05-28-2007, 09:41 AM
Khairete!
OK, so I'm making a linothorax...I've read all the linothorax threads, the leather armor threads, the padded armor/subarmalis threads, and the one on armor penetration and resistance. There is a LOT of information there, and in the process I've had to re-evaluate things several times. The sad thing is, in spite of all the research and experimentation, the linothorax remains something of an enigma, requiring a reconstructionist to improvise based on speculation and hypothesis.
I decided to use linen for my linothorax...as several others have pointed out, why call it a linothorax if it isn't made of linen. Quite a few modern reconstructionists have used leather, but this often seems to be motivated by a desire to ease/speed up construction, or for reasons of economy (they had the leather and didn't want to spend $$ on linen). The arguement that the ancient greeks wouldn't have grown linen seems very weak...after all, flax is fairly easy to grow (I've done it) and it provides food, fiber, and oil crops. Flax seeds and flaxseed oil are edible and provide important nutrients (B-series vitamins, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and omega3 fatty acids). Flax fiber is much easier to process than cotton, has a MUCH longer and stronger staple, and is one of the few vegetable fibers that does not lose strength when wet. Linseed oil is an excellent wood finish/preservative, and the flowers and roots of the flax plant can be used to make a blue/green dye (this is why I've grown flax...my wife enjoys dyeing with natural dyes that she processes herself...she also likes cooking from the garden, so I can vouch for the edibility of flax seeds
)
The second major question is whether to glue or quilt the linen. Experimental evidence suggests that quilting is superior in protection, and several very knowlegable persons have opined that glueing was never used. However, I hesitate to accept this as fact...mostly because of the huge body of artistic evidence. Certainly, quilting multiple layers of linen can result in a very stiff fabric that will give you "springy" epomides, but this type of quilting is also very visible and distinct...and while I am well aware of the pitfalls of using artistic evidence, the ancient greeks were NOT shy or hesitant about showing details of fabric and drapery in their art. The fact is that most depictions of linothoraxes do not show indications of quilting. I would also note that the placement and length of the pteruges indicate something stiffer than quilted fabric (and if you're quilting it, why not use pleats and gores for flexibility rather than separate pteruges?)
Glued layers of linen result in a much more rigid material (while still remaining at least somewhat flexible). Tests show this actually degrades the defensive properties, but IMO would have some advantages. Blows and impacts that did not penetrate the armor would be less likely to bruise, as it would spread and diffuse the impact trauma more. Stiffer armor also has more of a "crumple zone" factor to absorb impacts (and unlike metal corselets, glued linen could be "popped" back out easily, possibly doing so by itself). Finally, IMO stiffer armor would be more comfortable in the press of close order combat, especially if you subscribe to the theory of othismos (which I do!)
It did occur to me that one could combine the two techniques, making the linothorax with the outer layers glued and the inner layers quilted. The more I considered this, the more attractive it seemed, so I whipped up a quick test sample (four layers glued, one transition layer that was both glued and quilted, four quilted layers, all layers turned 45 degrees from previous layers...I say quick, but this actually took a while to do). Then I tested vs 9 layers unquilted, 9 layers unquilted but turned 45deg, and 4 layers glued and turned (it takes a while for glue to dry, so 4 layers glued was the thickest I had at the moment...I'm glueing up more test peices now). I put the test pieces on a block of dense foam used in shipping electronics, and attempted to punch thru them with a T-handled awl. I could punch thru the 4 glued layers fairly easily, and also thru the 9 unturned layers (tho not very deeply unless I continued to PUSH). I could not punch thru either of the other pieces and could only PUSH thru by using both hands and pressing HARD. The composite glued/quilted peice performed quite well, better than I had thought it would, and I am preparing bigger, thicker samples to test.
I had earlier decided to glue the linen on a round form, as described by Matthew Amt, to prevent any problems with delamination, and had even started building a rig to make construction easier, but the decision to use a composite glued/quilted construction made me reevaluate. I had noticed that Peter Connolly, in Greece and Rome at War p58, shows the linothorax 'body' as being constructed from front, back, and side sections or 'plates', and many of the better-looking modern reconstructions also use this method. Since I am using a quilted 'core,' it will be much easier and cheaper to make 'plates' and attach them to the core, rather than gluing up one long piece (especially since I do plan to rotate the grain of the fabric 45 degrees with each layer).
I've noticed that most people seem to make their linothorax in white, but I'm strongly considering having my wife dye the linen scarlet with some cochinial dye she made, and triming it in black (walnut husks with an iron mordant). I believe these dyes (or a very near equivalent, such as kermes instead of cochineal) would have been available to the ancient greeks.
I would also like to use pteruges around the upper arms/shoulders, but am not sure how to attach them (surely not to the epomides, eh?)
Also, did anyone ever test the salt treatment of Diaz (which was for cotton) on linen? What were the results?
