Items I have completed....

[SorchaMac]

Here are some other pieces I have done in the past....

Sandy

[UKRay]

Here are some other pieces I have done in the past....Sandy

Interesting looking stuff, Sandy. As an enthusiastic but lapsed re-enactor I'd really appreciate it if you could help me to understand the SCA a little better...

It seems to me from your photographs that gear from almost any period (including gear that doesn't fit any particular style or period) can be worn along with very modern protective gear (knee pads etc). Would this be right?

The heraldry is also a tad confusing to me as it doesn't appear to match anything found in 'real life'.(i.e. genuine heraldry) Would that be true?

Having looked at a number of SCA websites recently the costumes seem to be a mixture of well researched and executed items and stuff that was put together for the weekend - this isn't a criticism as we get the same thing in re-enactment here in the UK - is there a kind of 'authenticity police' which stops the wilder stuff from happening or is it entirely down to the wearer?

[Vikti]

Your right on just about everything. At times you will see 2-3 different types of armor on a person and then it may not match the period that that person is representing. I was aiming for 16 century France but I'm a member of a group that goes for the Saxon culture and before I started my haietus I had started on working on some plate armor for myself (go fig, none of it matches either culturally or time period). Down here were I'm at we do have "authenticity police" but they also know that everyones budget has been tight for years so as long as people make an honest attempt then they're happy. But as far as combat goes, we wear what it takes to minimize injury even if it means having a little bit of mundainity showing.

As far as the heraldry goes, you said that you don't see anything that matches in real life. Well, as far as the heraldry itself goes, the SCA follows established guidelines enacted well before Edward I. You won't see anything from history because all heraldry throughout history has been registered with various college of heralds throughout Europe and therefore protected and the heralds in the SCA can be somewhat hesitant to allow something that even closely resembling protected heraldry be allowed.

Costumes: You hit the nail on the head! They are both well researched and put together for the weekends. Many a time has my wife finished outfits in the car on the way to an event with the hopes that it will last till Sunday afternoon. I have seen people buy inverters for their cars so they can run a sewing machine on their way to an event to get that last bit of clothing made while hubby drives.