Muscled Cuirass- Prodromi Iron type & NEW Copper Alloy Type

[Matt Lukes]

Well thanks Henk-Jan- but I already have it :wink:

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

the more the merrier!! are you thinking of taking this type of musculata in production??



M.VIB.M.

[Matt Lukes]

LOL I'd be appreciated to receive it again of course, but I don't think it's even possible technically. And I'm already making them for a few folks, yes

[Nieczar]

WOW hock: ...it looks really "alive" ...great job Matt !

[Matt Lukes]

Dziekuje Patryk- coming from someone as skilled as you, that's a real compliment

[Nieczar]

I'm not sure are my skills something special :? )

Your work is really worth of the compliments

[keravnos]

@ everyone who wants to see Prodromi iron muscle thorax, you must visit the Archaeological museum of Igoumenitsa.

I will go there, first chance I get. Anyways back to Prodromi armor and the magnificent job that Matt has done.
Well done, Matt, truly amazing.

There is however something missing. When found, the Prodromi thorax had a companion all-iron cavalry kopis longsword.
Much like Iron muscle thorax, whose existence had been in doubt (just literary evidence which was dismissed of), even today there are actual people who believe that Hellenic horsemen in Classical and Hellenistic times in Greece and Orient used the short knife-like machaira/kopis/xiphos swords while on horseback. This cavalry kopis proves them wrong as the cavalry would need a sword with longer reach to get the job done.



the sword handle,

and also showing this,


as well as the business end of the long kopis sword.



This picture to show exactly how long the long kopis was, in relation to Prodromi muscle thorax. This would be great in measuring its exact dimensions. Unfortunately I don't have them.

this,


I don't know if you are feeling up to this Matt, but could you or maybe a swordsmith friend of yours make a replica of the Prodromi cavalry kopis?
I can promise you that not many have been done, not accurately that is. Especially this one, an all-iron specimen.

[Lýsandros]

This kopis has been reconstructed already, to a certain degree. Its not all-iron though, the handle has been altered and is made from wood + brass/copper decorations. You can read more in this old thead.

link from old RAT

[keravnos]

Thanks for the link and for making this. Appreciated.

[Matt Lukes]

Anyways back to Prodromi armor and the magnificent job that Matt has done.
Well done, Matt, truly amazing.

There is however something missing. When found, the Prodromi thorax had a companion all-iron cavalry kopis longsword.
Much like Iron muscle thorax, whose existence had been in doubt (just literary evidence which was dismissed of), even today there are actual people who believe that Hellenic horsemen in Classical and Hellenistic times in Greece and Orient used the short knife-like machaira/kopis/xiphos swords while on horseback. This cavalry kopis proves them wrong as the cavalry would need a sword with longer reach to get the job done.

I don't know if you are feeling up to this Matt, but could you or maybe a swordsmith friend of yours make a replica of the Prodromi cavalry kopis?
I can promise you that not many have been done, not accurately that is. Especially this one, an all-iron specimen.

Well thanks very much keravnos, I appreciate the compliment. But the sword isn't 'missing'- I do plan to forge one and that'll likely be the example I'll use since it does go with the cuirass, I just haven't had the opportunity as of yet. It, like so much else, is definitely on the list :wink:

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Athanasios Porporis from Australia kindly sent me these photos of his new muscled thorax made by Manning Imperial. One of the few made entirely of bronze!



It was made based on a cast of the customer's torso,so although i can see it was based on the same cuirass Matt based his, it also has some reasonably different characteristics.
Matt,any progress photos of any of the two cuirasses?
Khairete
Giannis

[Matt Lukes]

That's a nice picece- I surely do wish I knew where to find real bronze of the appropriate thickness and size... maybe Sean will share his secret. No, no further pictures yet Giannis- too many client projects to finish just now to spend any more 'development' time on new pieces unfortunately. Hopefully before too long though I'll get back to it...

[richard robinson]

An armourer friend who makes similar said that he "sweated " the bronze together to make larger pieces.
I hope this helps without removing too much of the mystique.
Regards
richard

[Matt Lukes]

No, that's what I was figuring I'd have to do- a pain and unfortunate, but it seems true bronze- not the 510 alloy that is actually brass (90:10 Cu:Zn, so it looks like bronze of 10% tin)- isn't made or at least stocked in anything much wider than 30cm.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

No, that's what I was figuring I'd have to do- a pain and unfortunate, but it seems true bronze- not the 510 alloy that is actually brass (90:10 Cu:Zn, so it looks like bronze of 10% tin)- isn't made or at least stocked in anything much wider than 30cm.

I will check the supplier I was checking with a couple of years back Matt. Perhaps they will have contacts back home as well.
I am sure they had wider sheet than that. (the ones that quoted £1000+ for a 1"x1"x1' sheet.) hock: