ModernChivalry.org
Main => The Armoury => Topic started by: LadyRiona on 2013-06-05, 05:08:31
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So, I think this is the right place to post just an inquiry...if not, sorry! I'm looking to start an armor kit at some point, hopefully in the near future. Any suggestions on sites, people to inquire after, etc?
And if it makes any difference in breastplate shape, I am a female, so armor that works for either sex?
Thanks!
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So, I think this is the right place to post just an inquiry...if not, sorry! I'm looking to start an armor kit at some point, hopefully in the near future. Any suggestions on sites, people to inquire after, etc?
And if it makes any difference in breastplate shape, I am a female, so armor that works for either sex?
Thanks!
Many factors to consider:
1.) Anyone on this forum is good to ask about armor, weapons, etc options. Wealth of experience & knowledge on many topics amongst many of us, each with our own speciality & interests. Ask away & you'll get the answers you seek here. We have a link section for all things related to knightly stuff.
2.) Armor to your interest depends on what you hope to use it for & time period you seek to emulate. Do you want armor to be more time-period authentic or fantasy?? Do you want a kit for fighting or just display at faires?? What do you want your kit to look like & made of?? Do you have any preferences for your persona look or based upon any person specific you idolize?? Lots of things to consider before you spend your money.
3.) Armor for females can be uni-sexed but depends on the type of armor kit you desire & sizing, etc. You have to know what you want first & it makes it easier.
Hope this helps some.
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Armor you say? Pull up a chair, then, 'tis my favorite subject! Let me help you spend your money. :D
As Lord Dane said, historical or fantasy?
Any particular region or time period? Basic style (mail, transitional, plate)?
Generally speaking, historical armor will fit a woman as well as a man, the only difference being in sizing for the arms and legs, but a breastplate/cuirass will, ahem, if there is not a large abundance of upper body tissue, also work for a woman as well as a man. Historically, women fought in a "mens" breastplate many times. From a modern perspective, the fantasy "form fitting" shape is very bad for combat, as it places a solid ridge over the sternum, exactly opposite of historical armor's protection, and makes for easy bone breaking - which is not a good thing.
So on that note, intent of the armor is vital too, both stylistically and material of construction - combat, or non-combat?
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Armor 101.
1. Decide what you'll use it for. (this determines if you need to get historical armor, or overbuilt armor)
2. Resist the temptation to buy crappy armor before you really know what you want.
3. Always develop and purchase good arming CLOTHES before buying any armor at all. (this is really the most important step, without good arming clothes, your armor no matter how perfectly fitted to you, will not function or feel comfortable).
4. If historical accuracy is a concern, select as specific a time period and region as possible to develop your style. (this is most easily done by browsing through books, or looking at historical effigies of actual knights depicted in their harnesses).
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Most importantly, as Sir Ian stated:
Know what you want before you buy it!! Buying poorly made armor or arming gear is a waste of money & better spent on quality stuff. Most of us (if not all) look before we buy as we all have an interest in having a time-authentic (i.e. historical) look to our gear. In fact, most of us enjoy making our own stuff if we have the skills.
Comfort matters but so does price range. Find places that get you best quality for least price. We shop alot here. :) So look for bargains & barter!! Don't be pressured into getting something expensive just because it meets someone else's expectations. (We can give you options & love to help you spend your money. :) :) )
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I went ahead and moved this to the Armoury section of the forum. The "market square" is really more for buying/selling amongst each other. The Armory is where we talk about armor in general. Not a big deal, I'm just keeping organized. :)
Do you know what general time period you're interested in? 13th century is relatively cheap and easy since it's based around mail, for example, whereas a 15th century high-gothic harness would be more expensive and difficult to do.
The good news is that historically, women tended to wear pretty much the same stuff that men did when it came to armor. The key is to get it sized appropriately to you, which is important anyway.
As an aside, this is a particularly valid point with breastplates. The "fantasy" breastplates that try to have a female shape are not very good from a combat perspective, since it creates a space in the middle that can catch weapons, and can be driven into your ribs/sternum. You actually do want a smooth curvature, without "cups".
