Lamellar Armor

[douglais]

Pics of my lamellar armor, based on Byzantine paintings and sculptures. Maybe not a work of art, like so many other items on this forum, but functional, comfortable, and historical. About 300 wax hardened plates in the piece. I didn't make them, but purchased them for $250, then laced them together. No dye, just the natural color of waxed leather. I love wearing this piece because it just feels like it grew on me like a shell.

[benlilly1]

Interesting armor...That's a lot of pieces!

[TwinOaks]

Not a criticism, but an honest question.....shouldn't the pieces overlap at the top instead of at the bottom? That way a downward stroke wouldn't catch on the armor or cut the connecting cords.

[douglais]

Good question Ambassador, and I agree, but that's the way they're shown in the old artwork. It's speculated that it was intended for use from horseback where the incoming thrusts wouls be from below. So, I just stuck with the historic info It actually makes for a little more mobility when bending forward. The lames stack up on the outside of the armor, not on the inside, pressing into your guts.

Also, the price was $150, not $250.

Twin Oaks, indeed. It took me about 12 hours, over a few days to lace it all together.

[Charke]

I love functional armor and the fact that you're thinking about how to overlap and that you used wax hardening. That's really cool.

Mark Charke