Class Handouts

Below are the PDFs of handouts for my classes. I will be adding to this post as handouts are created. (Not all classes will have handouts).

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Class Handouts

Leathercare 101: Basic leather care for armour, garb, and more. Cleaning, conditioning, and basic evaluation.

Leathercare 102: Problem Solving, Stitching Leather, and more.

On Avoiding Overheating on the List Field

I've had a bit of 'fun' with overheating, from being raised in colder climes and fighting in coastal SE Virginia - so, hot and HUMID. Temperatures of 90'f or higher, with humidity of 70-100%, is not unusual for our summers. We had one month in 2017 which was about 110'f and high humidity (at least, that is how I remember it!). Plus my local practices tend to be in the afternoon, in full sun.

So, here's what I do to reduce the chances of overheating:

• Linen fight garb, as much as possible. I am trying to only wear cotton when I'm fighting in the  cold.  For me, that is not more than 40'f. Probably in the 20s and 30s.
• Vent the armpits of shirts, brigs, etc.
• I have put a linen pad (a linen tube stuffed with shredded linen) in my gorget instead of the foam that used to be there and that has helped a lot.
• I changed the arrangement of padding in my helm so that it has air channels in it.
• I use a linen headscarf. The headscarf will often get soaked in cold water & wrung out while I'm wearing it on hot days. I'll also wipe off my face and neck with it, which helps me cool off a bit. 
• My armour is a combination of linen and leather, in addition to the metal. My chest armour is linen, my cuisses/thigh armour will likely be made out of linen at the next upgrade. 
• I take breaks whenever I need to. It can take months or years to correct the tendency to overheat - IF it can be corrected. I've been told there are no promises on that, but the best way is to not keep overheating.

Staying hydrated and in good condition helps.

Conditioning - the better condition you are in, the better your body can deal with the heat. 

Hydration - I'm not talking just Gatorade and water. Nuun Tablets work great for me. I eat pickles, and I will sometimes drink the pickle juice. I will also eat salty things and make sure I can taste the salt. If I can't, then my salt is deficient and I need to eat more to correct that.

I start making sure I'm fully hydrated several days before the planned fighting. The morning of the event, I start off drinking the Nuun tablets unless they taste like chalk (if they taste like chalk, it means I don't need the electrolytes.). I also make sure I have plenty of water at hand. My kit now includes the tablets and two water bottles that are marked as mine. They have straws, can be squirted, and the tops lock shut for transport. This is for the events where there is no waterbearing set up, and also just for keeping up with drinking electrolytes.

Here are some other ideas that I have seen: 

• Foam padding will retain heat. Use wool or linen instead.
• Use light colors. Simple as it sounds, this can help a lot. 
• Some helms have better airflow than others. It's something to look into. 

I hope this information helps!

Resources: Making Armour

Period Patterns 101:  Medieval Military Garments: Includes 3 gambesons, two with optional pockets for plates inside the skirt; 4 surcoats (including a cyclas); 3 hose; 1 codpiece, 1 cuisse (thigh protection), a renal belt with pockets for plates to protect the kidneys, and a swordbelt, in sizes S-XL. verified 5/14/2018

Period Patterns 102: More Medieval Military Garments: Includes patterns for 2 coats of plates, 1 globose-breasted lentner (gambeson), 1 globose-breasted angel-wing tunic (with or without dags on the sleeves), 3 padded coifs and 1 gorget (neck protection). verified 5/14/2018

For fabric, if you will be using linen I suggest using a 7oz or heavier fabric. I've heard that the 5.3oz will wear out in a year or so; when I have used 7.1oz linen, it lasted for 3 years on my brig. Most problems that I had were from holes being rubbed through the fabric, rather than the fabric itself simply wearing out.

Jack of Plate (aka, a brig with the armour sewn instead of riveted) (Wiki link) verified 5/14/2018

Helmet Padding: Military helmet padding. I am not specifically endorsing this; however, I know a lot of folk that use it.  verified 5/14/2018

Making Brigandine Leg Armor - Brynn Tannahill, Atlantia. verified 5/14/2018 

Modar University, Armour page. Barony of Forgotten Sea of Calontir. verified 5/14/2018
Their new 'Articles & How-To' page is here. They have gobs of information - Archery, A&S, Cooking, and more. Looks like the armouring articles may be different as well, so check both.

