There's no real reason for this topic other than I've noticed its gotten kind of quiet of late so I thought I'd toss this one into the arena, see what it'll do. So, I know for myself, when I first got the itch to put a kit, some kind of kit, together, I had no idea what it would entail. So I did like most, and shopped for budget mail (I won't call it 'chain' any longer, unless its jack chains we're talkin about- it does sound odd when you hear someone else say it) and of course, went through several iterations of that type before I started actually doing some research into the time period (initially, it was the Crusades, hard guess, no? lol), customs, tactics, dress and armor. And I was so happy, the second time I went to MDRF (first time I went in street clothes not having an idea of what was to come- soon as we arrived I wanted to leave and come back sometime later, having had nothing to wear, sadly, sadly), my debut, as it were...a 16ga sleeveless butted mail shirt (think steel dress and you're on) with a black cross blazoned across the front (think the links were painted) and...wait for it....wait for it...wait for it...
long black Dracula-style cape of the cheapest sort (impulse buy on eBay, but one of many). Looking back, I realize I saved NO pictures from that day...and with good reason, it was cheesy man, cheesy. Anyhow, the bug had already bitten me, and I wasn't yet up to speed on riveted mail (or the many kinds there are) so, after having viewed some of the other playtrons at MDRF, my wife and I realized I had a long way to go. I went back to my 'armorer' and told him I needed sleeves, and splits in the front and back at the least. He came through for me too, a butted hauberk with superlong, flappy sleeves and it hung to my kneecaps. Great! Then I remembered KoH and knew that was the persona for me, not Balian, but a Crusader, and what did I see in the Museum Replicas catalog? You guessed it, and I was all over it.
Hmm...this is getting long, and sort of outside what I wanted to say, so we'll just fast forward through the rest of that journey and get to the point- I realize now that there is a LOT involved w/putting a decent kit together. All the big stuff, hell, that's easy...its when you get down to the under garments, footwear, handwear, what you eat with, what you drink with, where do you store your money, how will you tie down all that stuff, what weapons should you carry, and other assorted accoutrements...I don't bother tallying up the price anymore just to see what I've spent, it depresses me to know that so much can be put into it and still be wanting more.
If I'd went for a strictly 12th C getup,I guess you could say I'm good...but when has that one thing ever been enough? Plus, I'm not a fan of the footwear. LOL So I went with boots...boots. I priced some 'authentically made' cavalier boots, and I realize these wouldn't have come about til late 14th early 15th so then I was toying with the idea of cobbling together a 14th C kit just for the boots. FOR THE DAMN BOOTS. And they
started at $300 and soared upwards of $450 for one vendor who had all these little add-ons you could have (lugged soles, lugged vibram, natural leather, yada yada yada)...I kept coming back to the boots.
Then, when I went looking for a kostrel, I could not find one single solitary leather bag/bottle of the size I wanted for less than $150. I got a leather covered canteen from a dude ranch out west, $30, works great, carried it at the last MDRF and it was great...still...want that kostrel.
Then there's the belts, bags and sundry items that you have to drag around w/you, and did I mention finding a decent shieldmaker who could make one for a left-handed fighter, but didn't have that ugly hard material around the edges like they use in the SCA? Or who could paint a device decently enough so as not to be an embarrassment on the field? Nothing says shame better than telling someone your device is three stooping hawks and what you have on your shield is more like three fat owls takin a dump.
Of course, as you get more contemporary, the armor gets beefed up and so does the cost...thank God for Allan and Merc's Tailor; to think what I might've ended up with if not for him. Well, there's all sorts of decent armorers but I think Allan just might be the most friendly to your bank acct, shameless plug for him there. Anyhow...there's always something else I think of...like a decent mug. I have a pewter one with a clear bottom and it just doesn't seem big enough to me. Always something...
I think this passion of mine might one day drive me crazy...but I'll look good while I'm at it.
What about you guys?
