planishing helmets

[richsc]

I'm taking a metalsmithing class with the goal of raising a helmet in one piece (it's going to be red brass for now). Having spent an hour or more planishing out a small brass practice bowl, I am really wondering if Roman helmets would or could have had this level of workmanship, particularly considering the much larger surface area. Polishing with rough grit could have wiped the hammer marks out, but have helmets been found that have obvious planishing marks over the entire surface?
All the helmets reproduced today are extremely smooth, which is not easy to accomplish, apparently.

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

All the helmets reproduced today are extremely smooth, which is not easy to accomplish, apparently.

I agree, partially... You can see some rel roman helmets that are very smooth finished, an some ones where you can see clearly some hammer marks. So, it depends of the degree of craftmanship.

Probably if you spent all the day planishing helmets, as a roman legion armourer did, you can complete a helmet very quickly.

I have seen some tunisian people making repousee working in a brass dish, and spent a little time in making the whole dish decoration. If i have to do the same work, i have needed some days of work, and with worse finishing, for sure.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

As always, practice makes perfect! Those people do it to make a living, so they will have become accomplished in their art! :wink: