How old is this helmet and maile? -- myArmoury.com

Rusty H · Posted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 7:22 pm Post subject: How old is this helmet and maile?

Hello everyone. First time posting here. Ive browsed this site for years but just created a profile. I recently bought a helmet, maile shirt, and an extra piece of maile that I might be a remnant from another piece from an auction. I'm trying to determine the age and whatever else you all might contribute. The maile on the helmet is much smaller than the shirt. The maile on the shirt varies in sizes especially on its perimeter. The maile on the extra strand has a variety of more rounded pieces and also pieces that have some more angles edges like the shirt.

Thanks in advance.

Rusty H · Posted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 7:33 pm Post subject:

Helmet

Rusty H · Posted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 7:43 pm Post subject:

Some links from the shirt. The first pic shows the more rounded more blended in with the other maile on the remnant piece.

Rusty H · Posted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 8:07 pm Post subject:

If there are any other pics that might help, let me know.

Rusty H · Posted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 8:07 pm Post subject:

Lastly

Rusty H · Posted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 11:20 pm Post subject:

Possible some black paint.

Mark Moore · Posted: Fri 16 Sep, 2016 11:39 am Post subject:

I would say it is an attempt (and a decent one) to make some live combat armor, probably anywhere from the 1970's to the 1990's. You mentioned paint....some early armor was painted, especially helms. If you go this route, don't use a can of dept. store spray paint......you will only be dissatisfied. Take it somewhere that they do 'powder-coating'.....it's tougher than paint and will buff out of light scratches. ............McM

Rusty H · Posted: Fri 16 Sep, 2016 11:46 am Post subject:

Thanks for helping me date this item. I appreciate your help.

Mark Moore · Posted: Fri 16 Sep, 2016 1:16 pm Post subject:

I'm not sure of the date or maker, this is just a semi-educated guess. But....Don't do spray-paint. It runs and drips.I forgot to mention...If you have it powder coated, anything on it that you DON'T want it covered with, you need to tell the person doing it. Powder-coat adheres to metal by grounding it. If you have a two -piece, like a helm and aventail, just cover up the mail, and only the helm should take the powder-coat. Just a bit of educated advise.........McM

Peter Spätling · Industry Professional

The maille looks really interesting, could be an extant piece.

Where did you buy your stuff?

About the bascinet, to me it looks like the rivets were replaced. Can I get more shots of the helmet? Inside, outisde, front, back and side view. Dimensions, how big, how heavy is he?

Rusty H · Posted: Fri 16 Sep, 2016 2:35 pm Post subject:

I bought it at an auction house in Maine. The weight of the helmet with the maile is 3.1 pounds. 8 1/4 inches width at the bottom. Around 7 1/4 inches high. The shirt is about 44 inches wide from arm to arm. About 28 inches wide at under arm to under arm. Longest measurement from top to bottom is about 32 inches. The width of the metal in the front of the helmet is around 1.4mm thick. I just noticed a very faint writing with a green pencil maybe that says German from someone previous. I found a couple of old rivets that were still in the maile on the helmet

Rusty H · Posted: Fri 16 Sep, 2016 2:42 pm Post subject:

More pics.

Rusty H · Posted: Fri 16 Sep, 2016 2:55 pm Post subject:

the same pic of one rivet earlier. Here's the other and more.

Peter Spätling · Industry Professional

Well, I still say, that the maille is great. But the helmet looks a bit weird to me. Does the material of the helmet open up somewhere? If it is steel produced in a blast furnace some of the weldings could be opening up now.

Rusty H · Posted: Sat 17 Sep, 2016 4:57 am Post subject:

I took a bunch of pics of the interior not knowing exactly what opening of the metal should look like. Theres a little bit of separation of flaking in one small spot, but I don't know if it's from rust or from shaping the item. Most of what I see is from the impact damage on the outside of the helmet. If there's any other pics needed, of course, let me know.

Rusty H · Posted: Sat 17 Sep, 2016 5:03 am Post subject:

Again just random pics

Rusty H · Posted: Sat 17 Sep, 2016 5:17 am Post subject:

Some rivet pics

James Arlen Gillaspie · Industry Professional

We need to get Eric S. and some of the other mail afficionados to look at this. DO NOT BE FOOLED by the helmet! We are really looking at four separate pieces, here, not one thing, of which none probably had anything to do with the others until recently. I'm seeing real wedge riveted links in some of those photos, others might be an Eastern type. We need better close ups of both sides of the mail attached to the helmet. The whole thing looks to me like a collector wanted a classic 'Crusader' look, and put real mail with a modern helmet.

Rusty H · Posted: Mon 19 Sep, 2016 11:36 am Post subject:

I'll try to post some better pics. The iPhone isn't letting me post pics unless they are either too high in resolution or too small some good detail. The ones I'm posting are losing a lot of detail. This one has what looks like a wedge in the middle of the pic.

Rusty H · Posted: Mon 19 Sep, 2016 11:48 am Post subject:

I'll post some others that I can find with more detail.