[Jeffrey Hildebrandt]

My last commission was for a bascinet based on the Wallace Collection's A69. The original once sported a front-hinged visor and has since been fitted with a side-pivot visor on pivots which are not original to the visor, and with modern vervelles and an aventail of scavenged medieval mail scraps... so creating an exact replica wasn't a high priority. I took some liberties with the fitting of the visor in order to make it integrate better with the skull, and made pivots and conical rivets more appropriate to the style.

My version was raised from welded cones of mild steel (the original was not hardened either), lined with hand-stitched cotton-stuffed linen and fitted with 26 hand-filed vervelles. The surface was finished to match other armour parts by another maker, and the helmet's owner will be having it fitted with an aventail. Here are a few images, and for those interested there are more on my Facebook page.

-Hildebrandt

[Mark Shier]

Very nice.
Time to make some money, and turn it into armour.

[Scott Hrouda]

Wow, just wow.

Mr. Hildebrandt has demonstrated, again, that he is a master of the art. Take a close look at the crisp lines around the raised oculars and breaths, very nice!

For those interested, the Wallace Collection's A69 can be viewed here.

[Robin Smith]

I saw this when you posted it to Facebook. Amazing work! Really captures the subtleties of the original.

[Julian Behle]

A great piece of armour! I really like the pointy looks of the visor and the backdrawn skull. Do you have some numbers for us (eg. gauge and weight)?

[Bruno Giordan]

Simply perfect. On a one to one hundred scale, you get the highest grade

[Ian S LaSpina]

Beautiful!!! That's a truly outstanding piece Jeff!

[Jeffrey Hildebrandt]

Thanks, guys.

Julian, I made both skull and visor from 16 gauge steel, which brought final weights to 1700g for the skull and 800g for the visor. That makes the weight for the visor pretty close to the original, with only 20g difference, but the skull is 300g lighter than the original, even with a liner. A skull of 14 gauge would have been a good match for weight, but it wasn't a particular concern with this project.

-Hildebrandt

[Julian Behle]

Thank you. 20g to the original is breathtaking. I have to repeat myself, its a great piece of craftsmanship!

[Keith L. Rogers]

I am in complete awe at this piece. Outstanding, literally stands out, in every way.

[W. Scott Brown]

Hildebrandt got the fitting of this helmet perfect as well. Not only is it beautiful, but it's precisely the correct size!

[Jeffrey Hildebrandt]

Thanks, Scott. You know a helmet fits well when you put it on and you have no inclination to take it off...

[W. Scott Brown]

Some more pictures with the aventail, and one after I attached the quilted liner to the aventail.

[Jeffrey Hildebrandt]

Scott, you did a great job adding an aventail to that helmet.

[W. Scott Brown]

Thanks Jeffrey,

I really tried to get it right to the best of my knowlege and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

One thing I noticed that I had not expected was that after I added the liner to the aventail, it took on a subtle difference in shape. It looks a bit more like the effigies than before, with smoother, more solid lines and the rings all laying very symmetrically. The frontal neck protection also stands up better with the liner holding it, and movement is easier without the mail gripping the surcoat or coat of plates underneath. And it will keep my fancy surcoat from getting dingy with oil

This helm is literally a dream come true Hildebrandt. I used to daydream of having a helm that was this awesome, and you made it a reality. I simply cannot heap enough praise upon you!

[Jeffrey Hildebrandt]