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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War (Read 4576 times)
Penthesilea
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Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Mar 3rd, 2016 at 2:20am
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I've been babbling on another thread ( http://valcariasworld.com/cgi-bin//yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1393892008/220#220 ) about making a kit for a Samgaran Amazon and I'm about to start work on the first piece, the dagger known in the books as "Queen's Claw". "Hellion" will probably be next. After that I'm not sure. The minimum kit will consist of knife & scabbard, sword, belt and scabbard, a shield in the pelta style, breastplate, warskirt, neckguard (to discourage the vampires) armguards/bracers, shin guards, pauldrons/shoulder guards and a headband. I'll probably make a new quiver too.
Optional equipment includes a fighting staff, a spear, a handgun/blaster and holster (I bought the Nerf gun I'm going to adapt today), bags for food and water and a small general beltbag. These projects will involve woodworking, some fairly easy metalworking -- I'm NOT going to be forging my own blades! -- and a LOT of leatherworking including tooling. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to put each project in a separate thread or not. That decision would be easier to make if the software would permit subforums but this version doesn't so I gotta make like Winnie the Pooh and "think, think, think"! Anyway since basically only the armor would be acceptable in a LARP, I didn't want to put this info there so I'm going to put it here since it is ALL "creative" and if the next upgrade allows me to organize things like I want then I will.
My first project will be, as mentioned, the knife and scabbard. I haven't made all the decisions about it yet but as soon as I can get some small brass rods -- I need to make a couple of tools -- I'll start work and photograph my progress.
  

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Penthesilea
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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #1 - Mar 4th, 2016 at 2:26am
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I remarked elsewhere that I was wondering about Amazon helmets and looking for a leather helmet pattern. I didn't find one but I did find instructions on how to make a baseball cap which is close to what I'd want to make. According to surviving Greek art, Amazons didn't wear metal helmets as a rule. They wore caps which frankly, makes them look like smurfs.  Smiley Now there are some "later era" reconstructions like the helmet below that are considerably less "smurfy" but don't really fit in with the concept I have in mind. So a helmet is low priority. Still, this one makes me drool....
  

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Penthesilea
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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #2 - Mar 4th, 2016 at 2:27am
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If I DO make a helmet, it will likely look something like this.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #3 - Mar 4th, 2016 at 7:54pm
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Well, I've decided on a separate thread for each project, leaving this one for general babbling.
One thing I learned last night is that in surviving ancient Greek artwork -- including little girls' surviving Amazon dolls -- a majority of the Amazons depicted are redheads, probably because historical records of the Scythians and Thracians (believed to be the source of the Amazon legends) indicate that red hair was fairly common among them. They were also "tall" for the times -- five and a half feet. Which happens to be how tall "I" am.....

This pleases me. Smiley Skywise kinda likes the idea too.....
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #4 - Mar 5th, 2016 at 1:06am
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I've added a couple of steps to my shield construction document since I decided to go with the option of being able to sling it across my back which requires an additional strap. After reading how many Amazon skeletons recovered from excavated graves have left arms that are broken or were broken and healed before death, I'm currently experimenting with adding steel reinforcement in the bracers I plan to make. That will make them rather heavy but hey... a little extra weight will provide me with a mild arm workout every time I wear them! They need to function both as vambraces and archery armguards although if I shoot correctly, the bow string "shouldn't" hit my forearm.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #5 - Mar 5th, 2016 at 2:08am
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Okay. I "think" I've figured out how to reinforce the bracers with steel. This is definitely gonna be a "trial and error" project. Fortunately, I've figured out how to minimize wasting leather.
I think.... Like I said, "trial and error".
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #6 - Mar 5th, 2016 at 3:08am
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I've written out the "trial and error" instructions for the steel reinforced bracers. I'll put them in a removable liner which will also provide some padding for the arm.

