Look, from Charles Ffoulkes book "The Armourer and his Craft from the XIth to XVIth Century" I've got (quotes where I'm not paraphrasing for brevity):

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"Cotes faitices de coton a pointz entaillez."
-Guiart in "Chronicles", early 14th Century.

Pitt-River Museum, Oxford:
....pair of culottes or drawers lined with thin husks of steel, and also two sets of rose-pink silk doublets, breast, back and fald padded with cotton, -- late 16th Century.

Twenty nine or thirty thicknesses of linen with deerskin on top.

Thirty-one thickness of deerskin. (I REALLY HOPE THIS A TYPO!! TALK ABOUT DEHYDRATION!!)

The jupon of the Black Prince at Canterbury was stuffed with cotton (not linen).

The standard for French tourney armour (1450 AD) was to be folded until it is three fingers thick at the shoulders.

In 1322 AD, new cotton and linen was required to stuff armouring coats.

In 1450 AD, old linen was required to stuff armouring coats.

There were silk armours that were pistol proof.

Coverings include:
Sheps skynne (sheepskins?), silk, deerskin, buckram, leather, fustian, canvas and velvet.

Stuffings include:
cotton, cendal, tow, old rags, bad materials, canvas, old linen, new cotton, seasoned linen, satin and wool soaked in vinegar.

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My questions are:

What is cendal?

What is tow?

When did "eyelet doublets" appear? They are made of twine or thread knitted all over in eyelets or buttonholes. The appearance was said to be much the same as tatting (not tattoos guys!!) or macramé' work. When did these first appear? It sounds like it would have been slightly ventilated.

What is fustian?

What is buckram?

How do I make an armouring coat to go with a 1500 Italian suit?

Thank you for all your help,

Aaron

-Thanks again,

Aaron

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-Aaron Miaullis, SCAer with Authenticity Leanings (yes, it's not an oxymoron... :)maybe...)

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Ffolkes and many others confuse the two types of fabric constructions - fabric defensive armours, which by their nature are many layers thick (but cut away at waist and inside elbows, and thicker on front than on back). The place where you see these fabric defenses mentioned as being covered with leather is in Louis XI's ordonnances of 1483. Mostly, you see them described as being covered with presumably a heavier but similar type of fabric.

One thing to keep in mind, there are surviving descriptions of these garments from the 13th - 16th centuries, a good number of illustrations, but very few extant garments. - none from the 13th century, 3 from the 14th century (all of which are debated as to the precise nature of the garment, and one (the Black Princes) being made soley for the purpose of displaying as a funeral achievement. Items are mentioned as being covered with high quality luxury cloth for lords, and this is born out in two of these three cases.

For the 15th century, there is one extant padded jack, badly degreaded, and in the collection of an English church having been apparently a votive offering (although now associated with a burial as a funeral achievement. I have problems believing that one - what lord is going to have a common padded jack as a funeral achievement?).

That is it, an object that there literally had to have been possibly tens if not hundreds of thousands made over the course of that century, and only one survivor.

There is one arming doublet - only one. It is in the Keinbusch collection in Philledelphia, and it has been attributed variously as being from late 15th century to 17th century in date. Gewn & Jeff believe it to be late 16th century at best, and people like Walter Karcheski have tentatively dated it to 'possibly' the late 15th century. Honestly, we don't know for sure, but Gwen has studied clothing and fashion more than 'Chip'.

