[Boris Bedrosov]

Guys!

This seems to be my last post on this topic for the next two weeks. That's why I decided to show something very beautiful, although still unfinished.

After hours of work with small brush, the picture over the shield took shapes:



As you see, I have very little work on it - the second layer of golden paint over the Zulfikar and red over the field plus the black lines. The lines over the sword, which appear to be paint, are actually from permanent stencil. After applying the second golden layer, they will fade almost completely, but will be still visible enough to act as guidelines when I work over them with black paint.

The outer edge with vine stem pattern (which actually took much of the time) is finished:

[Boris Bedrosov]

The shield is finally painted



A little bit closer view to the Zulfikar



and to the outer edge (again)

[Sander Marechal]

Absolutely stunning! Quick question though: How much remains to be done? I can't wait to see pics of you in your completed gear!

[Boris Bedrosov]

Not much, but still enough work remains.
The cuirass, shield, bazubands and helmet are in different stages (for example - w/o only the leather/rawhide edging, the shield is almost complete), while work on the greaves isn't yet started.

[Tibor Szebenyi]

I would take the blows of the enemy with my chest if I had such a beautiful shield.

[Viktor Chudinov]

Not if you have such chest armour as his. If it were mi, I'd strip naked in order not to damage it....

[Tibor Szebenyi]

Yeah, naked... If I was Boris, I would use his previous armour in actual fighting.

[Koen de Bruin]

Beautiful armor!

Be sure not to get it damaged in combat ^^!

[Nathan F]

amazing work brilliantly documented anyone who makes armour will be very pleased by this as i am this is amazing work and a style of armour i rarely ever see. well done i cant wait to see the rest of the kit. i have questions but will save them for when your further down the line.
once again bravo.

[Gregory J. Liebau]

The shield looks flat. Is it? The only originals of this style that I can think of off the top of my head (such as those in the Kunsthistoriches Museum) have a very curved face. Are there others that survive and are flat as well? Lovely paint work.

-Gregory

[Boris Bedrosov]

Hi all!
It's time to resurrect this topic.....

The next items of the armour which will be made are the greaves.
The overwhelming quantity of survived Ottoman (and Islamic in general) greaves shows a type which I prefer to classify as "cavalry":



When worn, they protect mainly the outer, front and back surfaces of the leg, leaving the inner one virtually unprotected by steel. But when on the horse-back, this inner surface is in contact with, and respectively protected by, the saddle.
There is a somekind of strong misinterpretation, which was already discussed previously, that this item is an arm-guard. Although it could serve as an arm-guard, it is uncomfortable in this role, because restrains the outward movement of the hand. Believe me, I know from my own experience .


The other type is typical infantry. Unfortunately, there is only one known to me example and it's on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts.


After Robinson's "Oriental Armours"

and a closer (but not clearer) view to the greaves:


from the same source.

Making an infantry armour, I chose the infantry type. But having the big plates from the cavalry one, I decided to make this type too.
And these are the patterns for them:


Left - Infantry type / Right - Cavalry type

[Boris Bedrosov]

BTW, does anyone of the forum-mates (especially those living in the US) have better pictures with higher resolution of the Ottoman armour from the Metropolitan Museum, and mainly - pictures of the greaves?
I will be grateful, if someone shares them with us.

Thanks in advance!

[Boris Bedrosov]

Best wishes for the New Year, friends!

Just right in the beginning of 2011, here they are the plates for the greaves.
First - the infantry:



and second - the cavalry type:



All the big plates, except one, are already bent - I wanted to check an idea for the infantry type, while the cavalry ones bear this curve from the times when they were arm-guards.
The plates are quite rusty now, but this nasty "finish" will disappear during next stages.

[Tibor Szebenyi]

Do You have any information about the period garments under theese mail-and-plate armours? Was it an "eastern" style gambeson? Something thick should be under theese armours too, especially under the bazubands, because the original ones don't have built-in padding. It would be great, if someone could share pictures or links of such original clothes of the Eastern warriors. Personally I "play" a 16. century mamluk and don't know what to wear under my great armour.

[Boris Bedrosov]

Hi all!
I have not been here for a long, long time....

