First up is a coat of plates based on one of the Wisby patterns of the same name.  This one is black with green trim.  Plates are made of plastic barrel and the covering is a heavy black duck cloth (or something very similar).  Rivets are the copper rivets with a leather washer beneath on the front side and copper rivet on the back.  The leather gives a good look and helps keep the rivet edge from cutting or pulling through the fabric very easily.  It is sized for approximately a 44 inch chest with 4 inches of adjustment either way, maybe 6 in the bigger direction.  I am listing this on the armour archive as an auction with a minimum bid of $25.00, but accept bids here as well.

Second up is  a bag of loose 9mm flat rivets.  This is the full 2.5 kilogram package similar to what is offered commercially for $75.00. I got these for a project and have decided my time is better spent just purchasing things already assembled.  This bag is unopened and would be great for repairs or your own project.  Again, running as an auction with minimum bid of $25.00.

Both auctions will run until Saturday, June 26th.

[Show as slideshow]

• pay up and get storage unit contents
• purchase tent (Panther Regency?)
• make/check tent poles for tent, along with ropes
• purchase horse trailer(?)
• clean armour
• restrape armour
• blue armor (puchase of tank/torch)
• organize armour packaging
• redo cloasure on bar grill  basinet
• roll front edges on vambraces (trim down a bit?)
• repair/fix guantlets
• nix padding for padded liner (period style) both helms
• purchase aventail/camails X2 and install
• ? of voiders and skirt or habergon – looks like habergon is right
• jupon or arming coat
• spiff up some garb
• make a new piece or two of garb (better stuff)
• order chuasses and braies
• use above to pattern a few more
• order turn shoes
• make chamfron and crinit (w/ eye protection)
• get saddles/tack out, clean and oil
• get bottles for cordial
• bottom cordial (simple syrup 2:1?)
• labels for cordial?
• ride a bunch on Jack and some on Angel
• fix one suitcase
• make a choice about 1350-60 versus 1390-1400?
• make a sheild, heater curved opposite (jousting)
• make side/back plates for churburg #13, strap, use…

I used the graphic above because I am pretty sure that I if I do one thing a day I will be pretty close to completion by the time GW rolls around.  Keep in mind the list is kind of crude at this point, like garb for instance needs to be broke down more into what specifically are goals for the war and listed out separately.

It is based on a battle that took place between France and England during a lull during the hundred years typically called the Combat of the Thirty.  It was fought between two side of thirty each and was to decide the succession of the Duchy of Britanny, though it failed in that endeavor.  It was fought both  by mounted and dismounted combatants.  Historically, after most were wounded, Guillaume de Montauban mounted his horse and overthrew that last of the English champions.

The basic idea is to take a very narrow time period and require that every participate has extremely appropriate armor for that time period.  It is also suggested that everyone be using a weapon format that would have been really appropriate for the time as well.

Then a slight twist on things from a normal SCA type of battle.  Instead of taking a wound as is the typical SCA battle scenario, armor does its job.  If it covered appropriately it protected.  However, three blows are stun and allows someone to capture you for ransom, but they in turn must escort you off the field.    If you take a blow in a vital area that is not protected, you are of course dead as to have been expected.

Seeing the combat was awesome from two perspectives.  First and foremost was just the grand spectacle of everyone in their mid 14th century kit with all the extra little nice touches.  Every weapon on the field had a very nice realistic look to it, along with armor that in most cases was nearly perfect for the time period.  Add in a several silk banners fluttering around the field and you get a really nice picture.

The second of course was just the great fighting that was present on the field.  It lasted for a good while with a good ebb and flow to things as it played out.  There were clearly several times when a ransom or not made an impact on things at the moment or even later in the battle.  Beyond that though, was the highly competitive level of things that were taking place on the field.

For me personally of course, there was also the several friends that were on the field.  They availed themselves well.  I am personally counted down the days to the next one and of course its counterpart at Gulf Wars in the spring.  Lastly, some video follows of this years combat – I am not sure but I think Garrett put this up.  Oh, and it on facebook, sorry if that bothers anyone.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1192557650066

The first thing that I see as major problem with this episode is it completely based on the movies of most recent fame dealing with the two subjects.   I am the first to admit that the I am not very familiar with the Zulu warfare techniques and weaponry and really can not make a comparison of the movie to the reality.  However, as I think I have noted on another blog before, there are a huge number of issues with the the Braveheart movie, especially in regards to historical accuracy, even in regards to weapons and armor.

A first instance is the use of the much more modern very plaid and wrapped kilt.  Fact is in the late 13th century of Wallace the Scottish were not wearing kilts of that design and they were certainly not that heavy.  That does not really impact the outcome here.  What does though is they scored the claymore sword as being more effective then the short spear.  Fact is the longer hand and half or two hand sword that we think of as a claymore is much more of a 15th century weapon.  And even then it was not called a claymore, that term was actually used for a basket hilted broadsword of 17th century and onward, especially popular with Scottish officers.

Another anachronistic aspect that was introduced by the show was when testing that short hand spear (which technically I think is more like a short sword in it usage) was the selection of maile that was used in the testing and conduction of the testing.  All the previous demonstration showed the weapon being used as a slashing weapon and for this they stabbed straight in without regard to speed but a full front open attack.  Given the nature of adaptation I could forgive that, but the chain mail used was mild steel butted links.  During most of the time period most mail worn would have been either riveted or alternated solid rings and riveted.  And mild butted links will tend to open up when a point penetrates, just like slow prying them open.

