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03-08-2004, 02:48 AM

Ok, I've seen several illustrations showing Romans [on march] with thier helmets strapped to thier armor in a few alternative ways. Off the top of my head I've seen on Trajan's collumn with the helmets strapped to the shoulder of Lor.Seggie armor, but I've also seen illustrations [in Osprey books] showing the helmet strapped down the front-middle of armor with the cheekguards spread out... 
 
I have an Aquincum helmet and an Italic G w/ crossbraces. Neither has the "carrying handle" as seen on other helmets, just the rings on the cheekguards and neckguard for the chinstrap.... 
 
What do you guys suggest or use yourselves for "carrying" the helmet attatched to armor for marching or display or whichever. 
 
Also, on the Pila, I'm looking for ideas for a "travel cover" or a safety cover for the pointy buiness end, to make sure I don't spear anyone walking behind me, or tearing into door jams and archways indoors, or spearing the inside door of one's car while trying to extract it from the trunk. (don't ask me to explain) 
 
thanks 
valete 
ANDY

Matthew Amt · 03-08-2004, 08:01 PM

Ave! 
Simple answer to carrying the helmet is just to tie the chinstrap ends together and hang it around your neck. I don' t know how quickly that might get uncomfortable, though. Might help to keep the focale between your neck and the thong. I would fold the cheekpieces inside the helmet, too, to keep them out of the way. 
 
Hanging the helmet on one side or the other would involve tying the chinstrap around or under a plate. Might get tangled, or even pop rivets. 
 
I think this falls into the category of, "Good question! Try it out and let us know!" 
 
For a pilum point cover, maybe a styrofoam ball painted like an eyeball? All seriousness aside, anything that works, I guess--leather cover, towel wrapped around, long cardboard tube, whatever. I never bother. The doorways can just bloody well get scratched! 
 
And get a station wagon or van, man! How can you reenact with sedan?? 
 
Vale, 
 
Matthew/Quintus

scythius · 03-08-2004, 08:45 PM

The Italic G that i own has been modified - Robinson stated that he believed the G had a carry handle - so I added one. 
 
I typically use a piece of thong, or some other kind of cordage looped around the carry handle (or rear chinstrap ring) and then tied around the cross-strap on my Corbridge. I use a half-bow so that I can get the helm loose and on my noggin ASAP. 
 
Here's a photo on our website: 
 
www.legio-ix-hispana.org/...03trek.jpg 
 
I tried several different ways of carrying the helm - neck cord (ouch) wider neck strap (less ouch), an over the shoulder strap (clumsy and in the way). I suppose that you could carry it on your furca - but I like the 'security' of keeping it 'on my body' rather than on the pack. 
 
This works well with the various segmentata varients, because the rigid shoulder plates disperse the (negligable) weight of the helmet. 
 
Scythius LEG IX HSPA - COH III EXPG - CEN I HIB 
 
- FIDELITAS - - VIRTUS - - MAGNANIMITAS -

03-08-2004, 10:20 PM

Thanks for the comments! 
 
Matt - I do like the idea of an eyeball painted ball of styrafoam! A buddy of mine suggested going to a Bar and asking for some cork and plopping that on the end...But I don't know if bottle cork is large enough? Guess I will indeed have to figure that out. 
 
I'd still like to hear from other reenactors out there on ideas and results. 
 
thanks again 
valete 
ANDY

03-08-2004, 10:24 PM

Scythicus - 
 
Cool pic. What modifications have you done to you Ital. G? 
 
I know I'll have to replace the screws holding the crossbraces on eventually (it's an Albion/Deepeeka) with rivets; what references are you using for the carrying handle? materials? 
 
-ANDY

scythius · 03-08-2004, 11:43 PM

Andy asked: 
Quote:<hr>Cool pic. What modifications have you done to you Ital. G? 
 
I know I'll have to replace the screws holding the crossbraces on eventually (it's an Albion/Deepeeka) with rivets; what references are you using for the carrying handle? materials? 
 
<hr> 
 
I replaced all of the hateful, fetid machine screws with good, honest rivits, added the carry handle, used pumice and oil to take the factory mirror polish down to a more realistic level (a nice smooth satin finish that's easier to maintain 'in the field'), and most importantly, supplied a suitable amount of abuse. 
 
When I remove my helmet - I toss it on the ground. From demos and free-sparring it has also gotten some tasty dents (from both rudis and rebated steel - most of which get pounded out. 
 
As far as the reference (Robinson 73) - it reads 
Quote:<hr>In my opinion, this helmet was originally fitted with a carrying handle; but the loss of the whole central area of the neck-guard, which has had to be restored, leaves this a matter of conjecture.<hr> 
 
It has been a tradition with the IX to individualize personally- and club-owned gear, to help minimize the cookie-cutter look. 
 
