[Hugh Knight]

[Mikael Ranelius]

Speaking of 14th century armour, would this arm harness by GDFB be appropriate for a late 14th century harness?

[S. Mighton]

Kind of off topic, but I just noticed this(http://www.themcs.org/armour/knights/2006%20M...1%2006.jpg) effigy of a knight who died in 1360 from that excellent link posted earlier. Does anyone here have an idea as to whether the striking black and gold colours of this man's armour would have been achieved by paint or by oxide-blackening and latten-gilding etc... Does anyone know of any evidence one way or the other?

[Gregory J. Liebau]

[Randall Moffett]

Gregory,

Now you have made an interesting comment.... It seems by both effigies and some other artwork that the mail shirts get smaller between 1350 and 1450. If you look at effigies of knights that lived anywhere between 1400-1450 it seems they do indeed get higher up the thigh and that most appear to have shorter sleeves. Part of the issue are the odd accounts that pop up indicating mail shirts to the knees still. I believe it is Warin who makes this statement of agincourt, yet if you look at the effigies around the time of and after agincourt few wear knee length hauberks. I have noted in inventories the hauberk or mail suit is not usually listed as to what its length is BUT often seems a mail skirt appears. This could just be extra mail for lighter fighting or for retainers though but it could also be to replace wearing a full shirt. At least into the 1st half of the 15th you can still find inventories of knights with basically full suits of armour with mail suits and a padded garment. Now the size might have changed greatly for the mail but there are moving toward less mail, just do not know when the jump is made.


AS far as only the high end armourers... Well depends on what you are going for. I'd stay away from having a well heat treated armour for most of the 14th and early 15th unless I represent someone with financial greatness. Now on the other hand the sacrifice for accuracy is worth the real costs if you plan on getting a hard beating often perhaps and the suit is the one and only you will buy for some duration of time. That said I'd simplify many of the harness bits of late 14th as most that remain are those of counts, dukes, kings, etc. On the other hand if you go with a high end armourer you will know that no matter what processes used and materials it will fit together and look right. It is your armour. I'd look through tons of effigies, narrow a time period down and settle. Once you get a few decades chosen then you may be able to start deciding on what you want to use for your harness.

RPM

[Hugh Knight]