Donning plate lorica

[Anonymous]

Could someone please outline the number of steps and the amount of time required to strap on a harness of lorica segmentata? <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

The mosty straight-forward way of donning a suit of segmentata is to have someone hold it for you from behind. You then slide your arms underneath the shoulder guards and strap it on. Lacking a helper, I find the next best way is to lye on your back and crawl into it. Fit your arms underneath the shoulder guards and do a sit-up. <p></p><i></i>

[Matthew Amt]

Ave!<br>
<br>
Basically, it goes on like a jacket. The back is laced and buckled shut, and the shoulder section all buckled or hooked to the girdle plates.<br>
<br>
I've been putting mine on by myself for many years, now, though I got lots of practice doing school demos alone. Right hand goes into the arm opening, swing the whole thing around behind me, put left hand into its arm opening. Then carefully "hop" it down my arms--just thrusting the arms through and letting it slide into place makes nice scratches! Usually it hangs up on the subarmalis shoulder padding and/or tunic sleeve. Tug everything into place, then buckle the chest plates and start tying the girdle plates. Takes maybe two minutes to get everything tied up, tucked in, and pulled out.<br>
<br>
It is a lot smoother with someone to hold it for you! And with a Newstead the backplates have to be unfastened to get it on, then someone else has to fasten it for you.<br>
<br>
Vale,<br>
<br>
Matthew/Quintus <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Another variation on the lone practice (Corbridge A)<br>
<br>
With the back laces and buckle fastened; front opening towards you, grab the top left inner shoulder plate with your left hand, cross right hand over left to steady the and swing around to your left and over your head, to end up with both arms above your head, otstretched, supportong the underside of the relaveant inner mid shoulder plates.<br>
<br>
Next shift your hands through the arm holes and grab the respective outer arm plates. then let go! make sure you tip your head forward and try to slow the descent of the lorica with you arms or you'll get some nice dents on the back of your head. The lorica may get snagged on your tunic, subarmalis or both, during these manoeuvres. Finally fasten up starting with the top buckle and tying from the top down.<br>
<br>
Ok it sounds a little complicated but it is a fairly natural manoeuvre when put into practice.<br>
<br>
When we don as a group, using the buddy system, we always get people to reach their arms staright out behind them then the lorica can be folded in half and paseed over their arms. Any other way seems to remove large ammounts of skin from at least one arm.<br>
<br>
Another hint; once you've got the loirca on and the top buckle fastened, grab the outer shoulder of the subarmalis and give it a tug whilst jumping, then repaet on the other side. This will straighten out everything under the lorica and make it confy.<br>
<br>
Vale<br>
<br>
Mummius <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Sorry forgot to mention it takes about two minutes tops, to do up. As for Newstead I don't wear it but some of our guys wear it and can fasten it themselves, including the rear closures (they do wear it almost daily, so I gues it's not too surprising).<br>
<br>
Mummius<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[FlaviusCrispus]

Avete, comilitones!<br>
<br>
If you are talking about the revised, Stillfried-style Newstead cuirass with the loop-and-slot girdle closures and turnkey chest and back fittings, it does seem like the assistance of an arming buddy is required to put it on, one half section at a time. This can be a time-consuming process, as getting the plates to overlap just right is a little tricky (we have plenty of experience with this, as Legio VI Victrix (California) is the only unit that I am aware of that uses the revised Newstead cuirass; we have six completed cuirasses and another four under construction).<br>
<br>
HOWEVER...<br>
<br>
Two Newstead users, Quintus Florentius Agrippa (Jared Fleury) and myself have come up with a technique by which a milete can don the Newstead without assistance. It involves a suggestion by Mike Bishop that at first sounds rather unlikely, namely, that it be fastened up and put on over the head, hamata-fashion. Details on how this works are put forth in the "Arms and the Man" article at the end of the copy of Ad Signa! accessible here:<br>
<br>
www.legionsix.org/ad_signa5.htm<br>
<br>
Both Quintus and myself have used the "over the head" method many times since this article appeared; it seems to work fine and the cuirasses seem to take the stress in stride. Taking it off, however, does require help.<br>
<br>
A photo essay detailing how the revised Newstead is put on and taken off will be up on the Legio VI website soon.<br>
<br>
T. Flavius Crispus<br>
Legio VI Victrix Pia Fidelis<br>
California, USA <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=flaviuscrispus@romanarmytalk>FlaviusCrispus</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/legiovi/vwp?.dir=/Flavius+photo&.src=gr&.dnm=flavhead2.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 9/2/04 8:35 pm<br></i>

