The Armoury

A medieval Battle Axe. This sort of weapon is the sort of thing used by knights when fighting against other knights as it is designed as an anti-armour weapon. It consists of an heavy curved axe blade for cutting and crushing armour (as well as anything else!),and a curved back spike useful for puncturing armour, as well as hooking shields, bits or armour, people etc.

As it has a wooden shaft it is fitted with protective metal strips to prevent it being cut, and a roundel to guard the hand from blows sliding down the shaft. It also has a metal cap at the butt, for balance and also to deliver stunning or crushing blows when in close.

Construction

This was home made for the grand cost of about £10!. The axe head was an old double headed hatchet from a car boot sale, this was then attacked with an angle grinder to form one side into an axe head of the required shape and the other into the spike. The metal strips and a large steel washer for the roundel where purchased from my local steel merchants. The strips where welded on and the welds ground flat. The roundel was then welded to the ends of the strips. The whole assembly then being screwed to the shaft using round head screws, which where hammered over slightly to give a rougher look.. ( using screws rather than rivets means the shaft is not weakened by drilling holes through it).

The handle was cut down from a the shaft of a hedge trimming bill purchased from a car boot sale, this has the advantage of being oval in section so affording a better grip. (The billhook head was used on a new long shaft as an infantry bill for recruits). The butt cap was made from a strip of steel, hammered round, welded shut and riveted on.

Below are some links to a very good mail makers guide.It covers shirts and coifs in particular, but the construction techniques for mail itself can be used for any mail item. Gloves, Drop, aventails, leggings, sleeves.

Mail makers Guide (HTML)

Mail makers Guide (ZIP file containing document & GIF's)

The top picture opposite is an actual 15C shirt owned and used! by one of our members. The bottom picture us a modern reproduction made by another of our members.

Construction is fairly simple.

The base is a strong leather glove with a cuff, Gardening style ones are best, although if you can get hold of a pair of old motorcycle gauntlets these make an excellent base.

The mail is attached to a piece of thick leather to fit the back of the hand and a piece for the thumb, work out the shape and size for the leather pieces while wearing the glove and holding a weapon handle or something of equal size, as you want to make the glove so it is naturally fist shaped rather than flat. The mail is best attached by threading a thong through the links at the edge and then sewing round this as thread will easily pull through the butted ends of the links. Old handbags or briefcases can be used for materials. If the leathers too thin glue two layers together. some padding can be added to the back of the leather for extra protection, a couple of layers of blanket or some thin foam, not too thick or you won't be able to flex your hand!

These pieces of leather can then be sewn to the glove. Make sure the sewing is done with the glove folded into a fist shape. The sewing should be done along the tips of the fingers, and at a few points along the sides of the hands, normally just at the finger joints, knuckles and at the end of the wrist is enough. This will allow the glove to move easier than if the complete edges are sewn.

Optionally the back of the wrist can be covered by making another panel of leather and mail to wrap round the complete wrist.

Adding a few extra rows of mail along the outside of the hand, and then sewing this directly to the glove along the edge of the little finger will provide a bit of extra protection to the side of the hand.

These where made from a pair of old leather gaiters. These have the advantage of just needing a bit of trimming and the addition of buckles. Failing this any fairly thick leather can be used to make the greave from scratch, to keep the costs down old handbags or briefcases make a good source of suitable leather.

Once the leather greave is made the metal strips can be added. Various different widths can be used, In this case its 1/8" by 1/2" was used. Each strip is shaped to match the leather and then fitted with two rivets. I used solid rivets to keep the back smooth.

Three buckles secure the greave at the back. Some padding can be added at the top and bottom for extra comfort, although if you wear a fairly substantial boot this may not be necessary.

It is made of small metal plates riveted between two layers of leather. In this case the plates are about 4.5cm by 7cm, you can use smaller or larger depending on personal preference, although I found this size gives good strength and flexibility. The plates are arranged in a brick wall style pattern with each row overlapping the one below it. Round the armpit and down the opening side smaller plates are used to fill the gaps at the end of each row. Each plate is secured with two rivets, about a third of the way down (to leave room for the overlap). I used hollow rivets, (which are easy to use and leave it fairly smooth inside) with a washer on the inside, but not the outside as the heads where big enough not to need it.  you can use solid rivets, but that's a lot more work, or bifurcated rivets.

The inner layer of leather can be made from an old leather jacket to cut costs and help in getting the fit to the body right. Remove any lining, pockets, zips, buttons etc then sew up the front opening  and cut open the side and one shoulder, where the finished coat will be buckled up. Then trim and adjust as necessary to get the fit right. The outer layer can then be cut to match, remember that due to the curve of the coat the outer layer will be slightly larger than the inner. I made the outer in two panels and didn't join the side or shoulder until after the plates where fitted. This made it easier to work and allowed me to cut the leather slightly to big and trim it once the plates where fitted.

The coat reaches just over the top of the thighs and is split at the sides and front to allow movement. I didn't overlap the two rows joining at the waist to allow the panels covering the top of the thighs and lower back to move easier. It helps to slightly curve the plates down each side and over the shoulders to fit the body.

Armet (15C)

This was made by Dave Woodward,
our society founder and armourer.

Basinet (14C)

Kettle hat and bevor(14C-15C)

Spangenhelm(7C)

Bevor (14/15C)

This was made by Dave Woodward,
our society founder and armourer.
It features a droping chin plate.

Warhammer (15C)

The back spike would be used to pierce armour and maybe rip it off an opponent. The Front hammer would crush armour into the wearer, to break bones and inflict crushing damage. It has metal strips to protect the shaft from being cut

Axe (pre 11C)

This is a basic early battle axe. Axes like this would have been used by Vikings, Normans, Saxons and many others

Ball and Chain

For safety sake the ball is wooden with round studs, the real thing would have been metal with short spikes.

Leg Harness

Arm Harness with Pauldron

Sabatons

Visored Sallet

This is operated by two men and is designed to be hooked over a parapet, barricade or pavis to provide support and absorb recoil.

2 man hook gun (15C)

Simple matchlock.

matchlock (15C)

The first and simplest guns, simply a barrel mounted directly on the end of a shaft.

hand Gonne (14/15C)