[Chris Arrington]

Normally, I would ask this over at ArmourArchive.org (I know most of you guys prefer weapons ) but my work laptop where I normally read the boards during my lunch, filters that site for some reason.

I have two questions regarding falling buff Burgonets. Here is a link to one in the Wallace collection as reference in my questions.

http://wallacelive.wallacecollection.org:8080...age%2Fjpeg


1. How is the falling buff secured or locked into the up position? Does anyone have good pictures of the locking mechanism?

2.) Why is the occularia angled at such a high angle (30-45 degrees) off from the field of vision when the helm is worn? Is is similar to a jousting helm (like a frog mouth) so that you can angle you head down in an exchange of lances, but quickly tilt your head up to a normal angle to reduce the vulnerability?

Thanks guys !

[Allan Senefelder]

Chris the lames of the buff are kept up by the same method used to keep the upper plate of a bevor up. That is on each lame below is a spring pin which passes through it and engages in a slot or hole on the plate above. This keeps the plate in it uwpard position, to lower the spring pin is depressed until it disengages from the hole or slot in the upper plate allowing it to drop.

The occularum seem that way because the helmet is not sitting in the position it would on the head, the brow line of the helmet should parallel the browline of the wearer, in order for the helmet in the picture to do that it would need to come forward ( if you notice both the brim and the browline of the bowel are also at an upward angle due to the positioning of the helmet).

[Chris Arrington]

I did notice that the visor line is parallel to the view slit line.

However, it seems to me that if you rotate the picture ( I haven't done this, except mentally) so that the visor line is perpendicular to the ground, it would leave the jawline of the visor and the lobster plate tail of the helmet (covering the nape of the neck) at a very odd angle.

Does anyone have any pictures of the spring pin arrangements? Is it similar to a ballpoint pen where you push the pin at the back of the pen to get the point to exit the casing?

I'd be interested in how the pin and spring are retained within the helmet.

[Allan Senefelder]

You have to remember that the back for your neck and shoulders are higher than the front, the helmet needs to sit "forward" to sit on the head properly. Close helms are often displayed in the same way, giving the appearence that the occularum is angled upward, but when on the head as it should be they are straight ahead. I've owned originals of both burgeonettes and close helms over the years and stuck my head in both and they sit and sight fine on the head but leatf on a flat surface give the appearence of looking "up".

[Allan Senefelder]

There are several pic in this guys auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/A-16TH-CENTURY-CONTINENTA...ZViewItem:

that show exactly what i'm talking about.

[Chris Arrington]

Thanks Allan !