Austrian Zischägge/lobsterpot helmet

[Victrix]

Originally Posted by Raf

Thank you Fernando for making an important point. The center leather strap , if present is their to help control the articulation of the lames. The rivits securing the leather are not the same as the decorative dome headed rivits on the outside of the lames. These are normally quite high up towards the top edge of the lame often in conjunction with a central peak to the lame . Since the lames have to overlap if the dome headed rivits were used to secure the leather strap then they would have to pass through both overlapping lames in which case they would not articulate. Their are plenty of examples of Zischagges with single piece tails embossed to simulate articulated tails. These are normally rigidly fixed to the helmet and shorter so as not to interfere with the movement of the head. Longer tails are articulated for the same reason. That is the longer tail provides better protection to the neck without inhibiting movement.

Thank you for clarifying this Raf. Can you confirm if the overlapping lames are riveted together at the far left and right sides or are they just hanging free on the leather straps? The attached first two pictures seem to show that the lames are riveted together at the far sides. Do they use tracking rivet holes to allow extra movement?

Can you show how much movement these articulating lames allowed in the lobstertail neck guard? Do you think many lobstertail neck guards were immobilized in more recent times for restoration purposes?

The last picture shows a solid plate neck guard with simulated lames which nevertheless also has leather straps on the inside even though it doesn’t have any lames to articulate.