Need a bit help with a kit

[Sir William]

So he makes custom fitted plate? How much does it go for typically? Cause thats actually exactly what I want because it would probably fit me best. All I really want at the moment is thigh armor and splinted greaves.

I got the vambraces and greaves all told for less than $200, and I opted for the heavier gauge steel w/brass rivets affixed to heavy grade brown leather.  Later on, I got the gorget in the same configuration...as you can tell, Sir Brian has the same one I do but he chose black leather.  Allan's work is top notch...before I had these, I had the plate bracers and greaves from his site too but wanted a different look so I went with the splinted pieces.  I also picked up a pair of his espauliers after having a pair of simple cops and wanting more shoulder protection- because I thought it looked better.  I was right, it does.  You can't go wrong with MT.

[Sir Ulrich]

Well I'll consider it after Christmas and whatnot. Once I get myself a job and whatnot I'll have enough to save up for it. I love how the splinted stuff looks and getting it for a good price and custom made sounds like a good deal. Splinted stuff is hard to find elsewhere and I like how his stuff looks rather accurate.

Maybe I'll make my persona early to mid 1300s but I will use some old fashioned equipment such as a full mail hauberk and whatnot. I thought they had splinted armor in the Viking age though. Personally I think it would protect better than chausses as mail is only useful at defending against cuts and thrusts and is close to useless against blunt force trauma. I'd hate to get hit in the arm or shin with a mace or sword with only chausses on, the blunt impact may break a bone or 2 while splinted armor would probably protect better against blunt trauma if it was thick enough.

I would also like a coat of plates but maybe I am thinking too far ahead, would be heavy and hot wearing all that over mail and whatnot anyway. From what I gather plate is hotter than mail is as mail breathes and plate does not. No wonder the only crusades that succeeded were the ones in the age of mail.

[Sir Andrew]

Actually, the only crusade that even thought about success was the first...the rest were bouts of foolishness interspersed with lapses of stupidity....

[Sir William]

Easy to say that now...I'd be willing to bet that it didn't present itself to them as thus, Sir Andrew, at the time.  

Sir Ulrich, are you preparing to enter the lists of a battle organization like the SCA?  Or are you putting together a battle ready kit simply because you want to?

That's what I did, so I am not being condescending- just asking.

[SirNathanQ]

Unless you are planning on fighting in your kit, I would go with the maille. You seem to be going for a "darker" look with your kit. This is super easy to attain with maille. Don't buy it black, just get it about the same colour as iron. Check out GDFB for that. I would reccomend early 14th century/late 13th
 Buy GDFB gamboised ciusses (they come in black for the "look"  )
Get a surcoat made. Make it good 'n dark, like your COA.
Get a coif that matches the maille. and go for the greathelm, w/ a skullcap underneath the coif. and reccomended arming cap.
Get thyself a sizable shield, get it painted in your COA.
and seriously go for the greathelm. It's uber-intimidating and would match the "dark" look perfectly in the right colour.

[Sir Ulrich]

Well I got Icefalcon blackened mail on the way. Would of gotten GDFB mail but the sizes wouldn't fit me, considering I'm skinny and medium sized, most of their stuff is for large to extra large sized people apart from the shoes and helmets. I bought a surcoat from them and it literally was too wide and went down to my ankles. But cloth is easy to tailor but mail is not (unless you're experienced with riveting mail). Not sure about the padded cuisses but I may get them so I can tailor them so they fit my skinny legs. Thats why I got the Icefalcon stuff, it would probably fit me better and not be so baggy... Not sure about the coifs though, I wouldn't mind getting one of those, just want it so the riveting matches my hauberk. I'd actually prefer a painted great helm with a red cross on the faceplate and a crow or raven on the top as a crest. Would suit my coat of arms pretty well. Maybe I'll buy one of those cheap deepeeka blank shields and paint it cause I don't want to repaint my current shield as I want to also have a templar knight persona as well. I'd basically be the "black knight" of the modern chivalry team.
I do plan to fight but not in the SCA, I am thinking Markland because I don't care much for how the SCA armor or fighting looks or runs... If I ever do the SCA I'll just get boiled leather armor and will put the mail OVER it so it's hidden, and i'll wear either a transitional or great helm cause I don't care for grilled helmets...

[Sir Wolf]

. I thought they had splinted armor in the Viking age though.

well no not really viking. it's more pre-viking like Vandal or Saxon cultures that had them in the 6-7th centuries if I'm not mistaken. and they are more like long metal stripes with possibly no leather backing other than a connecting strap. (this is a widely accepted configuration of the found pieces anyways) they think it was on forearm and chin type armour

[SirNathanQ]

Yeah. Splinted was before the Viking period. It's really chic for vendel though 
Anyway, sounds like a cool look.
Geez, will I be the ONLY guy not sporting a great helm or shield at our get togethers?   

[Sir James A]

Yeah. Splinted was before the Viking period. It's really chic for vendel though 
Anyway, sounds like a cool look.
Geez, will I be the ONLY guy not sporting a great helm or shield at our get togethers?   

LOL, no, I have a late-era gothic white harness and a 15th/16th-ish field plate one as well.

[Sir Wolf]

ha, depends on what i'm in the mood for that day as to what kit i'm gonna use hmmm maybe a lime painted nekked pict? heheheh jkjk

[Sir Matthew]

Don't worry Sir Nathan, I don't have a great helm either. I do have two shields and plan to make two more this year, though.

[Sir Brian]

ha, depends on what i'm in the mood for that day as to what kit i'm gonna use hmmm maybe a lime painted nekked pict? heheheh jkjk

Well you could pull it off now that you lost all that weight! 

[Sir William]

Yeah. Splinted was before the Viking period. It's really chic for vendel though 
Anyway, sounds like a cool look.
Geez, will I be the ONLY guy not sporting a great helm or shield at our get togethers?   

That is a possibility Sir Nathan...although I might be in the same boat since I'm doing a later period kit.  Sort of.  No greathelm or shield with this one yet.