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Oh also, when you have an idea of what period you'd like, and style of foundation garments you want (and I realize we're just starting to talk about it, so you're not there yet), someone you might want to talk to is Jess Finley at Fuhlen Designs (http://fuhlendesigns.com/) (that's her sewing business). She does historical combat, makes arming clothes, and is really good at both. And she's super friendly and enthusiastic too.
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I went ahead and moved this to the Armoury section of the forum. The "market square" is really more for buying/selling amongst each other. The Armory is where we talk about armor in general. Not a big deal, I'm just keeping organized. :)
Do you know what general time period you're interested in? 13th century is relatively cheap and easy since it's based around mail, for example, whereas a 15th century high-gothic harness would be more expensive and difficult to do.
The good news is that historically, women tended to wear pretty much the same stuff that men did when it came to armor. The key is to get it sized appropriately to you, which is important anyway.
As an aside, this is a particularly valid point with breastplates. The "fantasy" breastplates that try to have a female shape are not very good from a combat perspective, since it creates a space in the middle that can catch weapons, and can be driven into your ribs/sternum. You actually do want a smooth curvature, without "cups".
That's true...as cool as they look and I think we'd all agree, it'd look really cool, it isn't necessarily safe or period. So far as I know about periodicity for its own sake.
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Firstly, thank you Ed, for moving the topic to it's proper place!
Secondly, thanks everyone for the info so far!
As far as the shape of the breastplate...I always thought it was silly for it to have the cups, it kind of made me think, "Hey, perfect targets." So the smooth look of the breastplate it what I was looking for.
I've always loved the medieval style of everything, regular clothing, armor, etc. So that is the historical era I'll be looking at. Seeing as I want to be in the rough and tumble portion of it, I'm looking for a fight kit.
More importantly, I want a historical authentic kit, not a fantasy kit. I'm a renaissance reenactor, so "historical" is bludgeoned into my brain.
But as Ian mentioned, arming clothes are super important. I sew my own garb...do you guys know of any places that give instruction for making ones own arming clothes? Or should I talk to Jess Finley? (Thank you for the link, Ed.)
Also, as far as cost goes, I'm not looking for super expensive pieces, just basic, sturdy stuff. If any armorers are willing to work with me, that'd be great.
Thanks again everyone! This is all very exciting.
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I made my own arming garment appropriate from about 1350-1415 or so, with the 1415 being a stretch (maybe for a poor knight or as a hand-me-down to a man-at-arms).
http://modernchivalry.org/forum/index.php/topic,2516.0.html (http://modernchivalry.org/forum/index.php/topic,2516.0.html)
That pattern is available on lulu.com and if you're already experienced with sewing, it shouldn't be very difficult for you.
I would highly recommend you try to narrow your focus to at the widest, a 25-30 year span of time so that we can more appropriately help you. Give me a few minutes and I will try to post representative knightly harnesses from various eras.
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Quick armor evolution primer
Short maille cotte transitions in to long maille hauberk by the 12th century, maille dominates armor until about 1300. Bits of plate (particularly elbows and knees) are worn over the full maille harness. By the mid 14th century, Coats of Plate (small plates sewn or riveted to a fabric shell) protect the torso, legs are protected by steel, arms are protected by steel. By the end of the 14th century we almost have complete coverage of armor. 15th Century armor is virtually full protection head to toe, including a cuirass (full breast and backplate). 16th century armor literally is full coverage, almost no gaps. Then armor starts to shrink again as firearms become the dominant weapon on the battle field.
And of course in addition to armor changing, so are the arming garments beneath the harness.
These images are by no means the end-all be-all of what a harness was in that period, but it will give you an idea to help you narrow your focus to something manageable. My personal taste is to make a harness as authentic as budgets allow. I'm partial to the 14th century, and that's where most of my knowledge lies.
