Armstreet Italian "Kings Guard" Bascinet -- myArmoury.com

Steven Pearson

So I have been eye balling this helmet for a while and finally decided to get it as I always loved the look. Based on good feedback for Armstreet and them being around a while I decided to get it.

It arrived last week and the dimensions of it are a bit "off" from the looks of the helm on the web site. In my opinion it is similar to the helm advertised but not the same helm, at least not the face plate. I realize these are hand made and there will be some variations but I really wanted the look of the helm on the website and it was not a cheap helm.

I sent my concerns to Armstreet so I will see if anything can be done. Really the main issue is with the face plate.

Am I expecting to much here? Is this within a normal amount of differences for an item like this? I have a few other helms but have always held them in hand before buying but since this comes from the Ukraine that's not something I can do. It's still nice looking but if I had held this in my hand I would not have bought it for the price.

I see these differences in the photos on their website and the helm I got:
1. The eye slits are much more bulging and look a bit like bug eyes. They are also not rounded with the shape of the helm but are more straight in a line.
2. The mouth slit is not out on the cone but down by the bottom near the etching plate.
3. The brass etching bar does not extend all the way across the top of the visor like it does on the bottom
4. The nose is quite a bit pointier then pictured
5. The aventail chord does not lace through all the vervelles
6. There are bolt holes that in the photo are brass in my helm they are not

In addition some of the aventail rings were put together wrong but I was able to fix that with only a little work.

First the armstreet helm:
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Blaz Berlec · Posted: Mon 24 Jun, 2019 3:17 am Post subject:

I have very little knowledge on 14th century helmets, and I'm sure I haven't seen all the extant pieces of bascinets in museums and in period art... But the helmet you received looks to me a bit like a cross of bascinet and a plague doctor mask:

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Steven Pearson · Posted: Tue 25 Jun, 2019 2:31 pm Post subject:

Ha your right it does sadly. I am in contact with Armstreet support over the issue so we will see how it goes. I will report back on what occurs.

Pieter B. · Posted: Wed 26 Jun, 2019 7:19 am Post subject:

Well I can tell you the helmet you received is indeed quite different from the photo's provided.

Can't know for sure but it seems like they took some design clues from this Italian example

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If the above is indeed their inspiration they aren't entirely on point.

The skull terminates far higher and further to the rear, when the visor is down it points down and not forward, the hinges turn into the visor at a curve and not a ninety degree angle, the 'snout' and vision slits sit lower on the visor giving a larger brow/forehead part of the visor.

I have to add that the look of the Lyle bascinet depends on the angle a lot;

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That said it also looks after the Historic Enterprise one;

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http://historicenterprises.com/bascinet-itali...th=104_153

The holes in the eye slots seem like those on this (Italian?) example now found in Switzerland;

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I hope this helps in some capacity.

PS, sometimes it can he hard to see if the visor was original with the helmet or whether the whole ensemble is some composite piece in which case the exact fitting is always suspect.

Edward Lee · Posted: Sat 29 Jun, 2019 12:22 am Post subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJUVXWeN0Es

This is the one they advertised on youtube, it does look different as your visor seem to be somewhat bent downward. If anything maybe you could ask them for a new replacement visor.

Steven Pearson · Posted: Mon 01 Jul, 2019 7:53 pm Post subject:

Steven Pearson · Posted: Mon 01 Jul, 2019 7:55 pm Post subject:

Tom Wolfe · Posted: Wed 10 Jul, 2019 3:35 am Post subject:

Disappointing for you but the correct thing to do, I suppose. I think the skull looks ok, but the visor is dead wrong, especially as it doesn't even compare to the photographs by which it was advertised. Looking at the downward slant of the nose, it made me think rather of the drooping shape of a gothic sabaton, or of the plague mask as pictured above. Certainly not the rather stubbier, upward-facing visor of every other bascinet that we have seen.

Steven Pearson · Posted: Wed 14 Aug, 2019 12:35 pm Post subject:

Well Armstreet refunded my money including return shipping in full, even though it took a few weeks to do the refund.

They were responsive and admitted to most of my complaints and that the helmet did not match the helmet on the website. I have nothing bad to say about their customer service and would order from them again since they were willing to make it right. I also got a belt with brass etchings that is very nice.

James Arlen Gillaspie · Industry Professional

The skull shown in the original photos is not good, either- flip the picture and put it next to the Lyle bacinet. Not enough crush space in the top. Too low.