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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2009 4:27:53 GMT
A while back, about a year ago, I think, I posted images of my unfinished, 8 yr old helm and my shield. Well, just this evening, I finished my helm and, 9 years after originally commissioning it, I can finally use it for my SCA fighting. What I ordered was based on the Mongolian helms of the period and adjusted to meet SCA requirements. The idea was to get a helm I wouldn't have to wear a gorget with (I HATEHATEHATE those things!). I sprayed it down with flat black Rustoleum, which I fully expect to have to reapply every once in a while. It fits in with my SCA persona being as I am playing the part of a Jin Empire warrior from what would eventually become Manchurian China. Warriors of that area and era tended to lacquer their helms and that's all Rustoleum really is. Next, I had to put in the chinstrap and padding. I went to Windrose Armoury (http://www.windrosearmoury.com/zc) for the foam. Ended up using WAY less than I expected to. For the chinstrap, I used a US Army Kevlar chinstrap. I had to expand the strips of nylon webbing on the ends because it was too short and I couldn't find an effective replacement for the whole thing without starting from scratch with leather straps. I also have these 3/4 Arms that were made for me by Tim Gunter at Red Falcon Armouries (www.redfalconarmouries.com). I just commissioned a pair of 3/4 legs to match from him. As you can see from the marks on the right elbow, these have seen use already. The left elbow used to have a wing, too, but after I found that I couldn't get my shield on over it, I sent it back to have the wing removed.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2009 23:22:16 GMT
In full kit in guard. Note that the body piece is just a temporary piece of temporary armour. I'll take pictures of every step of making my permanent temporary armour... And here's another angle as I move into combat... The legs, sword and demi-gauntlet are still loaner. The demi-gauntlet is in the mail and should be a day or 2 late (the folks I ordered it from turned out to be on vacation, so it wasn't mailed in time to reach me yesterday). The legs I ordered are a couple more weks away (my armourer is backed up for Pennsic orders). And my sword is incomplete because I am trying to shave it down to for siloflex (or however you spell that).
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 3:04:18 GMT
The coffin shield fascinates me. I have not fought against one before. I would love to see some video of you fighting with it.
You don't wear the full arm armor under the shield, right?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 4:05:13 GMT
I don't wear full arm at all. 3/4 from wrist to just above the elbow.
And I do wear it most of the time. It helps build endurance. My shield technique is very energy intensive. Most people hold the elbow in behind the shield, taking a lot of that weight off the arm. I am pointing my elbow out, to extend the bottom of my shield Under my opponent's arm, and taking the full weight of my shield on my arm.
It creates a unique blindness in my opponent's offense and defense. Opening thrusting options for me no one else has and that my opponent can't see coming and cutting off All his leg shots at me and a lot of his wraps. If I can get that shield edge into his armpit, he can't attack at all.
My form is a primarily thrusting offense. Once I learn wraps properly, I'll be genuinely dangerous even to my shire's best fighters.
You can see how my shield is angled better in the last photo. It's tiring, but 1 on 1, it's well worth it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 4:24:51 GMT
I went and fetched this image because it shoes what I'm talking about with those unseeable thrusts just about perfectly. Behan, the guy in blue, can't see my arm below my shoulder. Nor can any other right-handed sword and board fighter. What do you expect, traditionally, from a person whose shoulder is in that position? A low wrap or leg strike. lower shield and twist to block. Easy. What can I do with my shield at that weird angle no one else uses? I can twist at my wrist and thrust low for leg, groin or stomach, or bend my elbow for a sudden face thrust that you're turning into. I believe that that pic was taken just prior to my groin shot. He twisted and dropped from the knees rather than lowering his shield with his arm. So he protected his face but opened lots of room for a good thrust. You can see from the blur that my left foot is stepping into the thrust that I have already decided to throw. It's just a question of which one to throw. He made that decision for me. You can also see from the other blurs that Behan is stepping into and throwing a wrap. But my angled shield caught his hand just as it was rolling for the wrap and he didn't get it off. The problem with this shield technique is that I am More apt to move my shield from the arm rather than move my body or my sword to defend. Better fighters are able to catch my shield out of position despite my greater speed. It's something I'm working on.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 18:59:45 GMT
Any chance of coming to Penssic this summer Taran. I would love to meet you and go up against that coffin shield.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 22:29:43 GMT
I have to convince a marshal at the next event to stay in armour later than usual so I can authorize (the event is the same weekend as my next drill). Otherwise, I'm all for it.
But I'll be there anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2009 4:48:22 GMT
Your armor look good enough to pass inspection. The only thing I can't see clearly is the half-gauntlet and the gorget. Make sure the back of the neck is covered. Looks like the helmet comes down far enough in the back.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2009 14:49:12 GMT
No gorget. The helm is designed to avoid the need for that. And I Despise those things. The half gauntlet, well, it's a half gauntlet, like any other.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2009 2:27:18 GMT
Anyway, seeing as my helm has been described by my fellows in Nithgaard as "Darth Vader's Helmet", I figure I will call my sword, now finished, my "Lightsaber" It also looks like I'll be using a stabby Dao rather than a proper Jian because of the bendin my rattan and silo-flex (sp?)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2009 11:09:25 GMT
That guard looks pretty hefty.
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