DOs and DONTs when planning and buying a set of armor (harness)

[Sir James A]

I was asked this on the Book of Faces and thought I would post a thread here. I'll try to keep this first post updated as a "master list". If anyone has any additions, post them below.

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DO:

• Decide on a specific time / area first
• Acquire undergarments first
• Arming clothes next
• If you're wearing mail, get the mail, tailor it to match the arming garments
• AFTER the mail is done and tailored, measure for the plate parts
• Try to find a single armorer to do the entire harness, for consistency and ease of measurements / communication
• Be patient; a nice harness doesn't happen over night. Be willing to wait 6-12+ months on it
• Work on a second harness in the interim to pass the time (OK maybe not. But maybe!)

DONT:

• DONT buy plate first
• DONT buy something that isn't correct for the kit just because it's on sale / in stock (Unless you're starting a second kit )
• DONT expect to throw the armor in a box and be maintenance free; a proper harness deserves care and respect. You *will* need to replace leathers every 5-10 years or so
• DONT forget to oil it; oil keeps rust away. Rust is bad. Rust is evil. Oil is your friend!
• DONT hesitate to ask questions if you are unsure of something; this means on clothing, on armor, on how to wear it
• DONT get frustrated if things don't go right the first time. They rarely do.
• DONT let it become more burdensome than you can handle. If you aren't having fun, something is wrong. Don't be afraid to step away for a while, renew, and if you feel ready ... get back into it

Sir Edward, can we sticky this?

[Sir William]

Please sticky this- this is an excellent idea and something I wish I'd had when I first started this pursuit.  Still, I had a lot of fun (and anguish too) in collecting, wearing then later selling off all sorts of armor.

[Sir Douglas]

Ditto on the sticky. This is great, thanks for posting Sir James!

[Sir Brian]

Great post Sir James! Something we all wish we had when starting out!

[Don Jorge]

This is a great list...even if I am not going buy it...Must acquire undergarments and finish my arming garment...but also need plate armor to fight in!!! but making most of my armor so it should be fine

[Sir Edward]

Stickied!

[Aiden of Oreland]

Truly a great post! Luckily i am starting out now!

[Sir Nate]

Peanut oil? Probabaly bad for other peoples allergies and it seems to dry up.
Is oil bad for leather? If it gets on by accident?
Would you recomend a soft kit as well? Perhaps a good idea to makenone while waiting for that Armor.
Also, were is a good place to buy double wrap belts? 13th circa.

[Sir James A]

Peanut oil? Probabaly bad for other peoples allergies and it seems to dry up.

Not a good one, no.

Is oil bad for leather? If it gets on by accident?

Not in small quantities but if you soak it then it can crack and dry it out. Spraying armor with oil is fine, just don't soak the strapping too.

Would you recomend a soft kit as well? Perhaps a good idea to makenone while waiting for that Armor.

Completely different thing, if you only wear armor for renn fest, soft kit doesn't matter. Living History or SCA or "persona" kind of thing, yes, but order is purely preferential since they are two different things.

Also, were is a good place to buy double wrap belts? 13th circa.

Totally different thread topic.

[AnsalonPaladin]

I made the grave mistake of ordering my curiass online. Never again will I resort to such foolish tactics! I'll wait until I'm sufficiently money'd enough to purchase my armor from a more reputable source.

[Lord Dane]

I made the grave mistake of ordering my curiass online. Never again will I resort to such foolish tactics! I'll wait until I'm sufficiently money'd enough to purchase my armor from a more reputable source.

Also be sure to ask before you spend outrageous amounts of money Jeremy. Many of us have custom cuirasses or quality ones that can meet current SCA, HEMA, WMA, etc safety and/or historical guidelines depending on their functional or expected usage. You are in a good mass of knowledge here. Ask before you decide. There are many good or better options out there.

[AnsalonPaladin]

I made the grave mistake of ordering my curiass online. Never again will I resort to such foolish tactics! I'll wait until I'm sufficiently money'd enough to purchase my armor from a more reputable source.

Also be sure to ask before you spend outrageous amounts of money Jeremy. Many of us have custom cuirasses or quality ones that can meet current SCA, HEMA, WMA, etc safety and/or historical guidelines depending on their functional or expected usage. You are in a good mass of knowledge here. Ask before you decide. There are many good or better options out there.

If there are folks on here that sell kit I'd be more than happy to share the wealth within the organization rather than spending my money on folks I don't know or non-reputable sources. I had a kind of bad experience with medieval collectibles that put a sour taste in my mouth I will admit. I'm interested in 13th-15th century kit much like many of the other folks on here it seems. The fully decked out Arthurian style knight appeals to me the most.

[Ian]

If you're at all interested in historically accurate kit please read my guide here.  If you're willing to go down that path you have many hear who can guide you appropriately

http://modernchivalry.org/forum/index.php/topic,3207.0.html

[AnsalonPaladin]

If you're at all interested in historically accurate kit please read my guide here.  If you're willing to go down that path you have many hear who can guide you appropriately

http://modernchivalry.org/forum/index.php/topic,3207.0.html

Worry not Sir Ian, I had already read it through and through before the recommendation was even made! I think it's spot on and will differ to it throughout my arming process.