1066:
(http://www.medievalrepro.com/Images/normfull.JPG)
12th Century Crusader
(http://www.medievalrepro.com/Images/crusader.JPG)
13th Century Knight
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/p480x480/404706_163684377102922_1066783387_n.jpg)
Turn of the 14th Century
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8130567243_3f265ef334_z.jpg)
Mid 14th Century
(http://www.medievalrepro.com/Images/tranfull.JPG)
Late 14th Century
(http://www.medievalrepro.com/Images/Hounskull%20Armour%20002edit.jpg)
Early 15th Century
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Nephtys/Medieval%20European%20Armour/Knight_c_1425.jpg)
Late 15th Century German Style
(http://www.medievalrepro.com/Images/Armour%20History%20031.jpg)
Late 15th Century Italian Style
(http://www.wassonartistry.com/images/armor/late15thcent/IMG_0041.JPG)
16th Century
(http://britishbattles.homestead.com/files/europe/centraleurope/TRANS_dismounted_renaissance_knight_in_Maximilian_armour.gif)
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On thing to help you keep perspective. That first knight is separated in time from the last night by close to 500 years. That's about how far you are separated from that last night in time as well.
Once you narrow down the general timeframe you're interested in, the next step is the research part. One of the ideal resources to get started is this website:
http://effigiesandbrasses.com/monuments/ (http://effigiesandbrasses.com/monuments/)
Enter in a search string of years you're interested in, select 'martial' under costume and begin to look at all the dead knights of that era and see what they were wearing. This is basically how we justify selections for our kits. If it's not documented in that period on an effigy or in artwork, it's probably not a good idea to use in Living History. You should also narrow down a region (which can be done on that same website), because it will change the look of your kit. A German Knight of 1365 looks very different from his English counterpart.
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I can't emphasize enough what Sir Ian has already stated:
1) undergarments are crucial!! I can't believe how well I move and how comfortable I am now that I have proper braies (underpants like overgrown boxer shorts), hose, and a muslin shirt underneath my crusader kit.
1A) padded undergarments - depending on how you're built, you may want to have it custom made for you, I'm one of the ones that doesn't fit the "sizes." Basically I have a broad chest and large arms, but I'm only about 5'7" or so. All of the arms are way too long on a chest that fits me, which makes the elbows intolerable. Also if you're going full plate, the undergarments become more of something to strap the armour too, rather than being armour itself.
2) the periods can drastically increase the costs of getting there. Earlier kits can look amazing, and be had for very little money, if you're crafty and willing to put in the time to make them. It can cost more for a mail hauberk than for full black & white harness made right, or it can cost you about $150 with tools, if you're willing to put in the work.
Effigiesandbrasses.com and manuscriptminiatures.com definitely are great resources. Also if I may be allowed to "toot my own horn" so to speak, I have this http://pinterest.com/tanukidomo/13th-17th-cent-europewma/ (http://pinterest.com/tanukidomo/13th-17th-cent-europewma/) pinterest board. Most are links to other resources, and a lot are extant archaeological examples of the real thing. Take a look around and let us know what period, and pretty much down to a couple of decades, we can help get you there!
YIS
B. Patricius
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Somebody you might have seen at VARF 2 weekends ago is Jeff Wasson's wife (whose name I don't know)
(http://www.wassonartistry.com/images/armor/15thcent/IMG_2259.JPG)
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Stacy
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She was the one I was looking for to show her as well. Awesome work on that kit.
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Well hello there. Now that is sexy. :) Woman in plate armor. What more do you need??
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Also Sir Mari & Sir Raoukin would be happy to help. Both are KSCA.
Sir Mari won a SCA royal tourney last year.
Interview #1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZAPs6uFads#ws)
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Well hello there. Now that is sexy. :) Woman in plate armor. What more do you need??
http://pinterest.com/jamesanderson3/armor-women/ (http://pinterest.com/jamesanderson3/armor-women/)
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Well hello there. Now that is sexy. :) Woman in plate armor. What more do you need??
http://pinterest.com/jamesanderson3/armor-women/ (http://pinterest.com/jamesanderson3/armor-women/)
more women in plate armor :D and proud to be his one follower lol
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http://pinterest.com/jamesanderson3/armor-women/ (http://pinterest.com/jamesanderson3/armor-women/)
Those are some really nicely done pictures. Good inspiration!
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Just an additional thought, coming from the Forum Admin rather than "me" :)
Please be careful everyone, not to cross the line into objectifying/ogling with regards to "female armor". It's a widespread problem in many of the "geekier" areas of interest, and it tends to keep a lot of women from participating.
