And Now My Watch Begins....

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Heres me in my work clothes, turn your monitor sideways for a better viewing experience.

sorry, I don't have a lot of internet access these days, it's not really historically based, kind of a fantasy mixed with practicality

I am finally done with my handmade maille! Here is my late 1100's Knights Hospitaller outfit, I am very happy with the way everything looks.

The shield and surcoat are also handmade.

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David thats a great looking Hospitaller! Looks well thought out and put together imho.
If i may ask, where in Texas are you? I am in the Dallas area and may try the Sherwood faire for the first time and i will be at the Waxahachie faire this season. My made up knight persona has a hospitaller in his ancestry and would be nice to have more
Knights of St. John show up! Again nice kit!

Thanks alot Brian W, I've tried my best to make everything look as accurate to the time period as possible. I live north of Houston, only 20 miles from the Texas ren fest, I hadn't had any plans to go to Sherwood this year, but I do want to go and check it out. The only faire i've ever been to is the Texas ren fest.

Hey! I'm in Texas, too! Also planning to go to Sherwood sometime, in my new kit (pics forthcoming once I get around to it)

Here is my Anglo-Swede kit thus far. I would love to dial in on a Saxon and Swedish Migration blend via 7th century. Of course, the Windlass sticklestaad sword is not helping :blush:
I also wear this exact kit when doing SCA fighting but with hidden armour and a Valsgarde inspired helm.

@ Butchee: Love the kit, especially the maille chauses. Where did you get them?

Another batch of great looking kits since I was here.

For the two Davids. Where are your respective spears from?

Thanks for the complements, they're greatly appreciated, to answer three question in one post:

I do plan on adding integrated gloves and feet to the suit eventually.

The spear is a viking spear (this one http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...Spear+Head) I plan on getting a more accurate one for a 12th-13th century knight soon.

Yes the wire is 16g with a 5/16 interior diameter, the tie wire is only a tiny bit weaker than normal steel wire, so i've had no ring stretching problems or anything, but it did have an annoying layer of black grease that I still haven't completely gotten off, which gave the maille a nice dark colouration though.

Here is what my 1390's harness curently looks like:





















For anyone interested in the origins of the pieces pictured:

The plate, including the helmet and gauntlets is mild steel smithed by Jeffrey Hildebrandt of Royal Oak Armory, in the style of 1390's english effigies with a couple notable exceptions. The maille is 9mm wedge riveted mild steel with linseed blackening by Cap-a-Pie in the UK, with edges of a few rows of brass rings added by myself. The aventail is 7mm wedge riveted maille also from Cap-a-Pie. The incredible shield is very authentic in construction, made by Gerhard von Liebau over at Armor Archive. You can read more about how it was made here: http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewto...e#p2544094 The rondel is hand made by Ironbbadger, and the sword is an Albion Crecy with a custom scabbard made by Brian Kuntz of DBK Custom Swords and Scabbards, with my persona's personal heraldic symbol (the "fleur doubletet") and one of my persona's mottos inscribed on it: "Mens conscia recti". I thought a sword with a motto like that was "cooly ironic" in the medieval sort of way. The leather pouch is by Bohemond, and the belt with brass fittings that it hangs from is hand made by myself. I also made the jupon from linen, and hand embroidered the wool applique' charges. I have previously used linen to make the applique' charges with good success but wanted something a little more refined looking this time. Admittedly the jupon needs a few more lacing holes up the side :). Underneath the armor is a lot of hand made fabric foundation garments, notably a Charles VI Aketon made by Nicole Moffett, wife of myArmoury (and Armor Archive) member Randall Moffett.


And a pic of my lady Caren in her late 14th - early 15th century houppelande, also made by Nicole Moffett. Her red velvet belt was hand made by myself, with decorative brass mounts with tiny hummingbirds, which are a favorite of her persona. You can't see them very well in these pictures but her hand-crafted veil pins also feature hummingbirds. Caren also hand made her truncated henin, fillet and veil based on period art.

Very clean and functional looking harness. Looks great!

Hell, why not...
Got to start somehow, might as well post up my current kit.

Well, here is it - and I'm well aware of the historical fallacies and errors:



It's what kept me alive over the last years, that's why it looks the way it does.
Dented, rusted, bent and battered.
Most of it is not made-to-measure but "standard" size budget stuff that "somewhat" fits me.
What I saved in costs I paid in agility and mobility, and I'm well aware.
Either way, it's a alright looking kit, and it served me well.

Now that I saved up some dosh, I can finally get on a very well researched and historical accurate kit.
I'm going to get meself a kit of a 1485's HRE mercenary captain, in the Cologne area.
I spent hours and hours on research and visiting museums already, and I'm not halfway done yet.

Have most what I need for my civilian kit, and it will be based on this 1484's painting:

With my own colours, of course.

An arming doublet from Historic Enterprises is the first step to a decent set of armour, and after I've got that, I can measure myself for a made-to-measure brigandine.

A sallet is already in the making, based on this very early (in terms of Maximilian) Maximilian I. sallet:
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-t...amp;pos=31

I will replace the brass lilies with the same roping detail found on my already finished besauges:

Which will be the decorational style for all the plate parts of my armour. It's not as decadant as brass, but still elegant - just what I want.

Well, that's it for now.

Cheers,
Elric von Rabenfels