Victorian period suit of armor. Complete -- myArmoury.com

A Bentley · Last edited by A Bentley on Tue 10 Jun, 2014 5:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

Thanks everybody. Topic closed

A Bentley · Posted: Mon 09 Jun, 2014 4:33 pm Post subject:

Here's a recent picture

Edward Lee · Posted: Mon 09 Jun, 2014 6:27 pm Post subject:

Bentley

The shape of this harness looks like a modern day reproduction. Maybe it was used as decoration back in the 19th century, but it's very unlikely and what bugs the most is the rivets on the breastplate, the helmet and the greaves.

A Bentley · Posted: Mon 09 Jun, 2014 9:38 pm Post subject:

Craig Peters · Posted: Mon 09 Jun, 2014 11:41 pm Post subject:

Generally, Victorian reproduction harnesses are pretty high quality. By contrast, 20th century harnesses, especially from the mid 20th century onward, are significantly lower quality. The metal used in the construction of the 20th century armour is often thinner, and the detailing is often much less precise than 19th century work. For these reasons, I share Edward's doubts. The rivets on the suit you've posted are rather large and obtrusive in appearance; contrast them with the three Victorian harnesses I've included, below. I think you'll be able to see what I mean about quality and construction.

Close-up of the breastplate from the first harness:

All of these images come from Hermann Historica.

Edward Lee · Posted: Tue 10 Jun, 2014 12:57 am Post subject:

Joshua Stoff · Posted: Tue 10 Jun, 2014 12:21 pm Post subject:

I've seen these before, 1950's Spain. Not worth very much

A Bentley · Posted: Tue 10 Jun, 2014 12:50 pm Post subject:

Topic deleted. Thanks

Daniel Sullivan · Posted: Tue 10 Jun, 2014 2:30 pm Post subject: Victorian period suit of armor.

Armor is of relatively recent Spanish origin and not Victorian. Recall seeing similar and some exact suits available in the early to late 1970's through mail-order arms and armor catalogs and I believe "Pier 1 Imports" stores located in and around the San Francisco Bay area. Not certain of the cost at that time, but it may have been in $450-$550 range. Cannot advise you on current value.

Cheers,
Dan

A Bentley · Posted: Tue 10 Jun, 2014 3:28 pm Post subject:

Thank you everyone, for the time you took to respond

James Arlen Gillaspie · Industry Professional

It's a bit late for me to put my oar in the water (just saw this thread today), but I have worked on a lot of real and Vic'y armour. Vic'y armour is all over the map as far as quality is concerned, some of it being laughably bad. A little bit of it is so good that spotting it can be difficult, if a piece of it is integrated with real stuff. I once releathered a late Vic'y era suit out of Germany that was built around a late 19th c. cuirassier cuirass and helmet, the cuirass not unlike that last etched example in Craig's photos, only plain with added tassets. It could never have been taken as real by any experienced eye.