As an example, here's a recent article regarding costuming at Balticon:
http://io9.com/slut-shaming-and-concern-trolling-in-geek-culture-511721655 (http://io9.com/slut-shaming-and-concern-trolling-in-geek-culture-511721655)
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Good point Sir Edward! :o
I continually try to remind myself how without having tone or other intonations it's hard to see what someone might mean when they post a reply.
I'm always excited just to see women that fight. It's a sad truth, but it does seem to be more typecasted or worse, stereotyped and prejudiced into being a "man's world." I just always admire the women that do come out, strap up, and learn. Two of the best combatants I've ever known were women, they knew their limits due to their lack of height, not their sex, and used it always to their advantage. My friend's wife, likes to sit back and take an aggressive defensive approach, letting her opponent make the mistakes and then always exploited them. She is definitely a good one to fight to learn where my weaknesses are. The other, she was only about 5 feet tall and 100 lbs in full gear, she fought aggressively when required to fight, and was always the first to react. Most guys twice her size never knew what hit them.
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Indeed, good point Sir Edward, and thank you.
While I do want to eventually work up to having a full plate kit, I feel like right now I should just start with something a little different. I spoke with Sir Edward today at VARF about it. What I was thinking was a chain maille shirt, then some plate for around my shoulders and down my main arm, then some on my left, and of course some leg protection. Sort of like Morgause's (http://"http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg6jacZsNt1qghibio1_500.jpg") from Merlin (though I'm honestly sort of thinking closer along the lines of Arthur's (http://"http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30600000/Arthur-merlin-on-bbc-30656199-1707-2560.jpg")).
While I did find I liked a few of the effigies from the mid to late 14th century, I'm still looking through them.
Also, swords are an important part of the ensemble as well, so if anyone has recommendations on longswords (so I don't end up with a crappy one), that'd be great.
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LadyRiona,
If you want decent quality steel with some historical accuracy (at a reasonable price), try kultofathena.com. Albion & A&A is top of the line, DarkSwordArmory is a reasonably priced second with good solid construction, & others like Windlass & Valiant Armoury has lower cost facsimile swords that are little better than replicas but solid. Lots of lower priced options there to choose from a vast array of historical periods, cultures, price ranges, steel-makers, etc. Gives you a good start if it helps. I shop there for stuff.
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I'll have a look at those, Lord Dane, thank you!
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I know a lot of the guys in my area who practice with rebated steel weapons appreciate the value in the Hanwei swords for their price, albeit they do take some maintenance down the long road. They also really like Baltimore Knife and Sword - BKS on kultofathena - for their utmost durability. BKS are built like tanks, sound amazing, and look great too, but they are heavy. They are my preferred blade for rebated combat, and they do offer lighter ones now, although I haven't personally been able to work with one of those yet. Yet. ;)
As for live steel, I definitely have to agree with Lord Dane, Albion and Arms and Armour are the best, I've handled a couple of each. I haven't had the privilege yet to work with a Darksword, but for their price, it's realistically going to be my go-to cutting sword. I also enjoy a bit heavier of a weapon anyway.
Try to handle as many as you can before making a purchase, unless one just screams at you begging for purchase. That's how I always work with them, and I always, always try to handle one like the one I'm purchasing before buying, that way I know if I like it or not. It's amazing what one inch farther down of balance or point of percussion can do, same with a slightly smaller grip or different pommel.
However, if there is a weapon I enjoy, because of it's style or presence, and it literally haunts me while I try to come up with reasons not to get it, after purchase I always feel good about it. They may have their inherent issues, I know I have a couple right now that do, but I look at it more like their personality or quirks rather than problems, and still appreciate them. Usually it is those that become my favorites.
For example, I also do Cowboy Action Shooting and am a gun collector. My two favorite guns however, I haven't been able to shoot yet. They just have their little quirks to work out. One needs it's arbor realigned, another needs to be properly tuned as it has a massive weight on the hammer pull. It's okay though, they're still my favorites over my shooters.
It all comes down to what you will enjoy, and what reasons you're looking to purchase the weapon for. Just stay away from rat-tangs, you can spot those sometimes based on the sound when you thwack the hilt or pommel, and the stainless ones. Beyond that, it's all a matter of taste.