Tibor
Here they are some pictures and schemes of authentic period garments, worn by the Ottomans under and over the armour. Some of them are displayed in Top Kapi Palace in Istanbul

Salvar (pants):
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Costume/opantss.jpg
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Costume/salvar.jpg
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Costume/Cossack/wpe3B.gif

Kaftan worn UNDER the armour. It serves as a gambeson and is relatively lightly padded:
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Costume/Otto/topkapi70.jpg
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Costume/goldpaddedP22.jpg
Usually the sleeves are long, but not always. Here one such kaftan with short sleeves
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Costume/Otto/topkapi10.jpg

Kaftan worn OVER the armour. It serves only to show off the status of the wearer and as such IS NOT mandatory. In general, the patterns for this type are the same as a previous one:
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Costume/StyleStatusBig4.jpeg
http://www.kostym.cz/Obrazky/1_Originaly/03_Osmanske/I_03_01.jpg

The bazubands are padded. I will send you a PM with pictures of two, where the padding is clearly visible.
Sorry, these pictures are not mine, and I feel very reluctant to place them here without author's permission.

[Boris Bedrosov]

Being extremely busy with an urgent project (which will be ready and shown soon) I have not been able to work over the "Yushman Project" for several weeks.
Although, the last weekend I managed to finish the rawhide edging of the shield.

As a material for the edging I use chewing bones for dogs - usually, they are made of good calf skin.
First, they should be soaked in water in order to get softer and workable.



After that the rawhide was cut in strips with desired widht and the holes were punched, using a leather punch.



Meanwhile, the shield was marked



and drilled.



And with that the preparation for the edging was completed.

[Boris Bedrosov]

To stitch the strips onto the shield I use rawhide thongs. They should be soaked in water also.



First, over the soaked strip I applied a layer of polyvinyl-acetate glue.



Containing a large amount of water, the glue keeps the rawhide soaked for a longer period.
The stitching began.
First strip is stitched completely and the next two are added.



Note the four "needles" with which I kept the strips stretched, countering the natural process of shrinking.

Stitching in closer view:



As you see, I used two thongs which ran successively front and back / back and front, in the same manner as in shoe-stitch.
The edging continues



and closer



Note the "needles" again.
Almost finished



And the shield with finished rawhide edging - first front



closer view to the front



and finaly - the back



After several days, when the rawhide is dried again, I will add the padding for the left arm.

[Boris Bedrosov]

The shield is ready.
When I saw the result, I decided to use this shield as a parade one and never to in battle with it. That's why I don't mind to add any carrying straps although I have the loops for them.
For battle I will use my round shield or will make another (by the way - a little bit smaller and lighter) winged one with much simpler geometric pattern of the picture.

First front



and back (note the padding)



And the shield in use.
The arm is straight and the shield lies horizontally. Now it covers the lower chest, abdomen and groins:



Now the arm is bent in the elbow - the protected area includes the left side of the head, whole torso and grpoins:



And view from the inside:

[Boris Bedrosov]

This Caucasian dagger





was the urgent project, which posponed Yushman Project so far.
It will be presented to my CO from the behalf of my company as a gift for his retirement.

Overall lenght: 315 mm
Blade lenght: 200 mm
Wight at guard: 25 mm
Thickness at guard: 5 mm

Materials used:
Steel - 65G steel (GOST standard leaf-spring steel with 0.65 Carbon content)
White camel bone
Red coral
Brass
Copper
Scabbard - acacia, leather and brass
Tehniques applied: inlay, repousse and engraving

The tablet on the box



is from mirrored-polished brass. The text, made in traditional old style Cyrilic font, is cut with Dremel rotary tool and is additionaly re-worked with engraving tool by hand. Roughly translated, the inscription reads: "[Presented] To Lieutenant-Colonel ***** ***** (retired) / From the Personnel of B Company / dd.mm.2011". The date for the fare-well party is not yet established, that's why dd.mm. section is not finished.

Some more pictures:










And some more here:
http://bbedrosov.snimka.bg/hobby/galeriya-moi...ehi.349866

[Gregory J. Liebau]

Bravo! The dagger looks beautiful, as does the shield. I can understand why you will retain it for parade use. My question remains, though... Historically were these shields ever flat? The pictures I typically see and the examples I saw in person at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, were very curved.

-Gregory