Latest News

13 Nov 2010 | Arming Doublet: A look underneath the armour

The arming doublet is the foundation of any 15th century man-at-arms' plate armour. The design that I wear was developed over eight months of testing by Gwen Norich of Black Swan Designs culminating in a final test at the Sword of Honour Jousts at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. It is based on the explanatory text of the Hastings Manuscript and the portrait of Don Inigo de Mendoza by Jorge Ingles (c. 1450) where he is depicted wearing an arming doublet that closes in the front and at the wrist with points and has spiral lacing in back for a secure fit. Wrinkles can make it very uncomfortable after ...

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13 Nov 2010 | Pollaxe: A more knightly weapon

Though the sword has long been seen as the very symbol of knighthood, during the height of armour the pollaxe appears to have become the weapon of choice on the battlefield. The sword has remained the romanticized symbol of chivalry to this day, but the fact is that it was not very effective against a heavily armoured foe. In a one on one duel or small melée, a skilled man-at-arms could parry and thrust until he was able to maneuver his opponent to expose an opening in his armour. On a battlefield such a feat would be immensely more difficult. Mounted or against common foot soldiers, the ...

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13 Nov 2010 | Swordplay: Mastering the Medieval longsword

When I first moved to the Chicago area in the summer of 2002, I knew that there would have to be more people interested in Medieval history that there were in South Texas. I immediately started looking on the Internet for a group to join. I happened across the official site of the Chicago Swordplay Guild and new I had discovered something unique.

I attended their next meeting on the grounds of Pulaski Park. I was delighted to meet a couple dozen like minded souls who had a fascination for the Middle Ages and, more importantly, swordfighting. The students were scholars ...

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13 Nov 2010 | Richard Beauchamp: The Earl of Warwick

Richard de Beauchamp (1382-1439) was born at Salwarpe in Worcestershire, the son of Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, and Margaret, daughter of the 3rd Lord Ferrers of Groby. Soon after reaching his majority and taking responsibility for the Earldom in 1403, he had to defend against a Welsh rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr. In the summer of 1404 he rode into what is today Monmouthshire at the head of a force and engaged Welsh forces at the Battle of Mynydd Cwmdu, near Tretower Castle a few miles northwest of Crickhowell. There he nearly captured Owain Glyndwr himself ...

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13 Nov 2010 | Longsword: Custom Christian Fletcher design

I wanted an authentic, reproduction long sword, so I decided to commission a period sword and scabbard from one of the leading names in custom arms, Christian Fletcher. I chose the Albion “Baron” sword as a base with a faceted grip, Type 6 guard and etched pommel and decorative insets.

To make it appear more like an heirloom, I also requested antiquing of the metal and leather dyes. It was accompanied ...

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11 Nov 2010 | Busting Hollywood Myths: Everything you heard is probably wrong

At some time or another, you have probably heard some of these popular misconceptions about knights in shining armour. Some have been around for centuries, the result of simple ignorance by collectors who tried to assemble mismatched pieces of armour adding rivets and straps where they thought they should go. Others have been more recent fantasies, dreamt up by Hollywood writers and self-proclaimed historical novelists. The reality is much more interesting. The Medieval knight in armour was the pinnacle of warfare for several centuries during a chaotic, often dangerous era. He was ...

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11 Nov 2010 | Cost of Armour: The actual cost of a fifteenth century suit of armour

The one quesion that invariably arises any time someone sees my harness is "How much did you pay for your suit of armour?" While I am not going to divulge the actual price tag that came with it, I would like to provide you with a brief look at the standard price of armour during the later part of the Middle Ages, specifically the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

There are a number of contemporary sources that may be referenced in order to get an accurate idea of the cost of armour during that period. The chief source of income for nobles and gentry was through the collection of rents and taxes...

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11 Nov 2010 | Armourer's Mark: Proof that quality control is nothing new

Charles Ffoulkes in The Armourer and His Craft From the XIth to the XVIth Century (1912) stated that the mark or poinçon of the armourer "invariably means that the piece is of good workmanship and worthy of notice." The armourer's guild was no different than the other Medieval craft guilds. It was very jealous of the repuation of its members. In fine suits of armour one will find that the individual pieces that make up the harness will all be stamped with the maker's mark and, in the case of German and Burgundian work, often that of the town as well. ...

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11 Nov 2010 | Medieval Arming Points: The ties that binds armour

The interlocking plates in a suit of armour need to be held close to the wearer in order to allow freedom of movement. If they are allowed to shift around and slide down or ride up, it will not only be uncomfortable but may also hinder movement at a critical time. For much of the 14th and 15th centuries, the legs and arms where attached directly to the arming doublet or pourpoint by laces called points.

As documented in the Hastings Manuscript, these points were made of "fine twine such as that used to make strings ...

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10 Nov 2010 | The Iron Man Cometh: Earl of Warwick harness finally completed

Let me begin in the middle of the story. If you are one of those who simply cannot enjoy a television show that you did not tune in to at the very beginning, you are probably going to be a little disappointed here. In this space I just want to tell you how it came to be that I found myself spending countless hours drooling over digital images of cold, lifeless steel being hammered into a brilliant, creation of smooth surfaces and graceful lines. Of course I am talking about Medieval armour being forged from sheets of ordinary metal into true works of art. To understand where that unrepressed dream was ...

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10 Oct 2010 | Beginning the Search
Steve Colson of Brentwood, California, has spent quite a bit of time doing DNA research on his branch of the Colson family, specifically median-joining network analysis on Celtic motif haplotypes. His halpotype fits into that Celtic motif, although his first known Colson ancestor lived in the Fenlands of England. His theory is that his Colson ancestors served the Bishopric of Dunkeld (in modern-day Perthshire, Scotland) and left with Waltheof, Lord of Alledale and Abbot of Crowland Abbey (Lincolnshire, England) somewhere between the years 1126 and 1138.
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26 Sep 2010 | Some content unavailable
During the transition to the new template style, some content will be temporarily unavailable. Sorry for the inconvenience. Eventually, the old pages will be permanently removed. In the mean time, some pages that are still accessible through Google and similar search engines may have broken links or missing images. Again, thank you for your patience.

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26 Sep 2010 | Lonnie 4.0 Launches in Beta
After a two-year hiatus, I decided it is time to give my personal site a makeover. Much of the initial content will be articles from the last few years re-organized into the new template. Afterwards, I hope to continue to expand the site to include even more details of my interests and fascinations.