There is nowhere for the novice or intermediate armourer to turn for basic information on the craft of armouring. In this major new work Brian R. Price, an armour with nearly two decades experience, demonstrates the basic and intermediate techniques necessary to produce armour for re-enactors and collectors, focusing on armour of the transitional period.

Forward by David Edge, curator of the Wallace Collection, with metallurgical contributions by Dr. Alan Williams, Archeometallurgist at the Wallace. Never before seen study photographs from the Wallace collection, Schloss Churburg, the Royal Armouries at Leeds, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Valeria Museum in Sitten, Switzerland.

This is the first book of its kind, one of a series that will introduce the armourer to the long-lost techniques of this fascinating craft. This book focuses on novice and intermediate techniques; follow-on books will offer patterns for the transitional period (and the 13th century) and follow the construction of two full cap a pied, both from the 15th century, one in the German and one in the Milanese style, both without recourse to modern techniques.
 

Part I introduces the armourer's art, talks about the armourer in history, discusses armouring for collectors and for reenactors, and presents a gallery of work by modern armourers.
Part II discusses the armourer's workshop, tools, research and calibration of both the hammerand the eye.
Part III breaks apart specific techniques. Sample chapters: taking measurements; design, patterning & fitting; cutting & deburring; basic hammerwork; enhancing techniques (creasing, edge-rolling, fluting); riveting & welding; raising--the cornerstone technique; articulation & joinery; latches, catches, hinges & buckles; grinding & polishing; decorative enhancements (bluing & blacking, latten trim, punchwork, casting, engraving, etching, gilding); strapping & leatherwork; arming clothes, padding & arming points; weaving mail (including riveted mail); working in cuirboille; caring for finished armour.
Part IV ppresents start-to-finish projects using the above techniques. Chapters include: Armour of the 14th century; helmets (heaulm, chapel-de-fer, klappvisored bascinet); cuirasses (wisby coat of plates, churburg #13 segmented breastplate); arm harness (a simple spaulder and fully enclosed arm harness); finger gauntlets; and a leg harness and frontal greave. The appendices contain a list of modern armourers, suppliers, museums, organizations and publications, plus a glossary.

1032+ photographs and high-quality technical illustrations, never-before seen research photographs from major European collections, tools, techniques and step-by-step projects working through a complete harness of the 14th century (the gauntlets and helmet in the cover illustration above are projects from the book, along with the samples below).

Future volumes are in progress including "Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction Pattern Book: European Armour prior to the 15th century" and "Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction II: Milanese Armour of the 15th century".
 

Klappvisor bascinet from chapter 30	From the chapter 32-- The Arm Harness	From chapter 25-- Arming Clothes	From Chapter xx Cutting & Deburring
Mid-course raising of the Klappvisor above	From the chapter on taking measurments	From Chapter 15-- Basic Hammerwork	From Chapter 6-- Tools
From Chapter 16-- Forming Enhancements	From Chapter 4-- The Modern Armourers (Wade Allen's work)	From Chapter 20-- Ariculation & Joinery	From Chapter 31-- Wisby #7 coat of plates

From Chapter 33--Gauntlets	From Chapter 22-- Strapping & Leatherwork	From Chapter 30-- Lining for the Chapel de Fer
From Chapter 16-- Forming Enhancements	From Chapter 15-- Basic Hammerwork	From Chapter 15-- Basic Hammerwork
From Chapter 34-- The Legharness	From Chapter 6-- Tools	From Chapter 30-- The Helmet
From Chapter 18-- Hinges, Latches, & Catches	From Chapter 21-- Mail	From Chapter 18-- Riveting & Welding
From Chapter 19-- Raising	From Chapter 16-- Forming Enhancements	From Chapter 32-- The Arm Harness
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