Armour
Armour
A fierce shot of the bearer of the first full suit of armour I was commissioned to make. A fully custom suit with one foot in history and the other in fantasy, it needed not only to look the part but also be able to take a hit. The entire suit is made of stainless, and every inch was hammered to leave a distinctive pattern of marks and lend extra durability to the parts.
This shot was taken immediately pre-delivery, I think it shows off a lot of the design details well. A central spread of radiating creases meeting a rolled and roped collar accent the front of the suit.
The partial discs between the breastplate and shoulders were to help prevent catching a lance in the otherwise unprotected portion just behind them. The goal was to preserve as much mobility as possible without sacrificing safety.
I needed to come up with a way to integrate the legs with the rest of the design. I decided to mirror the splayed crease design here as well, but toned down a bit. This fan ensures coverage to the side of the knee regardless if the leg is straight or bent.
A commissioned gorget for a friend, they wanted an upgrade to their old gear. This stainless piece features plenty of brass decoration, especially the central element. A closer view of the detail can be found in the Copper / Alloys section of the Finer Metal gallery.
The rear of the gorget continues the brass border decoration and the filed detail at the base of the collar.
A commissioned burgonet for a member of a reenactment troupe, this burgonet was modeled directly after an antique German helmet.
The piece in progress, with reference photos of the original helmet always present during the construction.
The entire piece is made from 16ga stainless, including the custom hinges for the cheek flaps.
A commissioned suit of three-quarter armour for a friend and devoted reenactor, this piece was inspired by the wild styles of Landsknechts, the central focus of this particular persona.
Another all stainless construction, the creased decoration, extended tassets to cover the upper legs, and robust roll at the top edge are all meant to evoke the style choices often employed at the time.
A commissioned half-suit, this was made with 16ga mild steel as a base with forged and creased bronze decorative stripes. There is an associated two piece backplate that did not hang well on the stand.
Probably my favorite detail on the suit, making the buckles that catch the shoulder straps was a joy. While not specifically modeled after a particular historical design, I tried to make it reminiscent of antique pieces.
Getting the bronze to align well was interesting, the flow changes a lot depending on angle of view. I chose to include this shot because it shows the hidden rivets that allow the fauld to sit without gapping.
Part of a series of commissions made for a huge fan of an iconic piece of media many of us are familiar with, this helmet was a LOT of fun to make. The roughness of the surface and finish felt very freeing, but it did not absolve me of the task of shaping the piece well.
A satisfying detail from the shield, these are the rivets that secure the protrusions at the business end of the shield. The goal here was to mimic a style that was very capable of producing good work, but was thoroughly unconcerned with decoration or neatness.
The only specifically righty shield I'm aware of, the customer wanted another could-be screen accurate piece to go with their other equipment. This is made from a 16ga sheet for the main body of the shield, with stout fangs made from 14ga mild.