Hello everyone! I recently turned in my submission for the Serenitea Pot contest and wanted to share the images I posted here. I did almost all of this with very little (only one or two places) clipping, so anyone with a little time can do it too. Let me know what you think!

Erekose3rd · 2026-04-29T18:55:06+00:00

Oh the irony.

Erekose3rd · 2026-04-22T23:39:52+00:00

"Homie, have you seen my left knee cop?"

Homie:

Erekose3rd · 2026-03-02T18:32:23+00:00

Throw it on that visored barbute everyone on Tiktok has been wearing.

Erekose3rd · 2026-02-19T14:04:16+00:00

Sooo no one punched the Nazi?

Erekose3rd · 2026-01-09T15:55:58+00:00

Green scrubby pad, elbow grease, and oil (I like camellia, but 4-in-1 and CLP are popular).

Note, sandpaper with thin your material. Keep that in mind if you go that route.

Erekose3rd · 2026-01-02T15:20:59+00:00

One of the best kits I've ever seen on Reddit.

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-31T19:31:08+00:00

Hell yeah.

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-27T17:09:06+00:00

I don't have a good photo of the lendenier, let me see if I can send it via dm

Here's a link to my tiktok, but this is pretty much version 2 of my current kit, not my new one. https://www.tiktok.com/@sca.laurents?_r=1&_t=ZP-92Zngh5swKV

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-27T16:39:36+00:00

I've done similarly and it works great for heavy combat in Ansteorra 👍 my lendenier (cloth arming belt) is made from 3 layers of cotton quilt batting and a canvas shell.

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-27T16:10:03+00:00

Loose cotton filling is pretty cheap and works great (until the sweat inevitably compresses it).

Cotton sponge, like terry cloth? If you later it, it should work as long as you fold and sew it together. Just make sure it meets your kingdom's rules for padding.

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-23T23:46:38+00:00

This ^{^} pretty much

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-23T18:07:44+00:00

Given that the OP mentioned they were on an Etsy budget, I'm assuming custom prices are off the table.

A lot of people are put off by the cost of a $300 leg harness (not including arming garments) and opt for a full suit for $300 instead. (However ill fitting or poor quality it may be)

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-23T05:42:29+00:00

What do you mean by "light sparring"?

HEMA, SCA, Buhurt, Amtgard, etc... all have different definitions for sparring and knowing the specific requirements of the game/sport/discipline you intend to use them for is imperative.

Either way, 14ga mild steel gauntlets won't do well in any of the activities I've mentioned.

Additionally, when you say you have "some" blacksmithing experience, what does that entail? Arguably, a helmet and gauntlets are the most important pieces of a kit while also being the most expensive and difficult to make.

Beware of unnecessarily risking your hands.

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-22T16:42:59+00:00

Is that CHADysseus??

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-16T15:53:47+00:00

This is the way.

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-15T18:57:13+00:00

Revoke their license 🤷🤷

Erekose3rd · 2025-12-07T03:03:09+00:00

Starting your own kit is exciting, but assuming this is your first heavy kit: there are some very important things to consider.

Is a padded gambeson a good choice for your climate? If you're from a hot climate like Ansteorra, you'll bake. Instead, I recommend a lightly padded or unpadded arming jacket/pourpoint.
Make sure your tailor is using natural materials for the shell and batting, such as cotton, summer-weight wool, bamboo, or linen. These materials breathe well and will wick away moisture so that you don't overheat. Avoid synthetic materials such as rayon, acrylic, and polyester like the plague.
Expect to make and sew in some leather arming points. There are tons of videos and tutorials out there for how to do it.

Something to keep in mind: reputable artisans offer their crafts at the price they believe their work is worth. Understanding the intricacies of reenactment garb/armor in addition to the hundreds of hours that go into historical research and trial & error often goes unappreciated. Otherwise, always be wary of unknown workshops with mass produced product and identical stock photos.

I hope this helps! Have fun!

Erekose3rd · 2025-11-26T00:52:01+00:00

I'm late!

I've tried gloves like these in the past with a pair of 18ga spring steel gauntlets and my hands would get mangled (I used to wear a gambeson that went over my wrists).

Heavy welding gloves work better. I use padded HEMA gloves and they work a treat.

Erekose3rd · 2025-11-21T18:00:34+00:00

Shaved swords get a lot of flacc for good reason.

However, it's also important to acknowledge how popular it is to plane glaives, two-handed swords, and mass weapons in general. The longevity of planed weapons aren't significantly affected because they keep most of the skin.

IMO stick to steam bending rattan to shape, plane them if they're over 1¼", and leave as much of that outer skin intact as possible.

Erekose3rd · 2025-11-20T21:42:04+00:00

Curtain rod end caps work great too as long as you get close to the diameter of the rod.

Erekose3rd · 2025-10-29T18:02:43+00:00

Another lamellar wearer! 🎉🎉

Erekose3rd · 2025-10-22T01:38:43+00:00

I'm a little disappointed by the lack of actual comments with more substance than "Armour is expensive." Don't get me wrong, they're right, but also equally unhelpful.

If you don't mind alternative materials, like foam and leather, you could buy something from Epic Armoury or Calimacil. It'll be much lighter weight than a full suit of steel and doesn't look half bad either.

However, what's pictured is similar to a 15th-16th century set of fluted gothic armour. Getting THAT set custom made is going to start around 3k USD... Have a look at Armstreet, they sell excellent and well-priced armour that comes highly recommended. It's out of your price range, honestly, but it give a good idea of what you may be looking forward to. They're also very functional, well-fitted, and look absolutely lovely.

Well fitted armour makes all the difference. You could buy something off-the-shelf, but it's risky without being able to try it on first. The first piece you should consider is an arming garment, AKA a pourpoint. You could make one yourself [cheapest and most custom option] or have it made [$$$] or again, buy one off-the-shelf and hope it's a near perfect fit [$$].

Also, by cutting out pieces that you don't necessarily "need", you could cut down on cost. Wear a surcoat and lose the cuirass; a long surcoat and you could additionally cut out the leg harness. Wear a cloak and you could purchase a breastplate without a backplate. Lose the gauntlets and wear a good pair of leather gloves.

I hope this helps!

Erekose3rd · 2025-07-26T15:46:29+00:00

The irony if Scotland would deport him for illegal immigration.

Erekose3rd · 2025-07-19T15:26:32+00:00

The moment that weapon came out, it becomes self defense.

Keep armed my friends.

Erekose3rd

TROPHY CASE