Another thing they do on this show is with each time they test a weapon it specifically a test they have set up for the weapon.  They never do a test of apples to apples so speak.  For instance the Zulu axe was analyzed while slicing up a static pig carcass while the war hammer was only tested versus crashing down on replica skulls.  If the Scottish warrior is indeed in the status of knight, like Wallace was, he would have had maile at least over his upper body.  This is exactly the kind of edged weapon the maile would have been best at defended against and they did not include his in the testing.

There are numerous faults with the data collection and very limited observation, but I will limit to just one more.  All of the analysis and data that is entered into the computer for the final simulation.  But that data as to which weapon is determined to be most deadly or effective at a given range is mostly decided by the various scientists, doctors, and whoever is involved.  And no matter how objective they claim to be, it hard to be totally objective in such an arbitrary call.

One more thing I think the show misses is the situation that the warrior culture was finding itself in and what the society was like.  For instance, the Scottish under Wallace had been oppressed for years by the English and were clearly fighting for both home and hearth and even a way of life.  They were fighting the English, that clearly had supply issues when in Scotland.  The inverse was true when Wallace did take York and his position there was largely untenable for more then a season or two and hence his eventual willingly yielding it back to the English for other concessions.   There are again, so many additional points about differences in cultures and background, how could one be comprehensive about this list.

I will say in this particular episode, it came out 67% of time the winner would have been Wallace over the Shaka, which is about the way I would have expected the outcome.  Though clearly the folks on the show seemed to have favored the Shaka weapons during the analysis.  But regardless, I give the show an overall bad review, fully meeting my expectation of the show.

** Photo from promotional materials for the show from Spike **

Okay, I will give you if you are involved in your own personal experimental aircraft or something akin to that you may be hitting a bit more expense.  Perhaps even a yacht, depending on the size and the crew required could in some situations be more expensive – but no small one person boat is going to cut it.   High performance racing machines, yes, more expensive, but a LOT more pay back at the level where it probably becomes much more expensive.

I hear friends all the time speak about how expensive it is to maintain and upkeep a horse and other friends talk about how expensive it is to put together a good looking armour kit.

I am down to just two horses but compared to one that is 2x the upkeep expenses.  Additionally, both of these guys will be going everywhere with me this summer, so every haul will cost a bit more, every entrance/stall fee will likely be double, and every set of health papers will be twice as much as well.

And silly me, even as I begin to get a few comments about my 14th century suite of armour looking nice I am in constanst realization that it needs a few things to look a lot better.  Things that are not inexpensive but very much a part of the kit.  I could make the entire list, but at the very top is a riveted propery attached camail, an arming jack to properly attach legs and shouldes too, mail voiders, and finishing the churburg #15 or finding a suitable replacement even better.  Add to that, I am feeling my age and/or wimpiness when fighting on the ground in the arms and want to add something in leather that lighter, hopefully quicker, and maybe not as quickly to tire.

And if that were not enough, I want to do and have kind of started a late 15th/early 16th century kit.  Which means a whole new set of armour and soft kit for not only me, but for the horse as well.  What fun!  What expense!

I see a credit card commercial in here somewhere…  in a somber voice with video of war melee in mass, “Registration to war in order to beat the heathen masses – $75.”  Scene cuts to mounted guy on horse in full armour making a joust pass, “Maintenance of horse and armour purchases, yearly – between $5,000 – $10,000.”  Scene cuts mounted melee involving kings and knights, “Giving a king by right of arms his lunch on horseback in a melee – priceless.”

** – Photo credit to Bob Fenstemaker (Ardal) from Gulf Wars XVI.

** Originally published on Mephistos on 2nd of March 2009

If you check out the website you can get an inkling of the differences. First of all, where the SCA is all inclusive and lets anyone participate who makes a minimum effort of the wide range of cultures and time period, the IJA has a much more narrow time period and is only open to those histirical interpertations of knights or men-at-arms from the classic European concetric ideal of knights background we would expect.

Taking that one step further, the group has very rigid requirements on both hard and soft kit representations of your character. To clarify, the hard would be in armour ready for the joust or such and the soft would be the clothing a noble of such rank would wear at perhaps court or such as that for the same time period. Both hard and soft kits will be judged, either in person or via picture by some very knowledgable folks prior to one being allowed to even really start things.

From there there are several rankings of what one can actually participate in during events, usually centered around brotherly competition in arms. The rankings are actually termed grades and without giving it all away at the lower levels one is only allowed to act as a squire and participate in the skills of arms competions, where things such as tilting at the rings, the quintain, and such are the focus. At the next level jousting in local tournaments is allowed, though local is to the country generally. The upper grade levels allow you to participate in jousts in other countries. At the highest you judge other applicants on riding grade and as wether kits are up to specificiations or not.

Obviously a much smaller group in number, but the jousting is typically done with wooden lances, the tips most commonly balsa wood. When compared to the SCA, the skill at arms is similar, though some of the life weapons would be frowned on by the SCA. Further comparison of the wood lances with the foam really makes the SCA jousting seem a step below. (I should note the one big IJA tournament I did, had at least six SCA members participating who had stepped up to such a level. Keep in mind though that no one is in the group thinking they are going to hurt anyone – it is all friendly. Even to the point of prizes being limited and generally most everyone getting a stipend if such is available.

Fundamentally this could probably be compared to the difference between high school sports and the step up to semi-pro sports. It is a good place to aim for somoene that is very serious about things, but not a place to start at. Oh, and there are at least two such events in the United States next year and an offspring group that has two other events on teh schedule for 2009 as well.

As I write that above about semi-pro, it dawns on me, that I am a professional jouster, having been paid for such on several occasions, and that strikes me as odd. I am going to start putting that on my resume though.

** And the hat-trick **

** Originally published on Mephistos on 16th of December 2008