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mattmaus β Phrygian 5
Published: 2009-07-04 17:44:52 +0000 UTC; Views: 7925; Favourites: 84; Downloads: 147
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Description
This is an interpretation of an Italio-Norman spade faced phrygian helmet that I recently completed as part of a trade. It is severely modified in overall shape and design in order that it can pass inspection for SCA combat.The skull is a 2 piece bowl that I purchased. I've dished enough of my own by now that I prefer to let someone else handle the 'grunt' work so I can spend more energy on the details.
The mail drape attached to it is one of Master Knut's welded stainless aventails. So I can't take credit for it either (beyond mounting it on the helmet anyway).
The helmet is constructed from various thicknesses of mild steel ranging from 16 gage to 10 gage depending on location and application. The brass is all recycled kick plates for doors.
The pierce work was done with a jewelers saw and needle files. The engraved lines were done with a customized cold chisel.
And despite my complete lack of photographic skill, I think this is both an impressive and intimidating shot.
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Comments: 18
nice work!
I use to have a Hatchface helmet, the guy that made it made it to forward heavy
this one looks likes it would be well balanced.
It's been years since I've been the SCA
Did the SCA change the sizing on the eye slotting?
Maybe it's just the photo but it looks larger then it use to be.
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Last I checked it was still the "must not allow a 1" dowel". These were about as wide as I could push them.
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ah.. so it hasn't changed then, must just be the way the photo looks then
looked like it was more then a 1" wide
You do amazing work on your stuff!
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Ah yes, the phrygian helmet first worn by the Hellenic armies under the command of Alexander the great, then reintroduced in the Eastern Roman (byzantine) army during the nikephorian and Macedonian dynasty, and then adopted by the Latinikon: by which it was composed of italo-Norman's and franks. And some may say it is a front runner of the great helm.
Β
Nice job, my friend, nice job.
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I'm pretty sure that at some point before I ever did it, I said "I wish I could do something like that."
Half of life is the courage to try.
The other half is not giving up... (or at least not goin down without a fight).
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-marvelling at the helmet, then riffling through comments-
Methinks youΒ΄re absolutely right. With the two halves of life and of course your approach to helmet- making.
But what I wanted to write initially: You did that (in italics) with a jewellerΒ΄s saw and needle files?
Erm... wow. I first enviously suspected: "The guy has a laser".
Your result simultaneously intimidates the wearerΒ΄s enemies as well as other metalworkers!
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Well... 2 jewelers saws. I had to bend one of them at about 90 degrees to allow the throat depth needed.
But... It's kinda not that impressive, otherwise. Really simple shapes, just lots of them. Triangles and squares. Much more "patience to endure the tedium" needed than skill. Even then, with the right size blade, waxed, 16g mild cuts pretty quick. I did that first, switching to the brass afterward, and it cut so easy I had to slow myself down so as not to "Ooops!".
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magnifique ! how mmany hours to realize this ?
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I really don't remember. I didn't keep track at all really. At least 100 hours, but... several of those were spent in contemplation and planning.
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I think I would be too much in awe to actually throw a shot at anyone wearing this helm. I would just stand there and they wailed on my face thinking all the while "what a pretty helm"
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Nah...
I built it to take a hit.
In fact, I built it to take lots of hits, for lots of years and years to come. Smack away.
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Incredible work, makes most of the armor I used to make look like the work of a bumbling apprentice. Nice touch having the aventail connected to the helmet using rivets along the edge, looks like many of the helmets depicted in period etchings and statues. I cringe to think what the brass work is going to look like once he starts fighting in it though. All that beautiful polished work getting scratched! That's always the problem with the nice stuff, everyone wants to be the first to dent/scratch it out on the field for bragging rights.
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Dear lord, that's impressive! I'd hate to be facing that guy in an arena
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Heh... arena wouldn't be so bad. He'd be alone then.
It's probably the most ostentatious piece I've ever done.
a friend described it as "the helmet of a man who is in charge of a large number of other men."
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Haha, I suppose that's true--I wouldn't want to face him on a battlefield, then! I have seen some pictures of pretty fancy armor on some skilled fighters, though
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Thanks.
The quantity and quality of explitives used fitting it on to the helmet were also pretty awesome.
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