The carry handle on my Italic G is a simple bronze wire held on with 2 bronze cotter-type pins - simple, inelegant, ugly. 
 
Scythius LEG IX HSPA - COH III EXPG - CEN I HIB 
 
- FIDELITAS - - VIRTUS - - MAGNANIMITAS -

03-11-2004, 12:23 AM

oooooooh, sounds good to me! 
 
I'm favoring the idea of incorporating a "satin" finish to my Ital. G helmet and my Lor. Seggie whenever I get that in... But I think I'll still pollish my Aquincum to a high mirror shine...I dunno why it just makes sense to me. 
 
I'll think about the carrying handle, thanks for the info! 
 
what kind of rivets did you use to replace the awful screws? I mean metal, not just "good" ones 
 
Did you also replace or modify the crossbraces itself? I imagine at Leg.IX you slapped on some black fresh-from-the-forge braces...But I'm curious if I could do a quick and dirty modify with the existing ones. (I was thinking just whacking/rasping the heck out of the intersection, round out the machined edges/notch to make it look purposeful, ya know?) 
 
thanks again. 
-ANDY

scythius · 03-11-2004, 02:31 AM

Avete! 
 
Quote:<hr>what kind of rivets did you use to replace the awful screws? I mean metal, not just "good" ones <hr> 
 
I used some of the copper belt rivits used for segmentata construction as well as a couple of brass dome rivits for the brow-guard - since my helm was a fairly early one that had machine screws holding that in place as well. 
 
Quote:<hr>Did you also replace or modify the crossbraces itself? I imagine at Leg.IX you slapped on some black fresh-from-the-forge braces...But I'm curious if I could do a quick and dirty modify with the existing ones. (I was thinking just whacking/rasping the heck out of the intersection, round out the machined edges/notch to make it look purposeful, ya know?)<hr> 
 
 
<laughing> Yeah, making new crossbraces was on my list - but then we (The IX HISP and our fratres VI VIC up in LA) agreed to what we call the Gentleman's Agreement - in which each club shifted our respective time periods a small bit... making the Italic G just past our time period. 
 
Iwas planning on hammering 'em out in the forge, since I had started making a really sweet hardy for the anvil, that would let me make the half-rounds really easily. Ah well 
 
 
LEG IX HSPA - COH III EXPG - CEN I HIB 
 
- FIDELITAS - - VIRTUS - - MAGNANIMITAS -

03-12-2004, 04:14 AM

You know, if you just sign your name to this wax tablet, here, you can keep that wonderful Italic G...

scythius · 03-12-2004, 06:31 AM

<laughing> 
 
I don't think so, bub 
 
I just figgered out how to circumvent, obfuscate, and end-run this centurio - I don't want to learn behavioural pecularities of another one! 
 
 
 
Scy. LEG IX HSPA - COH III EXPG - CEN I HIB 
 
- FIDELITAS - - VIRTUS - - MAGNANIMITAS -

Mithras · 04-22-2004, 06:46 PM

I haven't got a pilum and have yet to recieve my spearhead so I can make my spear/hasta, but I would consider buying a cork block used for sanding. Cut in half, cut out an imprint of your pilum tip and then enclose it in the two halves of cork block, secure with elastic band (or thong for the historically anal, like me). 
 
Paul Elliott 
 
Heroes of Delphi - Classical Greece gone D20 
Zenobia - Fantasy RPG in the Eastern Roman Empire 
Warlords of Alexander - Kingdoms in conflict for the ruins of Alexander's Empire 
 
www.geocities.com/mithrapolis/games.html

Mithras · 04-22-2004, 06:51 PM

I'm about to make my own carrying strap (my 3rdC helmet has a handle) and although I've made one that gets tied up when the helmet is around my shoulder, I'm going to have to rethink that design, I don't want it clattering free to hit concrete or tarmac and bust open a hinge. 
 
I'm considering the following (please chime in if I've got this all wrong!): I sew my leather strap with linen thread to make a long loop. I push one end of the loop through the carrying handle, then push the same end back through the main part of the loop. I pull this threaded end of the loop tight and then pass it over my head and shoulder. If I have it right the helm is 100% secure and as easy to put on as taking the loop from around my head and shoulders... 
 
Will it work? Paul Elliott 
 
Heroes of Delphi - Classical Greece gone D20 
Zenobia - Fantasy RPG in the Eastern Roman Empire 
Warlords of Alexander - Kingdoms in conflict for the ruins of Alexander's Empire 
 
www.geocities.com/mithrapolis/games.html

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