You know...I'd really like to see somebody in a full Merc Tailor kit for grins (or curiosity).

From Allan's album:

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Hi Allan,

Take a closer look...



I've got one of your breastplates on along with a set of your spaulders .

I did reshape the breastplate to give it more of a German export look and restrapped it as a breastplate only with rosette rivets and period buckles...

it started life as the same breast & back combo being worn by Kevin R of Somma in the post above me.



Cheers,

DT

David, you should post some close ups of your gloves, they're worth thier own photoshoot. I've really liked those from the first time I saw pics.

Hello Allan,

I'm making a new set for CHT... those would be the ones to photograph as I've gotten much better over the last 2 1/2 years (and have some "better" ideas on construction this go around)

But since you asked:

Pics from 2 1/2 years ago of my "Mark one" pair









I based my gloves off of a wisby style cuff and extant gloves with maille from the 16th century for dueling.

I know that maille mittens existed in the early 14th century and before so...

I based them off of known technology and a mix of extant gloves but in no way a reproduction of a extant piece.

Cheers,

David

That's really nice work!

Btw, where did you get those rivet decorations?

Me (center) at faire yesterday.
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Here's an update of my harness, taken this weekend at the Great Plains Renaissance Festival in Wichita, Kansas.

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Note the sword I'm wearing. It was made by Benaiah Anderson of No Quarter Arms, with custom scabbard and belt by Greyson Brown, who sometimes posts here.

Josh,

You should have let me know you were coming down, my wife and I attended on Saturday. The harness is looking good, in spite of the sunglasses!

Wow some very sleek harnesses up here! Nice work gents. Raising the bar so to speak for the reenactment WMA communities!

Patrick,

Those could be glasses-glasses not sunglasses perhaps.

RPM

Here is probably my most favorite pic to date of everything I have been involved in with Historical Fencing.

I was attending a pole arms class by Greg Mele and Christian Tobler and my helm was...well...bothering me. Allan (Merc Tailor) saw I was having difficulty, walked around the pond to me, took it from me and off he went. My wife especailly likes this pic as it shows a caring craftsman that goes out of his way and donates his own time for others. In the pic he was talking to helm saying something to the effect of "hmmmmm....o.k....fix this...this needs adjusting...JASON! (yelling for his apprententice)

Allan...call me...Lee's house....date.

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Pics, although not showing a kit, but relavent to the thread on armor. Many of the books in Merc Tailor's collection. It's always a pleasure to sit down with Allan and Jason and look through these books over a barbeque and some drinks.

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hey guys. just got back from a ren faire and wanted to show a couple pics. Allan, Your leg armour looks too sweet after I sew'd on chain maille to my padded leggings; completly enclosing the leg in armour. sorry for the smile's I was having a good time. I wanted him to use his real sword, though hasslehoff insisted on the use of wooden swods. I did get him to give ame a hard shield bash which felt like a little tap.If you would like to put them on facebook page Allan, here is a link and I took the password off... http://photobucket.com/ChrisVS

Generally based around 14th-15th centuries, although budget may serve to tweak dates on occasion.
I've got a cloak on the way so I can actually go out in light rain without rust paranoia.
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Hope you like.

hmm...it all looks a little bit fantasy style to me, with the helmet, the curras, the bracers and the mail without anything under it. But it's a good start!

That is indeed true, and a gambeson is one of the things I'm most looking into. For the purposes of this photoshoot (my friend was a photographer that wanted some more unusual portraiture experience) I went without my normal extra padding I usually might, but even so I'm getting by on some pretty basic stuff at the moment (an extra sweatshirt, a sport fencing jacket). Thanks a lot for the comment, though. I'll be looking into it.

Quinn, Don't get me wrong, what Todd says is excactly how I think about it :)

I use a lot of second hand stuff myself and it comes out great when you have a tight budget.

Here are the updates to my armour: New couters and spaulders with besagews.



I'm still waiting for the vambraces to be finished.

Moved on from this:

The goal of these new arms is to give my armour a more indigenous flemish/low lands appearance.