This is a picture of my wife with her Taza rapier and "just for fun" clothes (i.e. this is not a gear that she's planning to wear anywhere), but I just liked it so much that I had to share it:

---

 Attachment: 205.12 KB

Here's my armour; 40lbs of handmade maille I made from wire I acquired at the hardware store. And a cheapy Helmet I got off ebay.

I'm not finished with the maille yet, and I plan on getting a better helm soon

---

 Attachment: 73.61 KB

Since Sander asked for a picture of my kit, I had one taken today on the last day of our easter-camp on Castle Frankenstein.
I reenact a sergeant of the gatehouse, using as reference for most of the parts illuminations of the Morgan Bible and the Codex Manesse.

I am wearing maille coif and mittens, a thick gambeson, padded upper thigh armor with steel kneecaps, infantry shield, one-handed sword, an aunlaz dagger and my kettle helmet.

Thomas

---

 Attachment: 124.34 KB

Sergeant of the gatehouse at Castle Frankenstein.

Here 2 pictures of my Russian/Slavic gear from around 11th/12th century.
Its not complete yet, I still need to make my arm protection, not sure to use Russian Bazubands or the Byzantine like armsplints aka "Varanger".
My Russian sabre is made by Wojciech Szanek of http://www.miecz-sword.com
I am also considering the purchase of a steel lamellar armour.

Thomas;
Very nice kit! Do you plan to expand to mail eventually?

Hi Elling,

thanks for the compliment! It would be an option to go for a rivited maille hauberk, indeed. Perhaps with a separate coif, as seen on some german illuminations (I mean the ones with rectangular flaps). Furthermore I will sew a new surcotte, which will be a little bit shorter.

But since I am reenacting a relatively poor nobleman without knighthood (who serves at his knights castle), he probably won't have the monies to own such a hauberk. But he could have earned some treasure, fighting in outremer with Friedrich II. Who knows ... :)

Best regards,
Thomas

Who would have known that 11/12th C Russians/Slavs had such futuristic-looking modes of transportation! :)

A goofy picture of me, in most of my soft kit:

Yes, that is my VERY dirty gambeson...

[ Linked Image ]

And a picture of me teaching Longsword to some children. They got to stab me after the lesson...

I'm not wearing my arms as I still have yet to cut down my haubergeon...

[ Linked Image ]

Hi J.E.,
in fact my surcotte is made of linen, because I didn't know better, when I had it sewn back in the days I started the hobby. The next one will be made of wool. In summer & sunshine such a surcotte cools more than it heats up, especially if you are wearing maille (which heats up rather fast without a decent covering). If you are wearing a gambeson it's just one more layer - on the inside you are nevertheless already sweaty and wet as a poodle in hard rain. :)

Best regards,
Thomas

Finally (it took more than a year) my soft kit for early 15th century english squire is finished - everythign is hand sewn and made of natural materials of course. I used a picture from the Book of Hours as inspiration for this kit, only item which is missing on the images is cloak. Hood is based in the finds from London.

---

 Attachment: 229.14 KB



 Attachment: 224.79 KB



 Attachment: 237.61 KB

Thom,

Don't make it of wool. I have seen 0 evidence this was ever done.

Actually linen seems to have been used very often. It may actually be the more common material for the average coat with arms on it. In the Hustings Rolls of London Linen comes up very often for these types of surcoats, banners and other things of that nature. Do not forget linen can hold color as well as wool but it simply requires more work (in some cases much more work), which when you are in the top 10-15% of society is alright.

This is from the London Court Records-

Court of Common Pleas, CP 40/806, rot. 309d
Term: Michaelmas 1462
County: London
Writ type: Debt (other)
Damages claimed: 100s
Case type: Contract (general)

Pleading: John Crosse states that on 10 July 1460, in London, Walter Langley retained him to paint and dye 125 yards of linen cloth, and to paint and dye various designs ('operibus') within this cloth, as well as to paint and dye a pair of altarcloths and a coat of armour with the arms of WL, and to decorate a 'pynyon' with his arms, for which he was to take £4 17d. He duly did this work, for which he was owed this £4 17d, but WL has only paid him 40s 17d, and not the remaining 40s, to his damage of 100s.

Pleading: WL granted licence to imparl to the morrow of the Purification. Pledges named for defendant.

Clearly this is without doubt showing linen was used in multiple functions but also likely dyed and painted in many different colors and modes.



J.E.,

If you are accustomed to wearing the gambeson under your armour you will be fine. At several events all I wore was my gambeson and armour and it was nearly a full week event. Just drink plenty of water and make sure you are used to wearing them for long periods of time. I am actually conditioning myself to get used to it again recently as it has been several years that I wore it more than 2-3 hours at a go.

You see that type of coat in a great deal of MS but I could not say if it were common for the Baltic region.

RPM

Please note, this isn't me in the photos, but my armourer.

I'm quite a bit shorter and have larger arms, shoulders and chest...

But you get the picture...

Its still worn with a haubergeon, and there is a mail coif/aventail that is worn under the helm which will show past the extended portions of the grand bascient.

[ Linked Image ]

[ Linked Image ]

[ Linked Image ]

Hi Artis,

your kit looks great. Do you have a link to the picture from the book of hours you based it upon? I especially like the robin-hood-like hat. How do you made it? Perhaps you can send me a pm to not spoil this thread too much :).

Best wishes,
Thomas

Thanks for the advice J. E., I'm trying to go for a late 1100's look, around the third crusade so I was thinking a early
a helmet like in the movie Kingdom of Heaven; (A cool 360 view of the helm) [url] http://www.reliks.com/includes/rotate.ihtml?p...reliks.com [/url] There's not that many replicas for sale of the really early great helms that just had a face plate.

And yes that is a shield hanging on my back, I made that too.

I do plan on making a sucoat but I'm indecisive on what to make out of, I've heard that Hospitallers made their's out of wool but Randell is challenging that theroy?