Skywise was going to download the "Amazons" episode of PBS's Secrets of the Dead but I found it on DVD on Amazon and ordered it. The Gods only know how long it would take to download. Not to mention the fact that the download could "fail" and we'd have to start over. So, DVD it is.

Working on this project has saved megabytes and kept my mind from dwelling on what happened on this day in '07. Instead I'm going to concentrate on what lies ahead in -- I hope -- the not to distant future.....
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #7 - Mar 7th, 2016 at 1:15am
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Skywise and I worked on the shield design this afternoon. The cardboard prototype is smaller than the shield I'm going to make but it allowed us to figure out how big/deep the "bite" should be. Now I'll draw out a sketch that will fit in the scanner so I can post it when I get to that project.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #8 - Mar 7th, 2016 at 6:08pm
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*nose in the air* I skipped ahead in the book I'm reading and discovered that not only did the ancient Greeks believe that the Amazons were the first people to domesticate horses they also credited them with inventing trousers! And tunics!! Something the Greeks really needed since "underwear" wasn't common and exposure of... ahem... things better left covered happened fairly regularly. Fortunately, they eventually adopted the tunic which did a better job of keeping their man bits under wraps.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #9 - Mar 8th, 2016 at 4:56pm
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[pout] I want my sword blade. [/pout]
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #10 - Mar 9th, 2016 at 3:45am
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While waiting for Agents of SHIELD to come on, I put together one of the designs I'm considering painting on my shield. I colored it during the commercials. I have another to do but I probably won't get it done tonight unless Skywise is REALLY late. Maybe not then since the eyes could decide to give out before then.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #11 - Mar 9th, 2016 at 5:56pm
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Skywise saw the design I'd finished and immediately approved of it so that's the one I'll use. I'll still make up the second design. Who knows? I might make a second shield some time. I ordered something that will help me draw the 14 inch circle that goes in the middle of the design so I'll only have to sweat out drawing the 28 inch circle....
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #12 - Mar 11th, 2016 at 3:58am
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Well, after overcoming considerable "attitude" from both the copier and the scanner, I've gotten a diagram and an illustration into the computer and stored in the proper files. I've also decided on the central design for the back of my armor and for the warskirt. I'll make the transfers for the tooling one day when my eyes are being more cooperative than they're being tonight! Oh, and I've also managed to write a little today too....