I just like most of my weapons as it turns out much like my coffee: thick, mean, and strong. You may prefer more of a cappuccino.
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On the heavy end of steel, Darksword, Del Tin, & BKS are definitely in that class. You may want to try something lighter if you have a smaller stature such as 3lbs or less.
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del tins arent heavy
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del tins arent heavy
They just don't ship sharp, because of Italy's weird laws.
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Mine is almost 5lbs if that is heavy.
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what del tin do you have????? none of mine are that heavy
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what del tin do you have????? none of mine are that heavy
DT2135 Late 13th Century Del Tin
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The advertised weight is 3lbs 2.8 oz, blunt. That's a pretty reasonable weight for that sword.
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http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=DT5159&name=Del+Tin+15th+Century+Infantry+Sword (http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=DT5159&name=Del+Tin+15th+Century+Infantry+Sword) i have this one. its 2 lbs 4 ozs
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I had some work on it... the hilt I kept but replaced the blade w/ Damascus steel. It's much heavier than what it was when I bought it. I'll post the pics with new kit.
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Indeed, good point Sir Edward, and thank you.
While I do want to eventually work up to having a full plate kit, I feel like right now I should just start with something a little different. I spoke with Sir Edward today at VARF about it. What I was thinking was a chain maille shirt, then some plate for around my shoulders and down my main arm, then some on my left, and of course some leg protection. Sort of like Morgause's (http://"http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg6jacZsNt1qghibio1_500.jpg") from Merlin (though I'm honestly sort of thinking closer along the lines of Arthur's (http://"http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30600000/Arthur-merlin-on-bbc-30656199-1707-2560.jpg")).
While I did find I liked a few of the effigies from the mid to late 14th century, I'm still looking through them.
Also, swords are an important part of the ensemble as well, so if anyone has recommendations on longswords (so I don't end up with a crappy one), that'd be great.
IceFalcon.com has a sale on mail shirts right now. It would be a good start.
I had some work on it... the hilt I kept but replaced the blade w/ Damascus steel. It's much heavier than what it was when I bought it. I'll post the pics with new kit.
It's not the out of the box weight, so it's not a very good comparison. Standard weight for Del Tins is fine, yours is heavier, but if you're happy with it that's what counts.
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Del Tins have a reputation for being a little heavy in feel... that is, blade-heavy. It's more a balance detail than actual weight.
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Arming clothes aside, because I can make those myself, I think a hauberk will be my first purchase, when I can afford one. This might be a silly question, but what is recommended: steel or titanium? Does it just depend on affordability, or does it affect how it functions/lasts/etc? And I know that aluminum is one of those "appearances only" materials.
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Titanium is a very strong and very light, however it's not only expensive but has no historical precedent whatsoever. It might as well by made of kryptonite if historical accuracy is an interest. If that's not a concern, Ti has a lot of the strengths and appearance of steel, but the weight of aluminum. Maille in period would have been made from drawn iron wire, so steel is the best we can do nowadays.
I would strongly encourage tackling arming garments first. Everything else must be sized to you in padded garments, or you will be doing a lot of re-purchasing. This is a mistake a lot of us have made, because the desire to buy armor is a lot more exciting than the parts you can't see underneath it, but please take our advice on this.
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More importantly, I want a historical authentic kit, not a fantasy kit. I'm a renaissance reenactor, so "historical" is bludgeoned into my brain.
What I was thinking was a chain maille shirt, then some plate for around my shoulders and down my main arm, then some on my left, and of course some leg protection. Sort of like Morgause's (http://"http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg6jacZsNt1qghibio1_500.jpg") from Merlin (though I'm honestly sort of thinking closer along the lines of Arthur's (http://"http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30600000/Arthur-merlin-on-bbc-30656199-1707-2560.jpg")).
