Ed's c.1250-1300 kit(s)

[Sir Edward]

Well, I completely forgot that CAS/GDFB discontinued all the stainless mail they had. This is making things complicated. I'm trying to get a new full-sleeve hauberk that I can wear and be more historical.

Looking at Icefalcon, the dome riveted one that would fit me is a good $200+ more expensive than KoA's prices, and it would be another $350 or something to get it with wedge rivets.

KoA still has the 60" hauberk in stainless in stock. As far as I can tell, the 48" version has vanished entirely, and even if I find it on another site, it's likely to cost more than the 60" from KoA.

So, I've ordered the 60". I can cut it down. Now that I have links and a tool I can work with!

[Sir Brian]

hmm and do you have any plans for the portions you will be cutting out? 
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And if the portion you will be cutting out still isn't be enough to suit my needs would you consider going on a crash diet before making any alterations? 

*Hey there is no harm in asking! Don't hate me because you all didn't think to ask first!*

[Sir Edward]

Well, we'll just have to see. I know I need some for the toes of my chausses, but that's not a lot. I'll need some for the hands too.

I may be removing about 10" (at full extension) from the front and back, but I'll just have to see. The 48" would have fit reasonably well, but I might need a little more just to comfortably accommodate the gambeson, so I may not take out the full 12". So in a way, ordering the 60" might be a blessing in disguise.

Oh, the gambeson... What I decided to do is have Jess Finley (Fuhlen Designs) make me a 13th century aketon. It's looking like August/September before my turn comes up.

[Sir Wolf]

wow cool. whats she charging?

[Sir Edward]

Well, we'll just have to see. I know I need some for the toes of my chausses, but that's not a lot. I'll need some for the hands too.

Oh, and I'll probably be expanding the sides down near the base so that it's not just a tube with crotch splits.

wow cool. whats she charging?

She's treating it as one of her normal gambesons, so $350.

[Ian]

This place in Poland has some really cool arming garments.  Greg Mele pointed me toward this store to get a hold of helmets produced by Jacek Matera, but browsing around revealed lots of cool stuff.

http://www.gambeson.pl/medieval-on-line-shop/12th-13th-century-gambesons.html

[Sir Edward]

I can haz mail...



The new hauberk is on the right, and the haubergeon for my mid-14th kit is on the left. Interestingly, the hauberk comes with narrower sleeves. I may not need to squeeze them in as much. However, they're not as long as I expected either, so I may be adding length from the body pieces I cut out to reduce the size. I'll be relocating a lot of material in this project, for sure.

[Sir Wolf]

sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sir James A]

I can haz mail...



The new hauberk is on the right, and the haubergeon for my mid-14th kit is on the left. Interestingly, the hauberk comes with narrower sleeves. I may not need to squeeze them in as much. However, they're not as long as I expected either, so I may be adding length from the body pieces I cut out to reduce the size. I'll be relocating a lot of material in this project, for sure.

Congrats! Did that come from IceFalcon? The sleeves do look much thinner than mine. It looks the same height as the haubergeon too?

I prefer relocating material, to weaving it ring by ring from scratch.

[Sir Edward]

Nope, it was one of the last remaining GDFB stainless ones. They've been discontinued, but KoA still had the 60" in stock. It's actually longer than the haubergeon, it's just that they're not both stretched the same way in the photo. Stretching them more length-wise, it looks like it's 5" longer at full stretch.

Interestingly, the sleeves narrow to the same width that we measured out on the haubergeon to fit over my gambeson. They may not need much tapering.

[Sir Wolf]

wow that is great news. can't wait to see it all done up. wonder why they discontinued all that stuff. it was such a great price too

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, I guess the stainless wasn't selling as well, or maybe the cost of stainless steel shot up or something. They still have all the mild steel stuff, but dropped the stainless. At least Icefalcon still offers it.

[Sir William]

Wow, nice looking mail you have there, Sir!

[Sir Brian]

Very sweet! Congratulations!

[Sir Edward]

Boy, riveting goes a lot slower than I was used to with my butted mail. I knew that would be the case, but yikes.

Anyway, over the course of the weekend I got a strip removed from the back, and closed the seam while leaving the back split open at the base. Now I need to remove material from the front, which will be a little harder since I have to preserve the neck opening. But my plan is to take a page from Sir James' book and leave the front open so I can put it on like a jacket. I want to put ties in the opening so that I can lace it shut with a little bit of overlap.

I'm also removing more material from the front than from the back, so that the back panel is wider (which it should be, to allow the arms to move forward more easily).

Once I've done those things, I'll start testing out the sleeves and see how much I need to lengthen them, and I'll also add expansions on the sides of the bottom edges. And then I'll replace those same expansions on my 14th c. haubergeon to replace the butted links I put on that one. I hope I have enough left over material to do these without linking too much myself.