MIA/Verify: Building your Own Armour, and other articles; via The Principality of Insulae Draconis.
 

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Youth Combat: by Arianna of Wynthrope, OL, OP, Kingdom of AEthelmaerc. Please note, this has not been updated since 2014 - so please check the information against the current rules! The author has over 10 years experience with youth fighters, and the site has information on making both weapons and armour. verified 5/14/2018

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Note: Links to stores below are to the main page, not the specific item. 

Shield Edging: PVC, low profile, aka 'Trim-Loc' and 'the stuff they use on car doors' (Yes, I have heard it called that). Available at Windrose Armoury; Munitions Grade Arms; McMaster Carr

SS Slimline Basket hilt, 1.5#s,  Windrose Armoury.

Leather sources:

Springfield Leather: Family owned and operated leather supply store located in the USA. They do carry sole leather, which is armour weight. They also sell tools, beads, hand-painted feathers, exotic leathers... Their catalog is pa ked full, and half an inch thick. I have ordered from them, and the customer service was excellent.  

Brettun Leather: Leather supply store based in Maine. From their website : "We buy our leather and other products from leather goods manufacturers and tanneries throughout New England and around the world, and help them reduce excess inventory.  We also help them avoid sending good leather to the landfill.  The end result is that we are able to offer high quality leather and craft items to you at low prices." They also offer free shipping to the contiguous 48 states, and do their best to offer it to customers in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Territories.  They also sell supplies to restore and repair steamer trunks, and have information on restoring them as well.

Adjustable C-belt Pattern

This is a pattern created from the belt I have been fighting in for the last 4 years. The pattern for it came from a friend who had moved here in from the East Kingdom. It has been flexible for sizing and comfortable. It has fit me from a jeans size 9 through 16, by relacing the back. Relacing does not seem to have affected how the cuisses are hung.

You can add thin (¼"-⅛") padding inside the leather if desired, just leave about 1" of leather around the padding.

ETA: For the center back (pg 5 on the PDF), you may need a slightly different shape. I helped a friend make this from the pattern and we found out that her center back needs to be slanted on the sides, and the top & bottom were fine as-is.

What we did to get the new shape was to cut out the two side pieces and put the lacing holes in each. We ran a lace through the top hole of each one, and another lace through the bottom hole. This had the effect of holding each side even.

She held the two sides in place on her as I stood behind her with the laces. Correct placement of the side pieces is important - the center of the side piece should be in line with the side seam of your pants.

I pulled the laces until the sides were lined up correctly and then tied the laces taunt to hold them there. We took the belt off of her, laid it down on paper with the laces tight between the sides, and used that to draw a pattern for the center back for her. Remember to include the overlap with the sides when you do this!

I welcome any suggestions or comments about the pattern & belt. I am always looking to improve it.

C-belt Pattern

Notes: Lightweight Brigandine

I've been wearing my brigandine for just over a year now. I've had to take out rivets, remove a couple plates, add other plates, reattach straps, and wash it.

I have learned that:

• The brigandine is light enough that a blow can brush it nicely out of the way. I learned very quickly to put it on underneath my C-belt, so that it was prevented from moving like that. Doing so also meant I was able to remove the bottom pair of chest plates on the front, as they were now under the belt and it made armouring up more difficult - definitely not something I wanted.
• The spine plates flip up seemingly every time I put it on. This is annoying and needs to be designed out of the next one. On this one, I should be able to drill holes in the lower corners and sew (not rivet) them to the fabric, with the stitches going out to the side so they can still crush down. 
• Taking out rivets is a lovely way to rip holes in the linen. I'm sure drilling them out contributes, but that's how I was able to get them out. 
• The straps need to be level and on top of the chest plates; this helps prevent them from warping the rivets.
• If using dyed leather for the straps, be aware it will bleed when water is applied (from sweating in it, or from attempting to wash out said sweat).
• Since this one doesn't wash well (see above) I have been generous with fresh air, Febreeze, and sunlight. It seems to be working, as it doesn't smell.
• On the next one I need to make sure I shape the chest plates. I didn't do it on this one, and I do think it would look better if I had.

I do plan on making another one and applying what I have learned here. Overall, I am quite happy with it.