When I first came to tournament re-enactments through the SCA, it was the armour that drew me. There was--and still is--something magical in a complete harness. Through the arms of the knight we can actually touch something of the knights who strove during the Middle Ages, men whose lives were shaped and who shaped the ideas of chivalry.

I believe that armour is, at base, an important, romantic medieval craft. Like all crafts, it takes technical skill and artistic merit to create a quality piece. The SCA and other re-enactment societies provide a rich market for fledgling armourers to earn their wings; without these markets, most craftsmen would never progress beyond the occasional hobbiest level. But there is a demand, both by collectors and experienced re-enactors, for arms, armour and accoutrement that transcends sporting equipment and approaches something we might call "authentic".

To create a piece of armour that strikes the balance between form and function and stay within medieval design elements is difficult. The vast majority of armour now made by 'reproduction' armourers is, unfortunately, sporting equipment. Some armourers do grow, however. In order to grow, they must learn the elements of style that define the periods in which they wish to work, perfecting their hammer and their eye simultaneously.

The hammer is by far and away the easier thing to learn. But with perseverence and the willingness to look critically at personal projects, the armourer can refine his eye. The best way to do this is to make exact reproductions, graduating to the next level, the creation of a new piece within a period style. To qualify, all elements of the piece must adhere to this style.

Beyond the craft is the art of armouring. Most armour now made is equipment; some is crafted well, and a small percentage transcends the craft reality to become art. Art must, to my mind, communicate clearly to an audience. The greater the art, the more universal the message. For the armourer, to strive for art is to connect the mechanical defense with the spirit of chivalry. To reach this spirit, I believe the armourer must fight; they must use the armour and participate and understand the mechanisms that motivate combatants on the field. They must strive to understand the ideals if they are to add that 'spark' that separates art from fine craft.

Thornbird Arms was the company I started in 1984 to expand my abilities with the hammer and to try to extend the opportunity to others. From 1984-1990 we created many, many pieces. Most of them were crude by my current knowledge, but we strove in a heartfelt way to improve the quality of equipment available to re-enactors so that they could, in turn, bring a more authentic feel to the tournament field. Several talented armourers came to work at the armoury during those years, most notably Luke Apker, Greg Woznak, and Ladislav Kuzela. Luke 'got the picture' very quickly, fast becoming perhaps the finest hammerman I have seen. Greg--'Woz' to most of us--could polish clear through the armour, producing mirrors from hammer-scaled plate. Ladislav started young but grew in maturity, striving with a purity of heart that kept him on the slow path towards excellence.

I learned my skills partially under the aegis of Aaron Toman, aka SCA Sir Valerius Paencalvus, Earl, OL, and Baron Caer Anterth Mawr. His kind patience and long-distance teaching helped me to grow on my own; it was Aaron who kept pointing me at new sources to train my own eye. I learned the hammer mostly on my own, taking great pleasure in the growth of my 'apprentices' as their hand surpassed mine.

Today I continue to produce a few pieces here and there, mostly for friends, but also for me. There is something truly magical in creating a connection to the chivalric ideals from a flat, cold piece of steel. By early this year I should have completed work on the book I have in progress, "Techniques of the Armourer," where I demonstrate the basics and some intermediate skills needed to produce a complete harness of armour for the 14^th or 15^th centuries.

I hope you enjoy the bits of history I have here; unfortunately most of the finer pieces disappeared without being photographed or were lost when the portfolio was stolen several years ago. Enjoy!
 

Arms & Armour Portfolio

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