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FS Merctailor Arms

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Sir Andrew:
I'm definitely liking the rotating bracer idea...got a steal on those Sir James! ;D

Sir James A:
Allan, received the arms today. I love 'em! The rotating bracer works great, and the sizing is almost as if you had made them specifically for me. :) I really like the hand made buckles, just like on the other arms from you. I'd like to add a "strap keeper" somehow; just the little metal bit that holds the strap down in place after it's through the buckle and pin, to keep it from trying to slide back out or move around. Similar to the small bar of this kind of buckle:

http://jrltd.com/images/category/422-rope_classic_WebLg_020610_0002.jpg

I'm not sure how to do it with armor, and what would look more appropriate style wise. Should I have it right next to the buckle? Should I add it a bit down the strap like in the picture? I'd like to know how you think I should go about doing it. And thanks again for the fantastic armor - all of it!

Sir Brian:
Cool I can't wait to see the new arms James! :)

Allan Senefelder:
James, the image you show of course uses just leather, rather than leather with a steel strap end. You could either 1) remove the rivet holding the strap end and replace it using the same rivet to secure the strap loop and steel strap end or sew the strap loop on behind the steel strap end. The historical pieces I used to own were all over the map, D buckles sewn into place with no strap loops, D buckles with steel strap ends with or without strap loops, double end buckles ect. The choice seems to have been random wheather late 15th century ( the earliest piece I owned ) or 17th century being the complete arm with pauldron ( this by the way had D buckle on steel mount on the bracer, no strap loop, no way to have one in a very similar manner to the 15th century arm shown on page 37 of FFoulkes " The Armourer and His Craft ) which had no strap loop for the bracers but had an interesting feathure i've seen before on 16th/17th century pauldrons where there is a slot in the top plate of the pauldron just in front of the buckle and parallel to it, allowing the strap from the gorget to come up from under the pauldron to engage the buckle rather than over ( this in theory would allow the pauldron to be pulled up into pretty much direct contact with the upward slope of the base plates of the gorget ).

Sir James A:
Allan, thanks for the info. I didn't know the historical examples are all over the place like that. That "buckle slot" sounds interesting; I'm going to check it out. I think I'll take the "easy way" and grind off the rivet, then add the strap keeper on. Thanks!

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