Great helm liners

[Leganoth]

http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/p-4418-crusader-great-helmet.aspx   < what i have

it came with no liners on the inside >.<
 found this though dunno if itll work though, http://steel-mastery.com/index.php?&model=product_detail&category_id=39&parent_id=17&product_id=107

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, I'd imagine that it would work. There are many ways to do liners for the helms. I usually cheat and just use some foam padding in the helm itself.

But I'm tempted to pick up that set too. One of the things I've been wanting to do is make or buy a shoulder-mantle like that, so I can pad my shoulders a little. The collar helps keep the mail off your neck, and the aketons back in the day had a similar collar (this predates wearing a gorget).

I need to see how shipping to the US works there.

[Sir Wolf]

hmmm i dunno, doesnt seem very historical to me. i would think you would want to make a liner and rivet it into place. but if that open is out than hmmm

Sir Brian has this helmet you posted, and i think if you look back in the armoury section you can find out how he did his liner.

[Leganoth]

hmmm i dunno, doesnt seem very historical to me. i would think you would want to make a liner and rivet it into place. but if that open is out than hmmm

Sir Brian has this helmet you posted, and i think if you look back in the armoury section you can find out how he did his liner.

yeah i know, lots of different materials just dont know what to get for it

[Sir Patrick]

Here's the tutorial I used to make mine (and I believe Sir Brian used it as well).  Easy to make even for knights with limited sewing skills 

http://www.forth-armoury.com/photo_gallery/helm_liner/helm_liner.htm

[Leganoth]

Not sure if the instructions in the link would work on a great helm

[Sir Wolf]

why not? most helmets i have seen in period have an interior liner.  all you would have to do is make the liner (maybe shorter than the bassinet version) i would remove the rivets on the helmet at the area that the liner should attach to and put in a leather brow band and then re-rivet the holes. then sew the liner to the brow band

[Sir Brian]

The Red Knight is correct with the link he provided as the one I relied upon most when I made the liners for two of my helms. They are pretty simple to make with a basic sewing machine. Sir Wolf is also correct in that liners are very period and most were sewn into the helm but I recommend you use Velcro to attach it to the helm so you can wash the liner occasionally unless you intend always wear an arming cap to soak up the sweat!
…which reminds me I have to wash my helm liner. If I get to it this weekend I’ll post a picture of my liner in and out of the helm, oh and cotton or linen material for the shell and cotton batting for the stuffing is the most comfortable IMO.

[Sir Patrick]

Not sure if the instructions in the link would work on a great helm

I added a small "pillow" inside the liner to fill in the space between the top of my head and the peak of my sugarloaf.  For a flat-topped helm, I would use the tutorial to make the sides and back of the liner, then make a separate piece for the top and sew/tie them together.  One word of caution, I really stuffed my liner full, and while it fits wonderfully over a bare head, I'm going to have to take some stuffing out to account for my new coif.

[Leganoth]

Hmm i see, what would be better though cotton or linnen as a liner?

[Sir Ulrich]

I'd go with linen because it breathes better than cotton, avoid poly or poly fill at all costs cause I got a gambeson thats filled with it and it's HOT as hell.. I'm kinda lucky my kettle helm came with a leather liner though.

Heres a pic of an actual historical padding for a great helm:

[Sir Wolf]

that if i am not mistaken is for a jousting helmet. more like the frog mouth than what he has pictured of his great helmet

[Sir Ulrich]

It's a 15th century padding though so I'm not exactly sure, though it appeared on wikipedia under great helm and I believe great helms were still used for jousting in those days. It probably COULD work for a great helm, of course you could always go the way and buy an arming cap that you can wear under the helm.
http://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AB0313
This can give you an idea of what kind of padding would work for a great helm as well
http://therionarms.com/reenact/therionarms_c1278.html

[Sir Patrick]

Definitely use natural fibers for both material and filler, unless you want to pass out!

[Leganoth]

Hmm i see. Also I've been looking into getting horns or plumes for my great helm or somthing to mount ontop of it, where did you gets get yours? I see in some of your pics you have something on top?