Armstreet new harness

[SirNathanQ]

Anyone taken a look at this glorious frickin thing? Holy crap it looks good.
My only gripe is the lack of actual ankles on their greaves. Their shaping is very solid for the price, but that rounded off bottom just ruins the greave for me.

http://armstreet.com/store/armor/medieval-western-knights-armor-kit-the-kings-guard

[Sir William]

Wow, that IS real pretty!  I'd bet Mikael would take that suggestion and roll with it if you were ordering that harness.  Might be something no one else pointed out as of yet.

[Ian]

Gorgeous!  Yeah, the greaves are weird, they should come down lower and form a saddle over the top of the foot to protect the ankle points.  If I was going to nitpick or use it for LH I would swap out the butted aventail for a good one, get a knuckle rider on the gauntlets, and shrink the fan on the knee poleyns.  And of course it's covered in etching... which they didn't do yet, it would have to be engraving to be time appropriate.   I really love the fabric covered hoop fauld, and the colors they chose on that particular example are really striking.  The prayers all over it make it very cool!

[SirNathanQ]

Yeah, the little details really separate it from say, a harness of your quality, Sir Ian, but it is a real step forward in semi-custom harness.

I'm thinking of getting a piece or two of the harness.

Mainly that fauld.

What I'm considering is a fighting harness, in the central European late 14th century style, and that would be a perfect solution to hip protection.

I already have a satisfactory bascinet, and the arms are covered, so I'd need the cuirass, the fauld, gauntlets, and legs.

I think I would get the Kings Guard fauld and gaunlets/ matching leather covering, and have the rest be more utilitarian items from Armstreet. That way there's no farby etching and it it rather common to see (in the 14th and 15th centuries) harnesses with certain parts decorated Gauntlets, the knee central copp, ect, so I feel the look would be rather historic.

My only issue with that layout is that I can't discern a good way to display heraldry 

Thoughts?

[Sir James A]

Saw it on FB, I've got a bunch of little nit-picks with it (multiple greaves things as the biggest) - but I was floored by how awesome the leather covered gauntlets and fauld look, and the brasswork too.

Though I must say, I'm upset with this thread; by the title, I thought Sir Nathan had just acquired a new harness.

Sir Nathan, I bet you could ask Armstreet to do that same armor with simple brass trim, no etching/engraving, and the price should come down, too.

[Don Jorge]

On AA there was also discussion about the gauntlets not being the proper period and lacking the second plate under the knuckle.

[Ian]

The cuirass is also very flat for a Churburg #13 copy.  Should be more globose.  I would skip those greaves Sir Nathan, they will be wholly incompatible with sabs if you ever wanted to add them.  Mikael at armstreet will customize things for you, so I would talk to him first.  I think there are better options out there for more historically shaped pieces though.

Here's what a historically correct Churburg #13 inspired harness should look like, just expect to take out a mortgage to pay for it ;-) :

[Ian]

On AA there was also discussion about the gauntlets not being the proper period and lacking the second plate under the knuckle.

The knuckle rider is a nice-to-have, but it's not incorrect to not have it.  Having owned gauntlets with and without, I would say that I would never go back to without knuckle riders.

But I don't see what's not the correct period about those.  The original Churburg #13 has hourglass demis on it.  That's the only style of gauntlet that goes with a late 14th century harness.

[Sir Wolf]

his cuffs look like giant bells

[SirNathanQ]

Yeah, those greaves perplex me. Why they would do them in that style irks me. I mean, Armstreet has clear examples of greaves made in a correct form (as much as can be expected with budget in mind) yet they use that odd style for their nicest harness to date.

The cuirass is also very flat for a Churburg #13 copy.  Should be more globose.  I would skip those greaves Sir Nathan, they will be wholly incompatible with sabs if you ever wanted to add them.  Mikael at armstreet will customize things for you, so I would talk to him first.  I think there are better options out there for more historically shaped pieces though.

Yeah, it is rather flat for the type, but I wouldn't consider it truly farby. I'd consider it period, but atypical (which in my book is worse than typical, but better than inaccurate). It does look well made though, and I think in execution it is way better than the other offerings by Armstreet.

I think for the greaves, and the leg harness, I will get a more utilitarian model, and request the greaves from this offering, which I admit still aren't shaped like a good custom greave, but aren't outright farby like the others with the weird cutoff.
I also probably wouldn't wear the harness with sabatons, as I want to retain a Germanic feel to it (in Germany, the effigies indicate that sabatons were entirely optional)
http://armstreet.com/store/armor/exclusive-knight-full-leg-armor-thigh-plates-knee-cops-greaves

[Ian]

Also beware that greaves that are not custom fitted will almost always become a hindrance to mobility.  An improperly shaped breastplate can do the same.  If a BP is even slightly long it will not sit on your waist, it will sit on your illiac crest and be very painful, or it will choke you when you lean forward or look down, or god forbid you fall it can crush your windpipe.

Maxim Suprovich can do more historical lines than Armstreet, and so can Jolly Knight more than likely for a similar price.  Here's Jolly's Churburg #13 and I think it looks a lot better.  It would also be cheaper in mild steel than that listed price (which is for stainless).  I know you know this Nathan, but for some of the folks newer to Armor, one important thing to keep in mind is that historically shaped pieces are not just for Living History snobs, they're safer to wear, because those guys knew what they were doing when they shaped armor.  Modern armorers who miss the proper shapes can be making armor that does not function correctly and can injure the person it's designed to protect!

http://jollyknight.com.ua/armoury/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=108

[SirNathanQ]

Hey, I'm loving this Jolly knight site. Awesome shaping at great prices! I think I'll peruse the site for kit possibilities.

[Sir James A]

Hey, I'm loving this Jolly knight site. Awesome shaping at great prices! I think I'll peruse the site for kit possibilities.

(in that dark robed pale star wars guy voice)
Yes.... yes.... let the armor purchasing desire flow through you...... good.......

Sir Nathan, sabatons are great! Did you forget about the sabaton-inspired "flying mortschlag of VARF 2013"? Don't you want to do the same?

[Aiden of Oreland]

Haha thats funny, I was actually thinking of posting something about this new armor on the site. It so beautiful!

[Sir Martyn]

It's very pretty, but seems there's not much in the way of back protection.

Ian - what's your take on Armstreet's etched/stainless "paladin" armor?