?????? Helmet

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Guys,
The ear pieces are articulated with thick leather hinges. The metal is on average about 15mm thick. If I put the helmet on the earpieces are in the correct position for my ears. The lames are articulated but the curious support attached to them stops them coming nearer to the neck. The inside is painted black and it is most certainly handmade, no sign of machine cut or formed parts. The earpieces have provision for ties to secure onto the head. I cannot find evidence of a leather liner but if one were to wear an arming cap or similar I'm sure that would work well. The rivet heads are not identical with some showing signs of file type marks. I think the nasal bar screw might be hand cut rather than machine cut. I would be a bit more sure of this helmet had the bowl been deeper and more signs of machine working would have convinced me of a Victorian copy, but if you are making a copy why make the bowl shallow why hand work everything and why the odd support on the lobstertail??????. Many thanks to all who have taken the time to comment and voice their ideas, keep them coming.
My Regards,
Norman.
P.S. If anybody wants specific photos please just ask.

[Jim McDougall]

[QUOTE=Norman McCormick]Hi Guys,
The ear pieces are articulated with thick leather hinges. The metal is on average about 15mm thick. If I put the helmet on the earpieces are in the correct position for my ears. The lames are articulated but the curious support attached to them stops them coming nearer to the neck. The inside is painted black and it is most certainly handmade, no sign of machine cut or formed parts. The earpieces have provision for ties to secure onto the head. I cannot find evidence of a leather liner but if one were to wear an arming cap or similar I'm sure that would work well. The rivet heads are not identical with some showing signs of file type marks. I think the nasal bar screw might be hand cut rather than machine cut. I would be a bit more sure of this helmet had the bowl been deeper and more signs of machine working would have convinced me of a Victorian copy, but if you are making a copy why make the bowl shallow why hand work everything and why the odd support on the lobstertail??????. Many thanks to all who have taken the time to comment and voice their ideas, keep them coming.



Great description of the piece Norman, and it would seem that these elements may suggest it is of the period as far as I would think. In the limited reading I did I recall notes describing the many imports brought in from the Continent to supply troops during the Civil War period in England. Might this suggest that the production of armour during these times in England was unable to meet the need? If so, possibly local smiths or artisans might have tried to produce ersatz armour to individuals activating themselves in local militia type units.
I would expect that those more familiar with armour, especially of this period and more specifically English, might be able to confirm other such possible variants, and offer thoughts on this idea.

All best regards,
Jim

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for your observations I forgot to add that all the rivet holes have been punched through and not drilled.
My Regards,
Norman.

[Mark]

Is it possible that the support bands under the lobster tail were added later for display purposes? The rivets on the tail appear to be more rounded than on other parts of the helmet.

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Mark,
This had crossed my mind but the rivets are not significantly different to the ones on the visor and the metal of the 'support' and the lames look contemporary to one another. On very close inspection the 'support' is the mechanism that is keeping the lames together as they are not riveted to each other but each one individually to the 'support'. The more I look at this the more it becomes an enigma sometimes 'Victorian copy' sometimes older. I have asked myself why rivet the lames to a support for display it would display alright without the support, all the genuine ones I've seen don't need extra support for display. If it was meant to be used I can only think that maybe it is designed to accommodate some other item of clothing and/or armour or the smith was making from memory and not from plan/example. Keep the ideas coming, I would like to get to the bottom of this if possible. Thanks again guys.
My Regards,
Norman.
P.S. There is a hole in the crown of the helmet where a ring should be and there is also a hole at the rear possibly for a plume holder ?

[ward]

Dont know much about these so for what its worth I read some neck guards were made rigid later in the evolution maybe thiswas retrofitted for some reason.
Also the plate that connects the peak is really well done havent seen another like that.
Nice piece

[fernando]

Hi Norman,
Can i add here two more ( genuine) examples for your perusal?
The first one has four articulated blades. This is such one used during the British civil war, having been largely imported from the Nederlands, to equip the Royal troops.
The second example was a variation used by Harquebusiers and Light cavalry afected to the Parliament, headed by Cromwell, during English Republican revolution (1643-1660). Most probably a specimen produced in London by the couple Rafe Boulter and Silvester Keene, whom worked together until 1649. In this case the lobster tail is fix, showing five false blades. There is a 'porte plumes' on the bowl back. The perspective of this model gives us a clear idea why Cromwell troops were known as roundheads ... a term already quoted above.
(Text and pictures from 'As Armas e os Barões' by Eduardo Nobre).
I hope these examples are of minimum interest.
Fernando