Sorry for the long post, thanks for reading
Archimedes
OK, so I'm making a linothorax...I've read all the linothorax threads, the leather armor threads, the padded armor/subarmalis threads, and the one on armor penetration and resistance. There is a LOT of information there, and in the process I've had to re-evaluate things several times. The sad thing is, in spite of all the research and experimentation, the linothorax remains something of an enigma, requiring a reconstructionist to improvise based on speculation and hypothesis.
I decided to use linen for my linothorax...as several others have pointed out, why call it a linothorax if it isn't made of linen. Quite a few modern reconstructionists have used leather, but this often seems to be motivated by a desire to ease/speed up construction, or for reasons of economy (they had the leather and didn't want to spend $$ on linen). The arguement that the ancient greeks wouldn't have grown linen seems very weak...after all, flax is fairly easy to grow (I've done it) and it provides food, fiber, and oil crops. Flax seeds and flaxseed oil are edible and provide important nutrients (B-series vitamins, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and omega3 fatty acids). Flax fiber is much easier to process than cotton, has a MUCH longer and stronger staple, and is one of the few vegetable fibers that does not lose strength when wet. Linseed oil is an excellent wood finish/preservative, and the flowers and roots of the flax plant can be used to make a blue/green dye (this is why I've grown flax...my wife enjoys dyeing with natural dyes that she processes herself...she also likes cooking from the garden, so I can vouch for the edibility of flax seeds
) The second major question is whether to glue or quilt the linen. Experimental evidence suggests that quilting is superior in protection, and several very knowlegable persons have opined that glueing was never used. However, I hesitate to accept this as fact...mostly because of the huge body of artistic evidence. Certainly, quilting multiple layers of linen can result in a very stiff fabric that will give you "springy" epomides, but this type of quilting is also very visible and distinct...and while I am well aware of the pitfalls of using artistic evidence, the ancient greeks were NOT shy or hesitant about showing details of fabric and drapery in their art. The fact is that most depictions of linothoraxes do not show indications of quilting. I would also note that the placement and length of the pteruges indicate something stiffer than quilted fabric (and if you're quilting it, why not use pleats and gores for flexibility rather than separate pteruges?)
Glued layers of linen result in a much more rigid material (while still remaining at least somewhat flexible). Tests show this actually degrades the defensive properties, but IMO would have some advantages. Blows and impacts that did not penetrate the armor would be less likely to bruise, as it would spread and diffuse the impact trauma more. Stiffer armor also has more of a "crumple zone" factor to absorb impacts (and unlike metal corselets, glued linen could be "popped" back out easily, possibly doing so by itself). Finally, IMO stiffer armor would be more comfortable in the press of close order combat, especially if you subscribe to the theory of othismos (which I do!)
It did occur to me that one could combine the two techniques, making the linothorax with the outer layers glued and the inner layers quilted. The more I considered this, the more attractive it seemed, so I whipped up a quick test sample (four layers glued, one transition layer that was both glued and quilted, four quilted layers, all layers turned 45 degrees from previous layers...I say quick, but this actually took a while to do). Then I tested vs 9 layers unquilted, 9 layers unquilted but turned 45deg, and 4 layers glued and turned (it takes a while for glue to dry, so 4 layers glued was the thickest I had at the moment...I'm glueing up more test peices now). I put the test pieces on a block of dense foam used in shipping electronics, and attempted to punch thru them with a T-handled awl. I could punch thru the 4 glued layers fairly easily, and also thru the 9 unturned layers (tho not very deeply unless I continued to PUSH). I could not punch thru either of the other pieces and could only PUSH thru by using both hands and pressing HARD. The composite glued/quilted peice performed quite well, better than I had thought it would, and I am preparing bigger, thicker samples to test.
I had earlier decided to glue the linen on a round form, as described by Matthew Amt, to prevent any problems with delamination, and had even started building a rig to make construction easier, but the decision to use a composite glued/quilted construction made me reevaluate. I had noticed that Peter Connolly, in Greece and Rome at War p58, shows the linothorax 'body' as being constructed from front, back, and side sections or 'plates', and many of the better-looking modern reconstructions also use this method. Since I am using a quilted 'core,' it will be much easier and cheaper to make 'plates' and attach them to the core, rather than gluing up one long piece (especially since I do plan to rotate the grain of the fabric 45 degrees with each layer).
I've noticed that most people seem to make their linothorax in white, but I'm strongly considering having my wife dye the linen scarlet with some cochinial dye she made, and triming it in black (walnut husks with an iron mordant). I believe these dyes (or a very near equivalent, such as kermes instead of cochineal) would have been available to the ancient greeks.
I would also like to use pteruges around the upper arms/shoulders, but am not sure how to attach them (surely not to the epomides, eh?)
Also, did anyone ever test the salt treatment of Diaz (which was for cotton) on linen? What were the results?
Sorry for the long post, thanks for reading
Archimedes
Wesley Guillory