From the 15th century, we have two descriptions of arming doublets - the two differing "how a man shall be armed" texts - confusingly by fellows with similar names (and jobs), but being over a decade apart. The earlier one describes a sleeveless 'pourpoint', and the more famous later one describes a doublet 'cut full of hoolis' - before you think this a 'buttonhole jacket' (like I did at first), this could well mean holes to carry points. The description of the garment is of having an outer layer of a tough cloth (fustian or buckram), several layers of soft linen, and a lining of 'cendal', as there is no shirt worn under the jacket. Cendal or sendal is a silk fabric - very soft next to the skin. The illustration accompanying the text shows what looks very much like a normal doublet in cut, with patches of mail attatched to the vulnerable points. The doublet is partly open, and the method of closure can't readily be seen. There are two other 15th century pictures of arming doublets I am aware of (and several 16th century ones), one is in a book of hours showing an Archer of the guard of Louis XI's father, wearing this doublet carrying points with cloth or leather re-enforcing along the seams in stripes. Over it he wears his embroidered livery, wears a soft tall hat, and carries a glaive. The other is a Portugese donor portrait with a kneeling doner, the sleeves of his red doublet carrying points and having bits of armour attatched. There is a picture of a tavern scene - not of the same quality as these other two - a typical delightful Franco/Flemish miniature of good quality, showing amongst several people at a table, a fellow wearing an identical grey doublet with those re-enforcing strips in black to the Scots Archer (busily putting away some wine).

More recent information taken from then-extant garments are three arming doublets, ranging from the early (like 1500-1510 early) to mid 16th century that were held in the Royal Armouries in Madrid. A catalog was ordered of the inventory in the late 18th and very early 19th centuries, and these garments that have since decayed were recorded for posterity. Tellingly, they look nearly identical to the picture in "how a man shall be armed" - plain simple garments with a small standing collar, they closed with points, and they had patches of mail seemingly permanently sewn in place. The quality of the paintings seem to be very good, and match the extant inventory very well. I wish I had the catalog and descriptions contained - but it is a very rare book.

That is pretty much all we have to go on. Every reconstruction existing is a speculative one. You won't go far wrong if you cut the doublet so it is in fashion for the date you are depicting, tailor it so it is snug fitting, and follow the advice given in 'How a man shall be armed", finally comparing your doublet with the pictures I have mentioned. For now, it is the best we can do - unless further documentation or an extant example comes to light.

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You've given me many leads to go on.

Thank you again,

Aaron

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-Aaron Miaullis, SCAer with Authenticity Leanings (yes, it's not an oxymoron... :)maybe...)

Important functional characteristics:

- strong support at arming points
- ventilation
- padding at load-bearing points
- Tight at waist, neck & through lower arms. upper arms should be a little loose and the chest a little looser.

Current model is patterned after the "How a man Schalle be armed" illistration. Material is linen, inside and out, with various layers of linen and wool padding, depending on location. Areas padded to a (compacted) thickness of about 1/2" are the shoulders, upper chest and waist. These places bear the weight of armor. Rest of padding is about 1/4" thick, except for the inside of the elbows, which are 4 linen layers thick.

Next time, I won't use the wool as padding. I wanted it for it's cushioning quality, and it does "breathe" but it probably makes it hotter than necessary. Avoid artificial padding. Also, I would probably reduce the padding in other places to less than 1/4".

It is held closed by ties up the front. I prefer the ties because I like the doublet to be cinched very tight around the waist and a bit loose across the Chest. This has the benefit of acting like a weight-lifting belt & helping the back to bear the weight of the armor.

1/4" butted Mail is sewn at the voids with a stitch through every ring in places where critical. I'm planning on installing riveted in the next one.

The linen of the doublet is wearing rather badly at the points where the cuirass rides at the waist. I'm contemplating adding leather reenforces at those points and having the cuirass adjusted there to make it more comfortable.

A good lining is important. I don't wear a shirt under it, as shirts bunch up. The next doublet will have a silk lining so it chafes less.

I have seen a deerskin covered leather doublet & that seemed to work well structurally, but seemed hotter than mine.

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Knowing the Path, and Walking the Path, are not the same thing.

The photos of the last SCA event I was at, and the tonlet armour I would like to either make, or have made, eventually are at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/miaullis

-Aaron (battle_of_wisby...new e-mail at miaullis@yahoo.com)

[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: Aaron Miaullis ]

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-Aaron Miaullis, SCAer with Authenticity Leanings (yes, it's not an oxymoron... :)maybe...)