Post by Frere Reynald de Pensax on Apr 13, 2012 9:47:35 GMT -5
One of the things upon which I have been working is my Sir John Conyers gear. And, the latest addition to Sir John's outfit is his crested helm. The helm itself is by Roger Lankford of Lancaster's Armourie; who is one of my favourite armourers and sword smiths. The falchion in the picture is also by Roger; and it is his interpretation of the famous Conyers Falchion (there is some variation in the hilt design from the original, as Roger does not believe in making copies). The helm is quite massive: it nearly rests on my shoulders and there is room for ample padding (I've used sheepskin); and that's besides my coif and thick arming cap. The mantling is made from yellow leather, and instead of stitching it, I've just laced it together; and I'm very pleased with the unique look that this has created. The crest is wood. The emblem, a trefoil vert, is the crest of the Conyers family; but it is taken from a later armorial. Whether Sir John would have worn it in the first half of the thirteenth century is debateable. Crests were known in Germany at this date; but in creating his appearance, I have allowed myself some licence. This is because, although Sir John is a historical figure, he is the dragon-slaying knight in the Legend of the Sockburn Worm; so there is a certain fairytale aspect to him at the same time. I've attached the crest to a thicker, more rigid piece of leather that has been cut to the outline of the top of my helm. Sandwiched between this and the crest is of course the mantling; and the whole thing is simply held in place with some fancy blue and gold cord around the latter. Certainly this arrangement might seem a bit flimsy, but it has to be remembered that the originals were just the same, and lightness is of the essence. Further, I don't actually go into combat with my crest still in place: I simply undo the cord and remove the whole affair before going into action. And now, having gone through the process once, I can make additional crests for any of my other characters in the same way. Anyhow; I hope you like the end result.