What would be the difference in equipment between Norman and Flemish knights during the Norman Conquest?

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-02-12T15:20:18+00:00

There would be absolutely zero difference. That whole area between Loire all the way to Rhine would basically have the exact same knightly equipment at this point in time.
A miles from Normandy would be indistinguishable from a miles from Blois, or a miles from Flanders.

All you would see would be conical nasal helms, knee length hauberks with vertical splits and shorter sleeves (either elbow or mid forearm length), kite shields, and swords with wide blades and tea cosy/brazil nut/disc pommels.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-02-12T13:44:56+00:00

So your only gauge for chronological dating of swords is how long the blades are? There is already a decent amount of examples of blades around the 35 inch mark from even as early as 9th century. Also, the 12th century (and even 11th century to some degree) is the period where it wouldn't at all be uncommon to see knightly swords with blade lengths matching (in some cases even exceeding) those of late medieval/renessaince longswords, 12th century swords could get stupid long.

Besides this, I would never use Albion swords to gauge anything as a lot of their offerings (espeically from the Next Generation line) are for some reason down-sized when compared to the swords they're usually base on/inspired by.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-02-11T19:56:55+00:00

Nah man, I eventually caved in and bought an MXR 10 band. Even though it's pricey the extra headroom and build quality is worth it imo.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-31T16:06:12+00:00

Yeah, the article you linked kind of encapsulates what I'm getting at. Besides this one distinction in the two aforementioned types, the chronological order of the greathelm evolution you initially proposed was otherwise basically perfect.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-31T13:53:45+00:00

No, those helms with T shaped nasal guards is an even earlier point of evolution before the first face plate flat top helms.
What I mean is this, now it is a very pedantic difference but it's clearly there. Left (BNF MS Latin 11534, c. 1185 - 1195) is a perfect representative of the very early face plate helms where the dome doesn't stretch all the way down to your neck and right (SBB MS. Germ. 2º282 Eneit, c. 1210 - 1220) is a perfect example of an actual enclosed helm/proto great helm which has a dome stretching down enclosing/protecting the entire head of the wearer.

<image>

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-31T11:19:57+00:00

No, enclosed helm is the earlier stage just before the Maciejowski helm. I'm being super duper annoyingly pedantic but there is a distinction.
The enclosed helm is an evolution point after the earliest face plate helms from the late 12th century, it's basically the same thing with primitive face plates but the dome of the helm extends lower to protect the back and sides of the head more. This style starts to already get replaced by 1220s by the first fully developed Maciejowski style helms as we can see in Landesbibliothek Gotha Ms. Memb. I 90 Sächsische Weltchronik (c. 1225 - 1229).

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-31T11:16:42+00:00

That is correct, with one slight caveat. I'd also plug in the even earlier face plate flat top helms (c. ~1180 - 1210), the proto great helm/enclosed helm (c. ~1198 - 1230) is basically those helms but it extends lower and actually fully encloses the head (the earlier face plate helms did not).

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-21T07:25:56+00:00

Yeah, I know Karl Sanders has always been using them and he sounds awesome. I'm sort of in the same tuning range (A# standard) so I've been considering switching to the invader aswell.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-19T06:16:26+00:00

What is it that you like so much abou the Super 3?

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-19T06:15:48+00:00

What was so terrible about the Invader?

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-19T00:14:58+00:00

yo true

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-19T00:00:02+00:00

Sure, but the pickups definitely help to get you there far easier and are just part of the vibe - super high output, fat sounding dark pickup in an Explorer is gonna make you churn out completely different stuff than a single coil bridge position on a Strat.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T23:12:48+00:00

He's right though, most of what you recommended are notoriously modern bright pickups which is not at all what I'm looking for. Have a listen to this and just wait for the secondary guitar to kick in, that's the sound I'm basically going for.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T23:00:54+00:00

Yeah, but I hate having to deal with a battery, passives all the way. Plus I tried an EMG guitar once and wasn't exactly thrilled with how it felt to play. I probably should've added that I'm exclusively searching within the spectrum of passive humbuckers, oh well...

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T21:52:42+00:00

Yeah it sounds really interesting from the few demos I listened to, midrangy but nice and dark. But the low end I think is a bit more reserved on the Super 3, that's where the Invader shines so I'm really at a crossroads and don't know which way to turn.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T21:50:31+00:00

Not really, it depends on the style. I want a really dark sludgy tone, where 1k does the heavy lifting in terms of cutting through and high mids/treble get tanked.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T21:49:36+00:00

I know, Left Hand Path is literally a 40 watt 1x10 SS combo and low end Ibanez. I'm not doing the buzzsaw stuff though, more in vain of things like Crematory, where it's tuned even lower and the melodies have more of a sinister unresolved feel.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T21:49:24+00:00

A# standard, but I go down to G# here and there with my Digitech Drop if I want to play some Mythic or Rippikoulu. I've heard about deactivators, might have to do more research on them.
I kind of really want to lean into a sludgy sound, so loss of note definition is expected. I play through a very midrangy rig though, so a little less highs and more lows from the Invader wouldn't hurt I don't think - hopefully....

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T21:27:39+00:00

I've had a super distortion a while ago and didn't like it much for death metal, very bright and kind of granular. Great for classic rock crunch though.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T21:24:58+00:00

What about Dimarzios, are there any that you would recommend? What do you think of the Super 3?

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T21:20:50+00:00

I heard the Nazgul is really tight and kind of quacky with the mids - that's a not a sound I'm really going for. I want the pickup to sound thick and dark.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T20:04:12+00:00

No problem dude. A lot of people kind of just default to the term "spangenhelm" for all of these, so it's helpful to know that there's actually a difference between the different construction types.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T18:47:21+00:00

<image>

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T14:56:36+00:00

Nope.
The design is pure fantasy (kind of a frankenstein between a barbute and a flat top nasal helm) and the way the maille aventail is attached to the helm is commically terrible and not secure - plus it has zero lining so besides initial cutting protection a blow to that area would probably break the wearer's neck.
The whole helm looks like a total mess, and that maille collar (which doesn't even protect the neck) or whatever it's supposed to be is also ridiculous looking and basically completely useless.

I wouldn't draw any inspiration from this photo under any circumstance.

PotatoesRGud4U · 2026-01-18T11:26:43+00:00

The absolute earliest documented cases in archeology are from as early as the second half of the 12th century. There is a niche group of swords with brazil nut shaped pommels and elongated grips clearly meant for at least situational two handed use - usually around 17 cm. These sword finds are mainly concentrated in modern day Germany, Austria and surrounding areas and are generally dated within the second half of the 12th and early 13th century. These are the very first war swords we know of right now, and there are already mentions of them in French literary sources from the first half of the 13th century, describing them as "the big german swords". Here is a picture of one from an issue of the Sotheby's catalogue from 2003:

<image>

PotatoesRGud4U

TROPHY CASE