Roman helmet surface

[John Conyard]

In 1808 a question and answer booklet for Austrian NCO's, "Verhaltungen aus dem Kompagie-Reglement der k.k. Osterreichischen Armeein Fragen und Antwoten", gives fine hematite or magnetite for keeping ironwork clean, and "Rottenstone" or silicate limestone for brasswork. The lock mechanism was not to be cleaned with heamatite but "Binsenstein", another limestone.

I have used duck fat and sand on helemts. The result was fine, but the smell stays around for a while. :roll:

[jvrjenivs]

I have used duck fat and sand on helemts. The result was fine, but the smell stays around for a while. :roll:

So, whats the problem? A thing always wrong in re-enactment is the smell. You're a Roman soldier, so should you care about that? LOL

[M. Demetrius]

Right! And didn't Caesar say, "...my soldiers fight [just] as well when they stink of perfume...."?

They had more olive oil than duck fat, most likely, and that works. Touch a rag to oil, then sand, then rub, rub, rub, then sand, then rub, rub, rub...the only issue that changes that is how fine the sand is. A piece of soft leather instead of cloth holds more oil, and works just as well. You fingers alone will work, but it's kind of hard on the fingers after a while.

A modern army smells of diesel exhaust, gun oil, and sweat. The Romans would have turned their noses to the first two, chances are.

[John Conyard]

Hmmmm. The smell of leather, horses and wood smoke is just plain sexy. Fat is less so.

I see olive oil as a lubricate, and fat as a medium for cleaning. Up here we would be using fat lamps as well as oil ones.

And the smell of duck fat is just so passé compared to goose fat. You get crispier legionaries with goose fat.

[M. Demetrius]

In Egypt, would they have used ostrich fat? :?: :wink:

[John Conyard]

Egyptians even pay their taxes in geese! And imagine the size of potatoes you would need with an ostrich!

[Crispvs]

I generally keep rust off my helmet by covering it with a thin layer of pig fat (mostly derived from sausage dripping). A very thin coat will keep it pretty much rust free for as much as three months in my experience, although with daily handling I think a weekly coating might be needed. I simply pick a little fat up on the end of a finger and spread it gradually over the entire helmet, making quite sure that it gets into all of the depressions and crevices where moisture might get trapped. The resultant coat is virtually invisible and the only obvious sign that it is there is a slightly duller surface shine to the helmet. I do occasionally need to sand small amounts of rust off it but this is normally when I have neglected to apply more fat after a two to three month period since the last application of fat. I have been doing this for around ten years now.

I did once try to do the same with my segmentata but with my arms, sword pommel, baldric and cloak constantly rubbing against it the fat got rubbed off again in no time at all (it kept the armour largely rust free after the first rainy day and was clean next morning, but by the end of the second day of rain, rust spots were appearing all over the place and very little fat still appeared to be covering the surface of the armour, the rest having been rubbed off.

Crispvs