Hi, i'm Oscar, from the Netherlands. Kinda developed some curiosity, the intriguing kind, in the Roman ages. I've made the first step by purchasing a Gallic H-type helmet from Deepeeka, mainly for display purposes (maybe reenacting some day). I once hired a complete legionary's armour for a themed party (not the party plastic thingys, the real deal). Also i did A LOT of research on the internet on what to do and to avoid when preparing to become a Roman Legionary.
My question:
I would love to have a crest on my new helmet, one of them feathery things
No really. I have some good descriptions on how to build my own helmet crest. But it handles horsehair, and i really want to build one with feathers. I also want the feathers to be not too stiff, so the crest looks more fluffy.
Could you provide me with some information about dimensions, materials, what kind of feathers to use or not to use?
Thanks!
p.s.: my english can be a little vague sometimes... different country yknow? Oh and i hope i have posted in the right section...
Don't worry, your English is great. And your crest idea is fine, too. Basically I'd make the block the same as for a horsehair crest, since that's going to fit the typical crest support. Just drill the holes to fit the feathers, and glue them in place. MUCH faster and less tedious than using horsehair!
The tricky part will be finding the right feathers. Most of us use the stiff kind (probably goose), and of course they are curved a little, so you have to decide how to handle that. If your feathers are fluffier, it's a little easier since they can all "lean" outwards without looking silly. But I don't know what kind of feathers you'll want! Did the Romans know about ostriches? (I think they might have had some in the arena now and then?) Peacock? It could be quite a crest!!
Oskar, i dont know where you live in the Netherlands, because here in Maastricht you can buy duckfeathers for a nice price on week market, in all kind of collors, wego and use them for several crest general and gladiator. so if you can find them there.
AgrimensorLVCIVS FLAVIVS SINISTER
aka Jos Cremers
member of CORBVLO
ESTE NIX PAX CRISTE NIX
Thanks for the fast replies. I live in Zwolle, that's quite a journey to Maastricht then...
I was thinking about pearlhen feathers or fluffy goosefeathers. The only thing i need to know is how big the feathers need to be and if its possible to dye them red or so... Oh and about how much do i need?
@Journey from Zwolle to Maastricht. You don't have to go that far. Just 'onder de rivieren' will be enough. Just go there where Carnaval makes people go crazy (sorry guys, no bad feeling intended)
@dying feather. This shouldn't be any problem. Just use fabric dye (powder) that you can add to solution and follow the guide of the product you're using (make sure you use dye that doesn't need to be headed, though)
@quantities: all depends on how big your cresta should be, and how far apart you want to place the feathers. Just get some and do a small trial piece
________________________________________ Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma CORBVLO and Fectio ALA I BATAVORUM
Well the main thing i want is to let it look in proportion. I was thinking about feathers from 15-20 cm... i'll order soms materials on internet (found a vendor on eBay for the feathers)... I'll keep you posted
ok. Having a really hard time finding suitable feathers. when browsing around i came across this: [img width=500]http://operatorchan.org/k/arch/src/k135176_CC%20Roman%20Centurion%20at%20a%20historical%20reenactment-%20Fr.jpg[/img]
Hey, he's pretty impressive, except for the Hollywood bracers! (Not sure about the camera bag, either...) But so far I don't know of any evidence for Roman striped crests. The Greeks certainly used stripes or bands, but nothing so far shows the Romans doing that. So I'd stick with one color. The advantage with a centurion's crest is that all the feathers can lean or curve backwards or forwards--it's a little trickier with a front-to-back crest.
Good luck, though!
Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/