Also, please understand that these two statements are in direct conflict with one another. I'm a huge Merlin fan, but nothing they wear in that show is close to any historical armor. What Bradley James (Arthur) is wearing has no precedent in history. It's very much fantasy armor. Building a fantasy kit can be just as rewarding as a historically based kit, but know that both Arthur and Morgause's armor would be much more at home in a D&D campaign than a medieval battlefield. A fantasy based kit will be easier to make because it's only limited by aesthetics and creativity, and if that's the direction you want to go we're all here to help, but if you prefer a historically based kit, then we can also advise you very well with that. Just go in to a historical kit with the understanding that there do exist some limitations as to what goes with what, and depending on how accurate you want to go, things change over 20 year time frames and from country to country. That being said, when you get a good historically based kit done well, it's very rewarding in my opinion.
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Sir Ian covered titanium and the historical/fantasy aspect very well. You can also do a "garniture" and have swappable pieces to do "Merlin" or "historical" by having period matching legs/arms/spaulders and a separate "fantasy" set while still using the same arming clothes, mail, etc.
The only thing I have to add is that while I always suggest arming clothes before armor, mail is the one exception I make on that, simply because it's a "small/medium/large" purchase by standard sizing and isn't going to be specifically custom fit or tailored like proper plate would be. edit: Exception being if you're right at the edge of the size limits on it, in which case, remember it's easier to remove rings than to add
Small note, a "hauberk" is a full-sleeved shirt that will go to roughly your knees. A haubergeon will go to about mid-thigh, and is a half-sleeve (short sleeve) item. In the picture below, it's a haubergeon:
(http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/27600000/Aithusa-Arthur-merlin-on-bbc-27615287-2560-1707.jpg)
Edit: Seems the image broke now. Try this: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/merlin-on-bbc/images/27615287/title/aithusa-arthur-photo?ir=true (http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/merlin-on-bbc/images/27615287/title/aithusa-arthur-photo?ir=true)
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I would strongly encourage tackling arming garments first. Everything else must be sized to you in padded garments, or you will be doing a lot of re-purchasing. This is a mistake a lot of us have made, because the desire to buy armor is a lot more exciting than the parts you can't see underneath it, but please take our advice on this.
Absolutely! Sir Ian's advice is an echo of my numerous bad purchases of finding the 'perfect' gambeson! I could have purchased several nice pieces of plate armor or another Albion with all the money I wasted on inadequate or dead-end gambesons. Also bear in mind that as a foundation for your armor you can very easily build upon your arming clothes with some very cool and historically accurate pieces such as Jack Chains.
(http://www.woodsarmoury.com/images/armour/harness-jack-chains02.jpg)
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Sir Ian covered titanium and the historical/fantasy aspect very well. You can also do a "garniture" and have swappable pieces to do "Merlin" or "historical" by having period matching legs/arms/spaulders and a separate "fantasy" set while still using the same arming clothes, mail, etc.
The only thing I have to add is that while I always suggest arming clothes before armor, mail is the one exception I make on that, simply because it's a "small/medium/large" purchase by standard sizing and isn't going to be specifically custom fit or tailored like proper plate would be. edit: Exception being if you're right at the edge of the size limits on it, in which case, remember it's easier to remove rings than to add
Small note, a "hauberk" is a full-sleeved shirt that will go to roughly your knees. A haubergeon will go to about mid-thigh, and is a half-sleeve (short sleeve) item. In the picture below, it's a haubergeon:
(http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/27600000/Aithusa-Arthur-merlin-on-bbc-27615287-2560-1707.jpg)
lol you know i always wanted to do that armoured picture like the tv show.
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Also,
if you need any help at all with the foundation garments, let me re-iterate some advice, some of which I know has already been said:
depending on the period you wish to represent will depend on how these garments are made.
either they can be armor in and of themselves like mine, or they can be little more than something to hold your armor on to.
For example, my kit is an "earlier period" representation. I'm an early 13th century Knights Templar. This picture is from Osprey publishing on the Knights Hospitalier, but the kit is very similar minus the color of robe and cross:
(http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/0e/af/770eafe8852313a6eccf751542bd209f.jpg)
For my period, we have basically two padded garments:
aketon underneath the mail (fig6 in the drawing)
and
gambeson over the mail that can be sleeveless (fig9 in the drawing)
For my kit, I have an aketon underneath the mail that's about 1/8" thick and a 1/4" thick gambeson on over my maile. I don't have my mail done yet, but I was able to borrow a friends to make sure the gambeson fit. Silly me, like others here that was actually the first garment I made, and it was made way too large. Basically my first "aketon" became my gambeson.
