Pain In the Neck!

[Sir William]

I must admit to cheating somewhat...I wear those gel inserts in my boots; that uneven ground about killed my poor dogs the first Faire I ever went to.  That was probably the first addition to my first kit!

I experienced some tightness in the shoulders, but not as much as it used to be, since I started using more than one belt- to redistribute some of the weight.  I think I'm going to end up with a padded gambeson at some point, or folding hand towels and then tying them to my shoulders to help with the press-in of rings as the day goes on.

Oh, there is one problem area for me that I noticed no one else spoke on- wearing greaves.  Since I don't have a full-leg harness, the greaves dig into the mask of the foot and can be quite painful if left unattended.  What I did was get some bootstraps with a thick leather plate at the top that does help in mitigating some of that weight but I can still feel stress in my ankles due to the weight.  What I think I'll do is go with a 3/4 leg harness that terminates into the boot like Sir Edward's and leave it at that.  Maybe rivet some steel plates to the boot if I'm feeling adventurous (just an idea, small chance of that actually happening) - but I don't necessarily want to cobble it from my current greaves.  I'll come up with something.

On another note, it sure would be nice to put that greathelm onto your saddle horn, wouldn't it, Sir Edward?  God help them if they ever let us in on horses!  lol

[Dragonlover]

As far as the shoulders, I can relate! Any padding you can apply will help. My 15th cent placard from Ice ( Andre Sinou) has thin leather straps over the shoulder. Used to be, I was almost crippled by the time I left a Faire. My wife cut down some plastic, screen type panels and we slide them in a cotton envelope which we velcro into the shoulders of my jupon. Good as new!

 As for greaves, mine don't have enough of a curve (most don't) to relax on my instep. When I strap on my cuisse, (15th), my wife straps my greave so that it doesn't rest fully on my instep. i.e., she suspends the topmost greave strap from the bottom cuisse strap....makes all the difference after a long day....

[Sir Matthew]

Maybe I'm a little stranger than most of you, but I wear my armor all throughout the year to keep myself accustomed to the weight. I play in an RPG group every other Sat. evening and generally will wear it to that. I really don't want to repeat the beating I took when I first started wearing the armor, it was bad enough the last two weekends of this season wearing the Brig after wearing the padded armor almost exclusively. I will say that I noticed this season my ankles and feet bothering me a bit more after a day at Faire, but I think my problem is that the boots I wear have almost no sole left on the bottom of them. I really need to get them resoled before wearing them. Son of Sandler boots are definitely worth the money, I have had a pair of their lace up calf high boots for about 10 years and in that time the only thing I have needed to have done is the laces replaced and now the soles redone. They are probably the most comfortable boots I have ever worn and I will sometimes wear them out even if not in garb.

[Sir Edward]

On another note, it sure would be nice to put that greathelm onto your saddle horn, wouldn't it, Sir Edward?  God help them if they ever let us in on horses!  lol

One of the things they sometimes did in period sounds horrendously uncomfortable. Some of the great helms had holes near the bottom on the front, where they'd run a strap or chain through it and just hang it from their neck such that it hangs on their back. I can't imagine that being comfortable for very long.

[Sir Patrick]

I bet that was fun at the canter!  Ouch!

[Sir Brian]

any pics? hehehe.

Here's one.  This kit is in the VERY early stages, and obviously needs A LOT of work (like the right footwear, or some maille!).  I'm really just in the "soft kit" stage right now (BTW that surcoat is way old, and just being used as a placeholder at the moment).

Man I’m away from the board for a couple of days and miss the pictures of your excellent harness! It looks great Red Knight! 

[Sir William]

On another note, it sure would be nice to put that greathelm onto your saddle horn, wouldn't it, Sir Edward?  God help them if they ever let us in on horses!  lol

One of the things they sometimes did in period sounds horrendously uncomfortable. Some of the great helms had holes near the bottom on the front, where they'd run a strap or chain through it and just hang it from their neck such that it hangs on their back. I can't imagine that being comfortable for very long.

I wonder at that myself...I mean you already have the shield hanging from the neck (at least according to de Troyes lol) and now the helm as well?  As heavy as those can run, can't be comfortable.

Sir Matthew, Son of Sandler boots, noted.  Especially like the looks of the 4 buckle boot:  http://sonofsandlar.com/product-line-2/

[Sir Edward]

I suspect that any time they'd be doing that, they'd have the shield on their arm. But still.. ugh, it doesn't sound good.

[Sir Patrick]

Thanks, Sir Brian.  I only hope one day it's as cool as yours!

[Sir William]

I suspect that any time they'd be doing that, they'd have the shield on their arm. But still.. ugh, it doesn't sound good.

I'd think only when they're prepping for a charge...when they're just riding along in full kit, the shield hangs at the back- and I've read a number of stories where the shield hanging from the neck was described; the description led me to believe (initially) that it hung with the strap across the front of the neck which is most uncomfortable- my first commissioned shield was strapped thusly and I'd told them that it couldn't be done like that anymore.  lol

[Sir Wolf]

hmmmm the guige ( name of strap that holds onto the body) shouldn't hurt the wearer.

[Sir William]

You're right...unless it lays straight across the front of the neck, like that first shield I commissioned.  I almost asked the guy if he wore his like that then I saw that he doesn't wear a shield.  He'd never made one for a left handed fighter so I gave him that.  The second shield, which you saw, was much better...gonna have him make me another one over the winter break to match my new jupon.