Twined Linothorax

[Feinman]

Thanks Ivor! 

[Feinman]

Accidentally lost my post, so I'm going to post pics and explain what is next a bit later!

   

   

   

[Dan Howard]

Looking good.

[Feinman]

Looking good.

Thanks Dan!

[Feinman]

It's... Pteryge Purgatory!! Pics when some more are done.

[Feinman]

Pteryge pics on Monday! I found a way to make them much more easily (thank the gods). Your gonna love 'em.

[Feinman]

Some finished pteryges with a pic of the back of one.  These will be the bottom layer of pteryges on the back of the armour.
I took off the holidays from any kind of project to just take it easy for a bit, but now I'm back.
I give up trying to rotate the pics to make them right side up.

   



   

[Feinman]

Looks like I am out of linen fabric for facing, running low on the off-white linen cord, and I need to buy a full roll of the "Country Red" linen cord to attach the red leather edgings. Expensive supplies. I might be able to buy a yard or so of linen to get more pteryges done with the remainder of the off-white cord, but it might be a couple of pay periods before I get all of those supplies --tapped out by supplies for non-armour related projects!

[Dan Howard]

This should put to bed any arguments that linen armour was cheap. The sources suggest that it was only available to the upper class.

[Feinman]

This should put to bed any arguments that linen armour was cheap. The sources suggest that it was only available to the upper class.

Agreed!  It is very labor intensive --to create and to make the materials used in its creation.  Scale armour would be a lot easier to make.
The armour is like a fancy zoot suit for war.

[Feinman]

I want to get back to working on this project but it will be a couple of months until I get funds to purchase more supplies. Everything is much more expensive row; I just got reamed for $800 USD to ship a painting over to the UK!! Ouchers
It was $200 just a little while ago...

[Dan Howard]

You can get on a plane and take it yourself for a lot less than that (including return flight).

[Feinman]

You can get on a plane and take it yourself (including return flight) for a lot less than that.

I didn't even look! Yikes. I'm just going to eat it this time...
They should paint the picture for me, for that price!!

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Really looking forward to the results of this. Although I must say, the density of the twining here is much different from the originals.

[Feinman]

Really looking forward to the results of this. Although I must say, the density of the twining here is much different from the originals.

Thanks Evan!  The twining that has survived (Masada, the greave liner, and other bits and pieces) are made with finer (thinner) S-spun cord, made differently than the cord I am using which is braided, though if you look at the depictions, many of the cords used appear to be quite thick, artistic license aside.  The description of the Amasis armour --it could have been made of some kind of braided cord, as the construction of the cord itself was considered remarkable for the number of strands of yarn used -all of which could apparently be seen individually.
I think the cords used for a linothorax were thicker than those used for Aketons.  If one looks at the cognate twined war cloaks of the Maori, you will see thick cords used; these cloaks were supposed to be able to stop a spear thrust if they were wet, causing the twining to tighten up.  But, with the construction of the twined linothorax, the twining is secured with the quilted sewing,  The Maori war cloaks were also made by handwork, not on a loom, to get maximum tightness in the twining.  Then there is the armour from the Gilbert Islands, etc.  It also has thick cords.
So, my cord is different from what was used, though I suspect it would work as well or better than the real cords.  It is also hemp and not linen.  The only kind of linen cord I could find that was remotely similar to what could have been used was linen ropes for large model ships...  It was SOOO Outrageously expensive --and not thick enough.  I can't even imagine what a full suit would cost.  The cord I am using does a great job of binding on itself, so the weave is very tight.
Actually, I think that Tut's slings' cords are very similar to what was used --they appear to be braided:


This is what I am using:

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Here is the twining below the outer layer:

   

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Here is a description of the Maori war cloak:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The...wAR%20COAK