I am back from many days of research and studying!
Well, now we are talking on a topic that does hit home on my interest. I also am doing a Late 16th Century Knight Garniture or Kit.
Close helms are a bit hard to find. MRL has the "Tudor Close helmet", which is really an armet. They're reasonably cheap at $195 (on sale from $225) and the quality is good, as compared with regular MRL stuff. I won't call them quite "battle ready", as they're 16 gauge, dent fairly easily, and as I recently found out from Allan Senefelder (MercTailor), it's made of.. 13 pieces, welded together.
Illusion Armoring, Clang Armory and MRL would be the choices to look for a Close Helmet.
I know Joshua Santana is working in the same period. I'm shooting for less of a full "Tournament" style and more of a field or "Half-Armour" presentation. I already have a Peascod Breast and Back with Tassets (from Illusion Armoury) and an Almaine Collar from Allan Senefelder. I'm planning to add Cased Vambraces, 16th Century Legs and Floating Greaves from Illusion Armoury. Under the armour I will get an Arming Doublet, possibly from Steel Mastery. I am undecided as to whether I want to add steel gauntlets of some type or just stick with the leather glove style gauntlets. I know late 16th Century Knights were ussually in command of troops on the field and when they fought were as likely to use firearms as anything else, which might make steel gauntlets unnescessary. I am also divided as to the type of helm to get. I am leaning toward a Burgonet, although I do not think I look good in them, but a Tudor Close helm is more commonly associated with a Knight. Perhaps I may even skip the helm in favor of just a hat, although it would be a much fancier one than any I currently wear in my 16th Century impressions. This will also require me to exchange my low shoes for proper riding boots, possibly bucket boots although I am unsure exactly how early bucket boots go.
Thank you for your kind reference, to help clarify on this topic, Half-Armor were used on the Battlefield and Tournaments (Look up records on Elizabethan Tilting events). Half Armor can be seen in many portraits an artwork of the period.
Sir Matthew: You have most of it, let go of the greaves and buckled boots will do. Burgonet or Close Helmet are two good choices either one is fine. You can add steel gauntlets if you want to fight in the Half Armor but that depends on what you want to do.
You're quite right, by that time, knights were more commanders than front-line fighters themselves. The role had shifted to a title of nobility rather than being strictly cavalry.
By the last quarter of the century the upper classes are begining to step away from command in the field in favor of a burgeoning proffessional officer class in the growing proto-national armies of paid/hired soldiers of which the century gives rise.
This is correct, you see in the late 1500's the rise of Knights being officers, generals commanding troops. Also there are accounts of these type of Knights/Officers participating in the battles they fought (though with sword and pistol rather than traditional lance). This is the earlier start for the later 17th Century Cavalier/Cuirasser that fought with both pistol and sword.
I'm shooting for mid-late 16th Century, somewhere around 1560-1580, early Elizabethan.
Best place to look is portraits or artwork made during the time period you chose. That should help you i deciding what pieces to go for.
The Illusion Peascods do not have a very pronounced central ridge, so that fits them more in the early to mid 16th Century.
Yep, very true that is why I am going to Jeff Wasson for my Garniture or Harness with extra pieces.
Now for what I call a Kit update: I am getting mine done by Jeff Wasson who agreed to the task, will pay him next year as he informed me that he wouldn't get to the garniture by the fall of next year.
My soft Kit is a combination of Tudor Shoppe and Fuhlen Designs. Period is 1590-99. So you can expect me to look like this:
My garinture is simple a full harness with an extra Peascod Breastplate without the Faulds and Tassets. Most Garnitures that you will find in museums have extra pieces for the Joust or Battlefield. I intend to keep mine simple as possible to achieve a full harness and half armor look.
Armor style is 1590-99. Examples which you can see here. Except my garniture is blackened.
http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=21306That's that, glad to hear you Brethren are doing well!
