i'm going to place an order with my old roommate. just wanted to know what was the standard procedure when contacting "peter"? and how capable are they on producing something from a pic?

i want to commision a "Coventry Helm" and am currious if they can deliver.

thanks,

daniel

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Db

1) Download/print their measurements page and take all of your measurements.

2) Do all measurements in centimeters and make sure you tell them that you are using centimeters (CM).

3) Remember, they do not speak english. So writing slower doesn't help them understand it any better!

But they are learning and trying. Use only simple sentences. No fancy words, conjunctions, etc. And I keep my sentences apart. I'm not sure it matters as much now, but when we first started ordering from them, I would write my simple email in english, put a dashed line under it, and then I would write a customized, simple german translation of the same thing. I think that helped as they were originally using a rough translator program.
4) Payment is best done by international bank wire to their account. Most big banks can do this. But you have to accept your bank's exchange rate. Plus the extra service fee. Fleet charges a hefty $15 a transaction but for me it's very easy/convinient to do. I'd have to look up the last exchange rate from 2 weeks ago but it was about 29CZK to 1USD. (Remember the bank charges you a little through the exchange to make money.)

5) I can't speak for all US orders. But in the past, and for us since we've ordered a number of things from them, you order now and pay later when it's done and almost ready to be shipped. Usually they have sent me a picture of the item completed. I think this is great trust by them and rare from armourers so let's not let them down by delaying payment when they ask for it!

thanks for the info. how about the liners? i've been able to make "historical" liners before out of linen and tow. can i get them to just rivet a leather band onto the helm for me to later sew a liner into them? or would it just be easier if i ask them to pierce the bowl and provide rivets for me to do the riveting and liner? plus, what about their chin straps? i can't remember if it was bestarmour or lutel who's buckles where so-so.

the pieces that we are looking to order are:

SS2.1
SS4.2

plus,

NL1.5

on the SS2.1 it doesn't exactly match the profile of the sallet from conventry, which i'm hoping for them to match. any comments on these pieces?

thanks

daniel

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Db

I didn't have access to a confuser las night, and I have to leave for work. I'll make all sorts of commentary when I get home.

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Bob needs to describe the liner. However the biggest weakness in their helmets is the liner strapping. Some models they offer are closer in historical shape and design than others. So you have to choose wisely.

After receiving the first helmet, Bob decided to have them just mount the leather rim without a modern type X adjustment inside and that way you can whip stitch the linen liner in place (which hides the leather rim).

This is the first one we received which came with a modern X liner which I will eventually remove and replace with a more appropriate stuffed linen liner.

OK, well, that isn't a very good copy of the Coventry sallet, as you are aware. That said, the second sallet you have linked to was made for us going by a photograph of a piece in the Metropolitan Museums reserve collection, and it is not a bad copy of that particular sallet at all. The more photos they have, the closer they can get. The caveat though is the simpler and clearer the lines of the original, the more closely they will be able to copy it - witness their visored barbute vs. the original in the Musee l'Armee recently discussed. They were able to nail the Flemish open sallet as it is a simpler piece.

If you can get them good photographs of the Coventry Sallet, from *several* angles, they can probably make you somthing reasonably resembling it (more so than the current sallet on their site), although the problem areas for them will be nailing the skull bulge at the rear of the bowl. I don't think at this time they can exactly duplicate the original for you - I'd go to Mac or Jeff for a very close copy.

The sallet you first linked to however has parallels in Franco-Flemish art, and is not unbelievable as a sallet - it's just bad as being an exact copy of what you and I think it is based on.

I'd difference the second sallet you linked to in some small way if playing with us is a consideration, as an exact copy would look a little odd in the same small unit.

What we do is sew up our own liners, and have them only attatch the leather band, and then sew the liners into place.

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as far as the "coventry" helm, i don't mind the lines too much, so if it does pass mustard, i may just get it. however i am going to try to get some pictures for them. i've got a good profile and 3/4 view. but i can't find any good front view. any help out there?

how about the eye slot? should it be a smaller opening? i remember reading somewhere how that is one of the complaints about modern reproductions.

one last thing, do y'all know if they speak russian? i know plenty of people who speak russian not many who speak german.

thanks again.

daniel

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Db

Best Regards

They look like something a Reiver might wear.
I like what I see of their work. Anyone care to comment on the clai that its "Real". As in real or just costume? Thanks.

I moght have to ask Sebastian for assistance. My German is so rusty. It is on the bottom of a well with rocks on it.
Thanks,

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For Fleet Bank (New England) as of 2/18/03...

They offered a direct bank wire exchange rate of .03528 USD for 1 CZK.

For those without their calculator,
this converts to an exchange rate of 28.34 CZK for 1 USD.

For quick thinking, it's about $175 per 5000 CZK.

Add to that Fleet's $15 transaction fee for sending foreign funds.

Those Burgonets you are looking at are very nice interpretations of the originals, they are some of the best reproductions of these particular types of helmets I have seen (barring James Gillasepies and Macs - I don;t think I remember Jeff having done a burgonet, but that would be a grade above as well) You certainoly won't get that quality at that pr9ice elsewhere - were I you, and wanted to do a 1560's reiver, I would nab the top one in a minute.

I would say they are 'real' in the sense that they are about as thick as an original, with the same weight. Of course, the bowls are welded up from a pair of halves, while in the particular examples they are copying were raised (many later burgonets were forge welded together along the crest line though).

They will in no uncertain terms *not* stand up to heavy abuse such as SCA combat, or some of the rebated steel HWMA tournaments - neither would the originals. They would be perfectly servicable for reenactment, reenactment combat, controlled sword work with blunts, and the like.

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I have a 1.5 for 14th century archer. Be EXACT in your head measurements, & wear whatever arming cap you'd wear under the helmet when measuring.

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