Ren Faire Peeve

[scott2978]

Plus, dealing with all the unwashed, uninterested masses makes it all the more sweet when you do run into somebody who knows what's up.

Two years ago, while in civilian clothes, I noticed a gentleman in a sweet mail hauberk.  This was not butted, nor poorly fitted off-the-rack mail.  This was very nice wedge riveted mail that was well fitted; noticeable from 50 feet away.  I made my way over, politely introduced myself and complimented his kit.

He was genuinely pleased that someone had noticed so we “talked shop” for quite some time.  That is, until we both realized that our wives were bored with the “shop talk”.   

It's pretty rare for me to run into anyone who is as enthusiastic about armor as me, but it has happened. It's really great to meet new people who share your passions and who can offer an honest, knowlegable critique of your impression.

[Sir Humphrey]

Renn Faires are the realm of costumes, fairy wings and elf ears.  You can't expect the paying customers to know the difference, or be able to tell if you are a visitor vs an employee.  You will get some of this even at living history events.  Just grin bear it.  What else can they call it that is more accurate?  It is not a uniform.  They could say "outfit," but that is not much better.  "Kit" is the only thing that might be appropriate, but that is not in the lexicon of most Americans.

[Sampf]

Only thing I have heard someone say to me about my kit is "Look honey a knight" Although it wasn't much I was still so exited haha

I feel bad for the people who actually ask me question of which there are few but because of that lack of questions any one who asks gets a history lesson.

[Sir Sondergaard]

Well, here in Denmark we have a lot of people doing the LARP thing. Running around in the forests every weekend, painted ork green, wearing elves ears, troll costumes.... you know what I mean... We call those people roleplayers here in Denmark, while people like us - my fellow knights - are reenactors...
When we are at a medieval market, we often hear the phrase "roleplayers"... When we do, we grab hold of the "ill educated persons" and teach them a little lesson our selves.

No offence toward roleplayers, but they wear aluminum chainmail, paperthin armour that dents when you sneeze on it, and they use silicone swords....
When we let people hold some of our chainmail, their eyes grows double in size, while they make mumbling "wow" sounds.... sometimes we let them try it on, and it certainly does impress people... When we tell them that we wear 60+ punds of armour while we fight, and that we use realistic steel swords - except they are blunt of course - they are starting to get the difference between a roleplayer costume, and a reenactorkit.
Most often it is more than enough to let them hold my houndskull helmet with aventail - which are around 15 pounds - to get them convinced that this is the real deal 

Well, you allways has to remember that people dont mean it in a bad way, they just dont know any better. And we never have any problems with people beeing rude or stupid... So it is allways nice to educate a little   

[Sir Humphrey]

Well, said Sir Sondergaard.  I accidently attended a "Medieval Faire" last week when visiting Crecy Battlefield in France.  I had always thought that we are behind the curve in the US being so far from Europe.  I was wrong.  There were just as many goofy dressed knights, some with a heavy Game of Thrones influence.  Some were trying hard and looked pretty good, but the fellow in this pic was the norm.

[Sir James A]

We all started somewhere

[Sir Martyn]

We all started somewhere

Indeed.  I would also add that there are plenty of LARPers who, while not going for historical accuracy and it's good when they see what the renactors must endure, make a good effort to wear more than just costume stuff.

[Sir William]

We all started somewhere

Indeed.  I would also add that there are plenty of LARPers who, while not going for historical accuracy and it's good when they see what the renactors must endure, make a good effort to wear more than just costume stuff.

Look up Mythodea if you want to see some really cool LARP kits; I call them that because they are so much more involved than a simple costume.  As for a start- mine was a butted maille vest with a black cross done up in blackened rings (the rest were the usual satin) center of the chest, and a black satin cape to top it all off.  Black dungarees, Tims and a black mock turtleneck rounded out the ensemble.  Thought I was doing big things!  lol

[Henrik Granlid]

I'm suprised to hear such a difference in quality between Danish larps and Swedish larps. Honestly, a lot of Swedish larpers have waaay better kits than most Swedish Knight troupes (we have very few full tilt jousters).

Here are some pictures of one of the larger campaigns.


https://www.google.se/search?q=krigshjärta&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAWoVChMItI_xlbLfxwIVhiVyCh2yrApC&biw=800&bih=1280

(couldn't make a clickable link for some reason, it will need copying into a browser window, or simply Google Krigshjärta)


As far as armour denting If you sneeze, please don't measure authenticity by weight until you start wearing hardened steel rather than mass fabricated pieces with barely the correct forms. We all love our hobby and there is no point in looking down at other aspects of it.

I personally love wearing plate, I'm actually swapping out my plastic Corrazinna for a proper globose breastplate, even if my armour is for sca fighting, because I like it better. However, there is no measure of manliness or worth in the weight of armour you wear. Unless you order plate from Per Lillelund Jenssen and maille from one of the very few handmakers in Europe, you're not more authentic than the larper with improper shapes to the plate he wears or the ren-faire enthusiast that loves his aluminium coif with a poor fit. Your kit may have more research behind it, and it might look more like the real thing, but, your stuff is still modern and there will always be somebody more authentic than you out there. We all do what is fun and what works for us, and the more you know, the more nuances you will discover.

To the average goer though, those nuances won't be seen, and instead, you have a very nice costume. Talk about it with love when informing them and don't devaluate somebody else's stuff just because you consider your own to be superior. A knight should be humble and learning new things should be fun.