Also, my soft armor is made out of pure cotton, with cotton batting, and machine stitched. I fight in it, and I sweat in it ALOT. So I wanted it machine washable.
My aketon has 1" channels for more stiffness
My gambeson has 2" channels and two layers of batting for more loft. I made all the patterns myself to me. If you need or want help with this I can help out if you'd like.
Beyond these garments, with the inventions of more plate, it evolved into the "pourpoint" like Sir Ian has, that "Tailoress" over on the armourarchive has made a beautiful pattern for. This is more a 14th century period garment, think 100 Years War, "Cantebury Tales," "A Knights Tale," the Black Prince Edward, etc etc.
Beyond this garment, it really became more of something just to point your armour too with little or no padding within it. This is far beyond my researched time period and something I know little about. However, there are plenty of us here that do know this very well. THIS is the period of the "Knight in Shining Armour" and a ton of plate everywhere, like in Sir James' Avatar.
I hope this helped some for your padded garments. And like everyone else has said, this really can define the rest of your kit, and make it far more comfortable and forgiving, or miserable to wear.
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Well the first thing I did was get my surcoat. This really is the base point of any kit in my opinion.
I guess it would be good to start with under padding and garments first, but my opinion would be to get gloves and boots as a start. then as you get each peace of armor get the padding that would go with it. When you get a helmet or mail coif get an arming cap. if you get a mail hauberk get a gambeson. although those will be 2 of 3 of the most expensive items in the kit. im sure you have belts at home. until you can get the proper belt just get any medieval looking belt and when you get a sword get a sword frog with it.
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I will tell you, Sir Nathan- and I'm sure others will back me on this, but your foundation garments are key. If they don't fit well, pretty much nothing else will since all of your measurements will stem from when you're wearing your undergarments. Seeing as you're still very young and new at the game, you may decide to make your way as many of us did- going with off the rack options for the sake of saving money; this isn't a hobby for the faint of heart or wallet!
Now, if you are so inclined you could consider making your own garments- thereby saving yourself a good deal of money by making your gambeson, tunic and pants, surcoat among other things that are textile in origin. I'm lazy, I'd rather buy it than make it but others, like Sirs Edward and Nathan seem to also be blessed with seamstress skills as they've made things that are way out of the realm of possibility for the likes of me; if you're like them then it is something to consider. The beauty of this game is that most of the players want to see others get to where they are so there's all sorts of patterns out there for clothing and other garment products as well as shields, armor and the like. Its always fun to try your hand at new stuff (unless you dislike that sort of thing then it isn't) and of course, feel free to ask questions...for how else are you to learn?
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I will tell you, Sir Nathan- and I'm sure others will back me on this, but your foundation garments are key. If they don't fit well, pretty much nothing else will since all of your measurements will stem from when you're wearing your undergarments. Seeing as you're still very young and new at the game, you may decide to make your way as many of us did- going with off the rack options for the sake of saving money; this isn't a hobby for the faint of heart or wallet!
Now, if you are so inclined you could consider making your own garments- thereby saving yourself a good deal of money by making your gambeson, tunic and pants, surcoat among other things that are textile in origin. I'm lazy, I'd rather buy it than make it but others, like Sirs Edward and Nathan seem to also be blessed with seamstress skills as they've made things that are way out of the realm of possibility for the likes of me; if you're like them then it is something to consider. The beauty of this game is that most of the players want to see others get to where they are so there's all sorts of patterns out there for clothing and other garment products as well as shields, armor and the like. Its always fun to try your hand at new stuff (unless you dislike that sort of thing then it isn't) and of course, feel free to ask questions...for how else are you to learn?
QFT the whole shebang. That's how I learned. Heck, I made my templar fighting habit, with room to spare and I'm still worried everything will fit underneath it. Surcoats come last, after all the kit that goes underneath. As far as I'm concerned, to have an accurate portrayal, one needs to be sweating and be padded up, particularly for the earlier portrayals. Chain stops cuts, gambesons stop blunt force. Combined, they worked well for nigh almost a thousand years if not more.