I want to do 2 persona, the first being what i shall sart with, a low class man-at-arms, as it doesnt need much specific knowledge (non-fighting group) and wish to becoming a laetherworker.

I think i bets get onot my question now really?

I think im too poor for chainmail, however i can afford alot of linen , wool, and leather. I was wondering, woudl i be able to have a leather gambeson in period, or would it have to be reinforced in areas, or no leather at all except on points?

My current (is slightly deficient) kit:
Shirt, calico , thigh length, no trim.
Hose, woollen. (I still dont know how to attach these damn things, ive pegged then onto either my belt , my underwear or my shirt)
Coif, calico again.
Hat, linen, in the mail.
Vambraces, leather , for archery.
3ft one handed sword (EN45 carbon steel, blunt)
Buckler, mild steel, looking to upgrade to a heater.
Cloak/sleeping blanket, (lined with woollen padding and canvas outer in case of rain, i tend to fold, it on half and wear it over one shoulder)
Lookign to get a decent knee length tunic.(not quite sure how to make one of these, besides ive run out of wool AND linen, bummer.)Might just buy one.
Lookign for some boots.
Belt.
Currently have a folding knife , but wil probably butcher a bayonet blade for the metal and make a bollock, ballock -if filtered- dagger, or most likely take it to someone who wont mess it up.
Going to save up and get a 40lb longbow, but £100 is a lot to shell out in one go.
2 leather purses.
Wooden bowl, wooden goblet, Spoon (not wood, id get pewter but im quite poor).
Gettign a kettle helm off the rack.
If anyone else can tell me about my gambeson thing, and what else i would need it would be great. Some generic items with a few age specific peices would be great, patterns excellent as both me and my mother can sew.

And i dont like horses, fell off a big one when younger and took some nasty damage, always been wary around them since..

Rather a short introductory speech methinks. If im being presumptious feel free to trout-slap me.

[ 07-25-2005: Message edited by: Seth ]

[ 07-25-2005: Message edited by: Seth ]

[ 07-25-2005: Message edited by: Seth ]

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quote:

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My current (is slightly deficient) kit:
Shirt, calico , thigh length, no trim.
Hose, woollen. (I still dont know how to attach these damn things, ive pegged then onto either my belt , my underwear or my shirt)
Coif, calico again.
Hat, linen, in the mail.
Vambraces, leather , for archery.
3ft one handed sword (EN45 carbon steel, blunt)
Buckler, mild steel, looking to upgrade to a heater.
Cloak/sleeping blanket, (lined with woollen padding and canvas outer in case of rain, i tend to fold, it on half and wear it over one shoulder)
Lookign to get a decent knee length tunic.(not quite sure how to make one of these, besides ive run out of wool AND linen, bummer.)Might just buy one.
Lookign for some boots.
Belt.
Currently have a folding knife , but wil probably butcher a bayonet blade for the metal and make a bollock, ballock -if filtered- dagger, or most likely take it to someone who wont mess it up.
Going to save up and get a 40lb longbow, but £100 is a lot to shell out in one go.
2 leather purses.
Wooden bowl, wooden goblet, Spoon (not wood, id get pewter but im quite poor).
Gettign a kettle helm off the rack.
If anyone else can tell me about my gambeson thing, and what else i would need it would be great. Some generic items with a few age specific peices would be great, patterns excellent as both me and my mother can sew.

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for the shirt, change from calico to a linen, an edging isn't neccessary (as far as i know)

The hose are tied on to the doublet with points placed just below the waist.

the coif, again, linen(possibly canvas?) with a tow stuffing for that breathable period feel.

this is all i can help you with as i;m not big on clothing so i don't want to mislead you. Whereabouts in the UK are you? i could help you out wiht a longbow on the cheap I.E below 100 quid.

Knowing what era you wish to recreate helps a great deal as a gambeson is good for the 13th century but not as good for the 15th.

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Most of the stuff worn is either geneic or early medieval to mid. so around 1100-1350-1400 i think. If it does go out of my range of kit, ill get loaners.
My man-at-arms persona is fairly temporary until i get into leatherworking to a better degree, then ill switch over.

Thankyou.

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[ 07-25-2005: Message edited by: Thomas james hayman ]

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TJH, Dom said we had to test drive you before he'd consider letting you join, so you'd better look sharp at Leeds!*

Hi Seth, you don't know me but I've been around a while. Your kit sounds rather all over the place. Do you have a date/period? That's a good place to start when looking for advice. You'll find the people around here can be very helpful if you give them some info to work with.

Gwen

but this is what you want to hear: of course i'll look sharp, i'll be in kit YOU made

[ 07-25-2005: Message edited by: Thomas james hayman ]

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Sorry to hijack the thread, BUT Thomas, are you looking for a "Wars of the Roses" group?

If so I can thoroughly recommend the York City Levy, of which I am a member. We have members in your area (Leeds/Ilkley) and members throughout the North East. I am from Suffolk and deem it worthwhile travelling for the events! This won't interfere with anything that you want to do with destrier, as I KNOW that they are cool with multiple group memberships, as are we.

We portray the soldiers, citizens and artizans from York in the Latter half of the 15th C, and as such have a really good mix of LH crafts as well as military.

We are members of Livery and Maintenance, and as such our kit is of a good standard as laid down by that organisation, but we have spare kit that can be loaned as well if you don't have it all. Our recent events have included a siege at Carlisle Castle, Pilgrimage at Rievaulx Abbey, and a muster at Scarborough castle. I have just come back from a small interpretation of military life at Barley Hall (www.barleyhall.org.uk).

Anyway, if you're interested you can mail me at michaelUNDERSCOREcanforAThotmailDOTcom and I'll do my best to answer any queries.

I'm sure that Vicky, G23b and others can vouch for us on this site

Advert over, back to the discussion!

[ 07-26-2005: Message edited by: Mike ]

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Make sure you understand what period they are representing. Dramatic changes occurred to both material culture and social status during the Middle Ages. If you are to join a serious group, they will be mostly interested in you "fitting in their game"; 1250 leatherworker is fine if that's what the group is looking for, but you would look out of place in "later" groups.

I highly recommand changing all your calico clothes to linen; availability might be an issue, but once you become active in your group, you will regret those items. They do not behave the same way linene ones would, and you'll feel the difference in many nasty ways, especially if you're demonstrating in high temperature...

Your future group is bound to have an authenticity officer, or someone acting as a quartermaster, who can help you getting satisfactory gear from the get go. Consult with these guys, and you will find all the answers you seek. They are litterally the experts from the very group you want to join! Use those ressources.

And as a bonus, long-time members of the group may have extra stuff they would be willing to part with, with little or no expense from your part. You will be amazed how people are willing to help newcomers.

This place is great to ask questions, but you really should consult with your group for any advice regarding kit improvement and possible interpretations.

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Cracking place; I can't think of a better place to re-enact personally!

Thanks Colin!

See you at Huntingdon?

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