(click on image to enlarge)This is the letter I got today from Susanna, the female Finnish fighter whom I made that armour for several months ago. Its nice to get praise once in a while...grin!
Hi Bill,
My armour arrived today. I retrieved it at Customs Mail Office - the duty was 20% of the price, fortunately it was Canadian dollars :)
My armour arrived today. I retrieved it at Customs Mail Office - the duty was 20% of the price, fortunately it was Canadian dollars :)
Anyway, I test-fitted it. Unfortunately the package had been damaged on shipping (compressed) and the cuirass was bent inwards on sides. Fortunately it wasn't hardened steel, and I bent it back to shape. I test-fitted it, and it sure was made to my measures!
My first impression was: "Wauu! AWESOME!!!"
Funnily enough, I looked absolutely femme in armour. The armour makes an impression of narrow waist and wide hips. My estimate is that it would make nice armour for late 15th century man-at-arms. The tassets are a nice bit, albeit not really necessary for SCA melee, as most blows are directed either to head or upper torso. But for parades or posing for photographs they are just right.
Perhaps I should change my SCA persona to late 15th century Burgundian? I could then legitimately join the Ordonnance Company - and wear those nice Burgundian dresses with hennin headgear :-)
Since I am a kendoka in the mundane life, I will mostly fight with two-handed weapons (longsword and poleaxe), and shield is no issue. I will send you some photographs of me soon.
All in all, my iron sickness (a Finnish term for craving new fighting gear) seems to be cured for now. Perhaps I will next year order a late 15th century sallet or barbuta for helmet?
Catarina de Montemartin, mundanely known as Susanna V________.
1 comment:
See, now thats the kind of person I never meet. I have this impression that people who do things like SCA are -- well, they don't get out much, don't react well with the real world, all of that. But reading what that woman says made me think 'you know, Bill, you're being WAY too harsh. This is a real person, and she sounds pretty interesting.' Huh. It changed my image of who and what SCA is. After all, if I can understand why people might want to debate how a functional warp drive would actually work, why not cut the same slack to SCA and what's important to them?
Made me think -- which is not that easy!
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