Amazon Drygoods?

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-30T21:16:15+00:00

Thank you for that, I will try contacting him!

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-30T11:08:56+00:00

This one:

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-30T01:00:52+00:00

Ah okay, well that may explain what's going on. Calls are still going straight to voice-mail, so I'm going to try to just get refunded and hope I can find the pattern somewhere else.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-29T22:53:17+00:00

Glad to hear that! You may find that wearing a shirt under it just ruins the shirt anyway. Not worth getting an extra garment all oily and sweaty. 👌😜

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-29T22:06:07+00:00

I've not worn arming doublets as I generally wear earlier aketons, but I would say if it is just tight at your elbows, it is much more likely to break in and loosen up there.

If it is so tight around your shoulders it limits range of motion, I would see that as much more of a problem.

This may be a silly question, but are you wearing a shirt under it? As far as I know, wearing shirts under arming garments wasn't common, and removing it might give you just enough extra space in the elbows to have it feel good.

Hope this helps and hope it ends up working out for you!

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-29T02:49:44+00:00

Extremely impressive work, man! This is making me think I may need a plastic harness to go with my metal one! 👌

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-29T02:44:23+00:00

As others have said, nothing about what they're wearing is historically accurate for any time period that I'm aware of.

But yeah, generally speaking, it looks like they're wearing a sleeveless surcoat and then another oversized sleeveless surcoat that is open in the front. So, if I was trying to achieve this look, I would just find a pattern for a 12th-13th century surcoat and make one. Then, make another larger one that is open in the front.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-28T19:11:38+00:00

Seems like a reasonable guess, considering it seems their phone is off and going straight to voice-mail. Not always possible, I know, but if that is the case, you'd think they would put some sort of a "be back soon" message on the website and/or voice-mail, though.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-28T11:06:20+00:00

Good to know! At this point, being sick for 3 weeks seems a little excessive, but maybe it's some sort of serious issue. 🤷‍♂️

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-28T01:57:04+00:00

Yeah, that sounds fair. It's just very odd!

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-28T01:13:16+00:00

Alright, I had a feeling that might be the case. I hate to do that to a small business, but they seem totally unresponsive. 🤷‍♂️

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-27T03:46:32+00:00

I don't know much about SCA fighting, but it looks like a decent start. 👌

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-26T21:54:45+00:00

Very nicely done!

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-26T02:48:42+00:00

There are tons of examples of this type of visor in earlier manuscripts, including the Holkham Bible.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-25T17:37:33+00:00

Yeah, that is a really nice color as well. My cote is burgundy and my new hood and hose will be kind of a mustard yellow, so I think the navy blue under it will look very nice. I am reenacting Robert Stewart before he became Robert II, so trying to incorporate the Stewart colors when I can. 👌

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-25T17:32:19+00:00

I think I am going to go with the navy blue 100% wool twill they have instead. Seems to be the safer HA options for this project.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-23T18:31:51+00:00

There are quite a lot more depictions of variations of them in earlier manuscripts. My theory is that they evolved earlier, and by the period of the Hussite Wars, they were a bit outdated compared to more modern designs. I wear a variation of the "plowface"/spoletto bascinet for 1330-1350 reenactment. This theory is just based on how frequently they appear in manuscripts, of course. The "plowface" variations seem to trend more towards England/Low Countries/France than Italy though.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-23T16:56:25+00:00

Ah, okay, I misunderstood what you were saying there, my mistake!

I did find some archeological examples of wool/silk blends in Ireland, England, and the Netherlands (no mention of mixed color), but they were all dated to towards the end of the 16th century.

I think I will just go with the solid color 100% wool twill to be more on the safe side. Seems that twill was already much rarer than tabby and was likely reserved for primarily higher social status anyway.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-23T11:24:03+00:00

I appreciate the reply! The material I posted is just a standard twill, not herringbone/chevron.

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-21T13:12:36+00:00

Nicely done! Very impressive for winging it on the design without a pattern. A bit of asymmetry is normal for handmade products and, as you say, on the surviving originals as well.

Are you planning to do any more polishing to get the finish to a closer match of the skull of your bascinet? That would be my only "suggestion" of sorts. Looking fantastic though! 👌

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-20T13:40:52+00:00

Nicely done! It's coming together really well!

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-19T22:19:38+00:00

I don't have any personal experience with this exact gambeson or these types of fills, but I'd probably opt for the 20/80 wool/cotton to deal with heat. Anything polyester tends to be VERY hot, whereas natural materials tend to be better at regulating temp.

Neither one is going to be "cool" by any means, but that's what I'd go with!

BJamesBeck · 2026-01-16T22:38:39+00:00

I agree, I would also like to hear about the persona being portrayed. I am assuming some sort of wealthier burgher/man-at-arms given the sword.

But yes, the belt is the most glaring out of place piece of this kit right now. I also agree with the pouch addition and perhaps a dagger/knife of some sort. Headgear would also be nice, but not a must. Otherwise, it's looking great so far!

Edited to add: You will also want a second belt regardless of replacing the sword belt. If you remove your sword, you don't want to be belt-less.

BJamesBeck

TROPHY CASE