other row in the back and the front formed with 45 degree additions on each side of the center which forms the point at the centre of the front. Haubergeon split in the front to the waist and with a short collar. Over the haubergeon the arms are covered by simple upper vambrace covering the outer third of the upper arm, a floating elbow with attached rondel and full lower vambraces of two plates joined by an inset hinge on the outside and strap and buckle on the inside. Body of the haubergeon covered by a coat of plates similar to Wisby #1. Cover of two layers of linen over 1 layer of canvas. Coat of plates includes shoulder plates. Legs covered by mail chauses on the lower legs, gamboised cuisses over the thighs and knees, simple knee cops and frontal greaves (schynbalds). Chausses covering the lower leg and foot with an attached leather sole. Cuisses of linen padding in differential thicknesses with raw, cleaned linen fibre. Surcoat of linen with appliqued coat of arms in wool. Shield of formed plywood covered with linen on the front and leather back. Face gessoed and painted. Shield with two enarmes and guige strap.
External plates of 1050 spring steel. Knees and elbows raised. Bascinet formed of two pieces with central weld. Coat-of-plates plates of stainless steel attached to fabric with #14 brass escutcheon pins spaced at one half inch intervals on main body plates and three quarter inch spacing on upper and side plates. Rivets follow the outer edge of the plates in the upper plates and on side plates. Knees attached by Y straps on both sides with laces securing them to the cuisses. Elbows with central strap of a Y strap at the back and straight strap at the front and suspended from the upper vambrace plate by a leather strap. Vambrace plates laced to the mail shirt - the upper plate laced by internal leather tabs over the mail and the lower vambrace cannon laced inside the short sleeves. Most buckles forged of steel. Coat-of-plates buckles cast of nickel silver. Additional cloth coif of linen. Gambeson and cuises machine stitched, surcoat and coif with main seams machine stitched but all edge finishing,binding, and applique hand stitched. Mail 9mm flat ring with round rivets zinc coated, formed of scraps from 1250 hauberk and loose rings. Mostly assembled from rings allowing for tailoring as part of the constuction process. Geoffrey was 4 foot 8 inches tall and weighed 65 pounds at the time this was made. Total weight of the armour and clothing - 29 pounds.
Armour by Wade Allen, all fabric garments by Tracy Justus. Constructed 2009
If you have any questions, please send them to Wade Allen
This site last updated Wed Apr 13 19:23:17 EDT 2022