the aftermath

The party was awesome. We had fighting and drinking, as promised, some excellent music and most importantly, we had great people. Thanks, guys. You made it what it was. You can always count on sword fighters.(And the occasional archer).

I fell asleep on my food next to the fire. No, there is no photographic evidence. You'll just have to take my word for it that it was a very comfortable cheese and gherkin roll.

Now I have decided to make it my mission in life, while college is on holiday, to get my noobs armoured up. I've been making cuirasses from when I joined DSSC, and although some have been largely experimental - like Richard's "tube", which is made of two layers of chrome-tanned leather dyed green, with several hundred 32mm steel washers riveted between them using aluminium rivets, hand-peened - most have been historically authentic.  I will make an effort to get some pictures up of all of the cuirasses I have made, for those interested.

Josh's cuirass, a transitional 14th century coat of plates based on one of those found at Wisby, is a triumph of physics, since it uses 0.7mm stainless steel plates, work-hardened and attached to a layer of canvas. It weighs 4.1kg, and moves like a dream. He fought the champion, Marcin Waszkielis, who hit him fairly hard, and he didn't feel a thing. I was very pleased.

It took a while, though, with all of those plates, so this time, I've decided to make this:

Which is very much exactly like a kusnacht. It will be easier to make, and quicker, and this is a good thing because I have eleven of them to make. In a month. We have a training weekend this time next month, and I want all of our fighters to be able to participate. So, wish me luck.

One day, I will make an epic corrazina, like the one I saw on this guy's blog.

Maybe even with the wings... for the authenticity officers.

Does that dragon look like a stoat to anyone else?