Post #37,273
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #13 - Mar 12th, 2016 at 5:56am
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*screams* I WANT MY SWORD BLADE!!!!! Smiley Smiley
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #14 - Mar 15th, 2016 at 2:11am
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I found -- and ordered -- a set of patterns that contains pouches, greaves and an archery shooting glove (which is basically finger covers and straps to keep it on) so I don't have to go hunting online for instructions. The patterns are for heavy fabric but I can adapt them for use with leather -- no seams on the greaves after all and very few on the archery glove.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #15 - Mar 15th, 2016 at 2:52am
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And I STILL want my sword blade!
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #16 - Mar 16th, 2016 at 6:18pm
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I've delayed starting on my knife because a.) I wanted to know if I would be able to have cataract surgery and b.) I was undecided about the handle material. I wanted to use ebony but the piece I have isn't really suitable and making it "suitable" would be a lot of work. Ebony is an incredibly hard/dense wood and it takes a lot of work to shape it. I know this for a fact because I've made knives with ebony handles. So I thought I'd go with oak but... damn it. I want ebony. So I delayed and today, knowing that I "should" be able to see to finish all my projects, I found suitably sized ebony on Amazon and ordered it. I ordered two pieces: ⅝ by 1¾ by 8 inches long -- I'll have to cut a couple of inches off most likely but it can't be helped -- and I'll have to chisel out a hollow for the tang by hand. Tedious but better than trying to drill through a solid piece. (Ebony is murder on drill bits...) So things are a bit delayed but that will give me time to get the guard fitted correctly....  Smiley
« Last Edit: Mar 17th, 2016 at 2:25am by Penthesilea »  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #17 - Mar 17th, 2016 at 2:23am
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Iz happy. I was having a LOT of trouble with getting the guard for the knife to fit and I finally gave up and started over with a new one. Fortunately, I bought 3 identical ones, one for the sword and two spares. Anyway, I started on it late last night and worked on it from time to time today while thinking about the specifications of the new character that I need for Book 4. I finished up just a few minutes ago. I had to file on the blade a little bit to get the guard to fit like I want but it fits snugly but not so much so that I can't work it off, which I'll need to do since there is "country of origin" label on it that has to go but I'm using that to indicate the "underside" of the guard. I'll save the guard that didn't work. It may fit on the sword and if it doesn't, it may work for a future project.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #18 - Mar 21st, 2016 at 6:21pm
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I found a black, "vintage style" rucksack on Amazon that fits in with my "amazon concept". I considered making one from scratch but after figuring in cost of materials, the time and aggravation involved in FINDING said materials and my labor compared to the cost of buying one, it came out about even. I'll put in some labor "customizing" it so it fits in with the rest of my gear but that won't be nearly as much as I'd do if I were making it myself. Not to mention the fact that my sewing machine "might" not be up to the job.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #19 - Mar 25th, 2016 at 1:02am
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I got a book of Celtic designs for craftspeople today and it does have some relatively simple designs that I can use for my armor. The more complex/"busy" designs won't work for tooling because of the tiny details but some of the border designs should work. Since I'll be doing the tooling on the armor's "reinforcement" pieces, if I make a mistake I won't ruin the whole thing, just the little "probably no bigger than my palm" reinforcement piece and I'll be able to practice until I get it perfect. 
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #20 - Mar 25th, 2016 at 3:01am
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Well, I went and checked out my quiver and while it will do for "real" archery practice, it won't do for larping. For one thing, it looks too "modern" so I've added another item to my "To Make" list and I'm looking for references online while the pizza dough rises.....
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #21 - Mar 25th, 2016 at 5:34am
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Found several interesting ideas for quivers. None are perfect for my needs so I'll be using them as references while I design my own.
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #22 - Mar 26th, 2016 at 2:13am
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Still trying to combine all the features I like into a larp suitable quiver if I decide to be a larp archer. It looks like the hardest part -- aside from sewing the long seam -- is finding a section of pvc pipe with a 5 inch diameter to mold the quiver on. If it becomes too difficult, I'll probably change the design but I DO want a wooden bottom in the quiver which sorta dictates the size. Since I happen to have a wooden round that's 5 inches in diameter and ¾ of an inch thick I'm wanting to use it.
Cutting circles by hand is the pits....
  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #23 - Mar 27th, 2016 at 3:15am
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The new vise is in use. I put one of the ebony pieces in it and I'm smoothing out the saw marks. Coarse grit sandpaper wasn't touching it so I went after it with a wood rasp and I now have the grooves "rasped" off. I'll work with the rasp a little longer then switch to sandpaper to get the smooth sorta shiny finish I know is possible.
I've also made headway on the knife scabbard so my "crafty-self" is pleased.


Post # 64,444 for the site
« Last Edit: Mar 29th, 2016 at 7:08pm by Penthesilea »  

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Re: Amazon Style: The Full Panopy of War
Reply #24 - Mar 29th, 2016 at 6:19pm
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Decided to start over on the scabbard. I ran into some very aggravating problems with the design -- which was new -- and I'm going back to an old design that I know works.

In other news, now that I know -- or at least have been told -- that after surgery I "should" be able to go without glasses for everything except reading/computer work/any kind of "close work" I'm seriously considering moving "helmet" from the "optional" category to the "required" category. What I make probably won't be as elaborately decorated as the one below but it I'm intending for it to have an added nose guard and cheek guards like this one. And black. It MUST be black. A "tail" is also a possibility......
« Last Edit: Mar 29th, 2016 at 7:50pm by Penthesilea »  

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