08-31-2006, 03:53 PM
Why not use stainless steel for segmentatas?
Why not?
Over the last several years I have made segmentatas with stainless steel for guys who fight SCA. I even made one for myself.. back in the day...
I just finished a segmentata for a school in the UK. They do historic tours and like to dress kids in armor. We decided on stainless steel in order to reduce the need for daily rust prevention and or removal. Other than that everything is historically dead on.
In this case the stainless was burnished to break down the waxy appearance of the surface. I did it myself instead of buying brushed stainless... The brushed stainless was significantly more expensive.
But, here's the rub. CR steel that's been burnished can look so much like brushed or burnished stainless that it's .. intriguing.
What's the point of using CR steel that's kept "bare".. some of us burnish it giving a greyish matte, other slightly burnish it, others polish the tar out of it making it mirror shiny. Others buy segmentatas made in India that are often from stainless... AND many clubs allow these segmentatas as acceptable kit items.
My point is that unless you are going to finish your CR steel to look like it came off the forge (hammered, tempered and blue/black ) OR tinned, why not use stainless that's been brushed or burnished to look like lightly burnished CR steel?
Stainless can be different to work, can be harder, costs more and weighs less than CR steel of the same gauge.
CR steel is not Roman iron but acts like it when hammered and tempered. Most of us never work the CR steel to that degree.
If you can make stainless steel look like CR steel by burnishng and or brushing why not use it?
Why not?
Over the last several years I have made segmentatas with stainless steel for guys who fight SCA. I even made one for myself.. back in the day...
I just finished a segmentata for a school in the UK. They do historic tours and like to dress kids in armor. We decided on stainless steel in order to reduce the need for daily rust prevention and or removal. Other than that everything is historically dead on.
In this case the stainless was burnished to break down the waxy appearance of the surface. I did it myself instead of buying brushed stainless... The brushed stainless was significantly more expensive.
But, here's the rub. CR steel that's been burnished can look so much like brushed or burnished stainless that it's .. intriguing.
What's the point of using CR steel that's kept "bare".. some of us burnish it giving a greyish matte, other slightly burnish it, others polish the tar out of it making it mirror shiny. Others buy segmentatas made in India that are often from stainless... AND many clubs allow these segmentatas as acceptable kit items.
My point is that unless you are going to finish your CR steel to look like it came off the forge (hammered, tempered and blue/black ) OR tinned, why not use stainless that's been brushed or burnished to look like lightly burnished CR steel?
Stainless can be different to work, can be harder, costs more and weighs less than CR steel of the same gauge.
CR steel is not Roman iron but acts like it when hammered and tempered. Most of us never work the CR steel to that degree.
If you can make stainless steel look like CR steel by burnishng and or brushing why not use it?
Hibernicus
LEGIO IX HISPANA, USA
You cannot dig ditches in a toga!
[url:194jujcw]http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org[/url]
A nationwide club with chapters across N America
LEGIO IX HISPANA, USA
You cannot dig ditches in a toga!
[url:194jujcw]http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org[/url]
A nationwide club with chapters across N America
