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Nathan Quarantillo




Location: Eastern Panhandle WV, USA
Joined: 14 Aug 2009

Posts: 279

PostPosted: Tue 21 Aug, 2012 10:18 pm    Post subject: Plume Holders         Reply with quote

How does a plume holder for a helmet work? Very basics, what IS it, and how would one make, attach or use one? Pictures would be greatly appreciated.

If we wanted to really narrow down a date, let's say 1350 ish, but really any will do.

-Thanks for any help. Happy

"Id rather be historically accurate than politically correct"
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Mart Shearer




Location: Jackson, MS, USA
Joined: 18 Aug 2012

Posts: 1,302

PostPosted: Wed 22 Aug, 2012 11:20 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

For 1350, you're more likely to find this sort of ornament on a helm used in tourney.

It works by pushing the quill of the feather into a narrow hole to hold it in place. There are a few varieties, but commonly thin sheet is rolled into a cone and soldered or riveted to an attachment plate. An ancient example:
http://p2.la-img.com/482/3026/1299297_1_l.jpg
And a Ren exaple on the back of the helm:
http://www.skinnerinc.com/full/772/833772.jpg
And an Oriental version:
http://www.cowanauctions.com/itemImages/ff8279.jpg

Another method is to have a block or orb with a narrow hole in it, IIRC that's what the pomegranate does here:
http://www.bladeturner.com/picture/creampuff_salet.jpg

Here's some plumage on a bascinet from 1418, Cpg 359 Rosengarten zu Worms
http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/cpg359/0086

Sometimes, the plumes (peacock tail feather "eyes" in this c. 1260 case) seem to be simply stuffed into construction seams:



 Attachment: 60.39 KB
Cambridge Ee.3.59 fo32v-plume.jpg


ferrum ferro acuitur et homo exacuit faciem amici sui
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Nathan Quarantillo




Location: Eastern Panhandle WV, USA
Joined: 14 Aug 2009

Posts: 279

PostPosted: Wed 22 Aug, 2012 4:09 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Technical question, how does the plume holder actually hold the feathers?

BTW, thank you for the links, they're great.

"Id rather be historically accurate than politically correct"
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Mart Shearer




Location: Jackson, MS, USA
Joined: 18 Aug 2012

Posts: 1,302

PostPosted: Wed 22 Aug, 2012 6:49 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Friction? Maybe combined with a little wax... Put a 4mm quill in a 3mm hole.
ferrum ferro acuitur et homo exacuit faciem amici sui
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Raman A




Location: United States
Joined: 25 Aug 2011

Posts: 148

PostPosted: Thu 23 Aug, 2012 12:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Nathan Quarantillo wrote:
Technical question, how does the plume holder actually hold the feathers?

BTW, thank you for the links, they're great.


You put in your plumes, then jam in two triangular wooden wedges. I'm sure there are multiple ways, but as far as I know this was the historically used method.
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Mark T




PostPosted: Thu 23 Aug, 2012 7:12 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

One of Carlo's books also shows a helm with a plume holder as well as two small holes further up the back of the helm so that the plume could be tied on with points.
Chief Librarian/Curator, Isaac Leibowitz Librarmoury

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Nathan Quarantillo




Location: Eastern Panhandle WV, USA
Joined: 14 Aug 2009

Posts: 279

PostPosted: Thu 23 Aug, 2012 9:14 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thank you all, this is really good stuff. Happy
"Id rather be historically accurate than politically correct"
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