Copper Shoulders and other projects

So, my armor project is moving along slowly. There are many other things I have been doing, including setting up the workshop and forge in the backyard and getting the garage shop in a more organized condition. Up until now I have really only done armor pieces for myself but I was asked by a friend if I could make some copper shoulders for his new lamellar armor.

Well, I happened to have some copper sheets sitting around and I figured it would be a break from what I am doing for myself. The result was a shiny pair of shoulder cops. All that is left to do is add holes for attachment to the armor and holes around the edge so my friend can trim them in leather to tie in with the look of the lamellar.

A couple days before Celt Wars XII (April 3 - 5) I decided to make a belt buckle and tab from a piece of cow bone. I had read about a couple finds where bone buckles were found and then I read that a couple were found in Gamla Uppsala from the proper time period. These were found with both wool and silk on them. So, I figured why not make it for myself. It was an easy work with a coping saw and a hand drill. Now, I just need to decide on the design and get that carved. Then this winter I will learn to card weave and make a colorful belt for it.

This weekend I will be getting some leather strap for my armor and to make a new belt for Oona. I will also be making myself a belt. I am thinking about taking the buckles off my war belt to use for the project. My war belt is a little tight and I think a 3" or 4" belt might serve me better. Then I will use the leather from the war belt to make a sheath for my fighting saex. At least that is what I am thinking at the moment. I may change my mind by the time I get to the leather store. ( If you are in the Washington DC, metro area check out "Tricks of the Trade" in Great Falls, VA and support your local retailers. )

Chainmail for armor

So, this is the story.

I decided that I was not going to fight in chainmail armor because it adds no protection for SCA rattan fighting and it is heavy. Well chainmail is period and looks good. So, I have decided that I will add chainmail accents to my new armor. If I put a bit of chainmail here and there in just the right places it will look like I am wearing a chainmail shirt under my cuirass.

We all know that chainmail armor is made from flat rings that are riveted. So, I took the small anvil I use to make rivet heads and added a couple more holes and made a jig to flatten the rings and keep them rounded and a tapered hole all the way through the anvil that I could use to round the rings and cause the overlap for riveting. Well it worked great but it was is time consuming. I have abandoned the idea. Maybe another time.

I however did not decide to abandon the flat rings.

I used a regular smooth face hammer to flatten a few rings right on the anvil. This works great if you have good hammer technique. The only problem was how plain it looked.

Then I started looking at my hammers. I found one of my 3 pound had rings in the surface to prevent slipping when striking a spike. I decided to give this hammer a try and found it made a cool pattern on the rings. That was all it took for me to decide this was the hammer I would use to flatten out the rings.

Now I am doing the rings in the most simple fashion. I am laying the ring on the anvil and striking it flat with the hammer.

My chainmail accents on my armor will be bronze chainmail made of flattened rings butted instead of riveted. Maybe sometime in the future I will do riveted chainmail but not for this project.