Thursday, February 4, 2016

15th C. Sallet

Got another armor delivery today - a sallet based on the one found in the church at Witton-le-Wear in Durham, England. The helmet and bevor are 14 Gauge steel, and weigh around 10 pounds together. It's well balanced, and once strapped on doesn't feel heavy at all. Putting on and wearing armor is how I get my cardiovascular work out and weight training.
Without the bevor.
Although it was found in England, it is believed to have been made in the Northern European style for export. The original is dated to the Mid to Late-15th Century.
With the bevor worn.
The thickness and weight of this reproduction is a bit more than the original, but not by too much. With proper padding this would hold up pretty well in full contact reenactments. The eye slits a little bit wider than the original, but thrusting and stabbing aren't allowed in full contact reenactments - go figure.

The helmet was listed as new, and the liner looks clean and never worn, but I think it laid around somewhere for a while as it had tiny spots that look like rust and the finish is a bit tarnished. Nothing a little bit of scouring with fine steel wool won't take care of. I think the woman who sold this on ebay didn't really know much about it - her ebay store had no other armor listings or anything remotely military. Everything else in her store was either ceramics or quilts and such. I can't say it was 50% cheaper than from a retailer, but it was close.
The over-sized brass rivets are actually authentically reproduced. When I first saw it I thought it looked odd, but here they are on the original sallet in the image below.
The visor stays up by friction if pushed up all the way. Saves me the trouble of trying to peen the rivets tighter, or replace them with lock nuts like I did with the bascinet.
The leather liner that is glued to the inside is not historically correct, but I don't plan on replacing it with a more correct padded fabric liner. I would just wear a padded coif in addition to the liner if I thought someone was going to clobber me on the head. I plan on dyeing the helmet straps a darker brown to match the one on the bevor.

20 comments:

  1. Soon you'll be offering tours of "Dean's Armory!"

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    1. Virtual tours for sure. Thanks as always, Jonathan. Warm regards, Dean

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    1. Thanks, Neil! Appreciate the visit and kind words. Regards, Dean

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    1. Thank you for the kind words, Rodger. Best, Dean

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  4. Nice Sallet, though 10lbs would be tiring if your wearing it for a while. Definitely a work out :-)

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    1. Thanks, Hendrid. Yes, it's on the heavier side, but for the price with bevor included was a bargain. This especially so when an 18 gauge one cost comparatively the same. I figured I might as well pick up one that could be used in full-contact reenactment if I ever decided to do it. Warm regards, Dean

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  5. Great, looks good. I live further down stream from Witton-le-Wear, it's about 25 miles from where I live. I may pop along one day and have a poke about to see if I can find a one!

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    1. Lol! Thanks, Steve. Yes, who knows what might be hidden in that Church. Warm regards Dean

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  6. "thrusting and stabbing aren't allowed in full contact reenactments - go figure"

    There's great debate about this in the reenactment community worldwide and always has been. Safety is always the first concern which explains why it's often banned. Even a "blunt" pointed weapon with enough force behind it can puncture mail or occasionally even plate if caught in a fold or joint. I can vouch for that, it's happened to me. It hurts like hell and then there's the expense! So despite what some historians tell us, you're not invulnerable in a full harness, just mostly so... :-)

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    1. I have seen what damage those Battle of the nations guys can do, particularly the Russians. Oh, and there's period illustrations showing armor penetrated.

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  7. Your house is going to turn into an armoury Dean! Looks great btw!

    Christopher

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    1. Lol! Thanks, Christopher. Your words ring true in a modest way. The corner of the living room has already run out of space for my small collection. I am pushing the limits of my wife's patience. Warm regards Dean

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  8. Check the inside real good... there might be a stamp that says made in China. Just kidding. Good looking helmet.

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    1. Lol! Actually India - not far off ;)! Best, Dean

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