Reconstructing a 6th c. Baldenheim spangenhelm

[Agraes]

I thought you may like to see the spangenhelm one member of Letavia had make:



Mail neckguard will obviously be changed to be larger and less long. And nose guard is a bit short. Otherwise it will soon get a nice horsehair plume.

[Chuck Russell]

that is a sweet helmet. but why does the mail hang incorrectly? the way it is attached the mail hangs open and not tightly weaved.

[Agraes]

Yep, that will obviously be changed :wink:

[Robert Vermaat]

And nose guard is a bit short.

Yes, but not much, add only a centimeter! Most nose guards are way too long these days and even 'protect' the mouth! :evil:

[Marcus Mummius]

The helmets of the Baldenheim type don't even have a noseguard, they have a small forehead protector but nothing more.

Vale,

[Theodosius the Great]

Agraes, very impressive. Mine will be similar using a brass framing and without a nose guard. As Marcus pointed out, I'm unaware of any evidence for a nose piece. Can the knob piece (as I call it) on the top of your helmet receive a plume ? Or do you have to modify it first ?

Thanks for posting your photos.

~Theo

[Virilis]

As Marcus pointed out, I'm unaware of any evidence for a nose piece.

Yes, I have thought about this too. I have seen cut-outs in the helmet bowls for eyes but I have not seen any surviving nose quards in these type of helmets. Does anyone know any?

[Marcus Mummius]

As Marcus pointed out, I'm unaware of any evidence for a nose piece.

Yes, I have thought about this too. I have seen cut-outs in the helmet bowls for eyes but I have not seen any surviving nose quards in these type of helmets. Does anyone know any?

Like I said, I've seen pictures of about 10-15 originals and none had a real noseguard.

@Theo: I've been wondering about the crestknob too. The holes in surviving crestknobs is quite small. About 4mm. I was thinking the function of these knobs could have been to recieve a plume holder with the plume in it. In one of the reports I read they talk about horsehair that's survived in the crestknob of one of these helmets. So It appears that the hair might have been directly in the small hole afterall.

Vale,

[Agraes]

Yes, there don't seems to be any evidence of noseguards on this kind of spangenhelms, so it was a bit extrapolated (actually my helmet will be more extrapolated, Ill post concepts when there will be ready). The knob piece can receive a plume. Gwendal (bearing the helmet on those photos) plan to get a baldenheim style spangenhelm too, but this time without noseguard :wink:

[Theodosius the Great]

Marcus et Agraes,

Thank you for the information. I'll need all that I can get my hands on so that I can give detailed instructions to my armorer who's going to make my reconstruction.

~Theo

[Agraes]

In any case if you are looking after spangenhelms pictures, you will find almost all here, on the "Forum des Armes et des Guerriers au temps des Grandes Invasions" :wink:

[Franklin]

GREAT link Agraes. Tons of detailed images. Makes me wish I could read French.

[Robert Vermaat]

Do like me and use Babelfish a lot.

[egfroth]

Theo,

All the helmets originally had a pair of metal cheekpieces, a neck defense made of plate or mail, and a narrow plate extending down from the browpiece to protect the nose.

I do wonder about the assumption in this description that all the helmets once had nasals. It seems to me that they could equally have been without them in the first place.

Without being able to personally inspect the helmets, it's hard to be sure, but these helmets seem quite complete without nasals. Are we perhaps looking at the idea that because nasals were common in later helmets, Migration period helmets must have had them as well?

[Marcus Mummius]

Theo,

All the helmets originally had a pair of metal cheekpieces, a neck defense made of plate or mail, and a narrow plate extending down from the browpiece to protect the nose.

I do wonder about the assumption in this description that all the helmets once had nasals. It seems to me that they could equally have been without them in the first place.

Without being able to personally inspect the helmets, it's hard to be sure, but these helmets seem quite complete without nasals. Are we perhaps looking at the idea that because nasals were common in later helmets, Migration period helmets must have had them as well?

These helmets didn't have nasals like the later helmets. They had slight cutouts for the eyes and a slight curve that covers the bridge of the nose, but not the nose itself.

Vale