[Quintius Clavus]

Good article on getting into the Newstead Lorica. I look forward to checking out the photos once you post them on your site. Very interested in seeing it, step by step.<br>
<br>
I, too, read the hypothesis in Mike Bishop's "Lorica Segmentata Vol. 1" about donning the lorica segmentata over the head like a hamata. It has a certain attraction to me, since I am often alone for local presentations. Though, I must add, getting help from a member of the audience allows at least one person iin the audience to feel its weight.<br>
<br>
Being that I own a Corbridge B, has anyone tried the over-the- head method with any of the Corbridge types? I am interested in any reports comparing stress to hinges which are, to say the least, delicate, between the methods of donning it.<br>
<br>
Quintius Clavus/Quinton<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. My experiences are with other types of armour. <p></p><i></i>

[FlaviusCrispus]

Avete, fratres!<br>
<br>
As promised, here is a link to a short photo essay on donning the Bishop-model Newstead cuirass:<br>
<br>
www.legionsix.org/DonningNewstead.htm<br>
<br>
The page is one of a bunch of new additions to our website, accessible [url=http://www.legionsix.org" target="top]HERE.[/url]<br>
<br>
Enjoy, and if the essay prompts any questions, post them here or shoot them to me directly.<br>
<br>
T. Flavius Crispus<br>
Legio VI Victrix Pia Fidelis<br>
California, USA <p></p><i></i>

[derek forrest]

Many thanks to the VI for its experiments on the Newstead and its willingness to share with others. Veryinteresting and certainly not stupid! <p></p><i></i>

[FlaviusCrispus]

"Certainly not stupid?"<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Gee, thanks. I think.<br>
<br>
T. Flavius Crispus <p></p><i></i>

[Flavius Promotus]

Great images ! It is always interesting to see others have the same problems<br>
<br>
With the exception of one Corbridge, our legionaries (III ITAL) are equipped with 'conservative' Newsteads: they do already have the large hinges on the shoulder blades but still lack the turnkey system on the girdle plates. The only turnkeys are on the breast and the back plate, but this alone has kept us from doing serious tests how to put the armour on single handed. One of the two back turnkeys of my Newstead broke off in the attempt, and even if it still works with one turnkey on the back, the experience has made us shy away from any more tests like this. So we need at least one more miles to put our Newsteads on and keep the shoulder padding from folding up.<br>
<br>
But putting on a segmentata like a hamata sounds interesting. Do you slip into the armour from below while holding it above you (difficult, risky, etc.) or would you suggest placing the armour on a table, first ? <p></p><i></i>

[FlaviusCrispus]

Ave, Flavius Promotus!<br>
<br>
If you have a comilito handy, have him hold the cuirass by the armholes at about chest level; that way, you can just squat down under it, put your hands inside, and lift yourself up and into it. If there's no one to help, then, yeah, put it front-side down on a table and sort of "dive" into it.<br>
<br>
Remember, the key is to fasten up the back, but to leave the front fastenings undone. That allows enough "give" for you to work your body up into the cuirass. Once it's settled on your shoulders, you can get the turnkeys and girth fastenings lined up pretty quickly and easily.<br>
<br>
Does III Ital have a website, or is there any place I can see photos of you guys in your Newsteads? Where is III Ital based? I don't find you on Matt Amt's links page. I'm always eager to check out parallel work by other units. By the way, I wore my cuirass as a "conservative Newstead" (with a proper shoulder/chest section, but tie-loop girth fastenings) for several months before doing the full conversion. This involved cutting new, horizontal slots for the fastening loops and filling the old vertical slots for the tie-loop thingys in with a welding torch (sheesh). It occurred to me after I'd finished all this work that it might have been easier just to build a new girth section from scratch, but whatever.<br>
<br>
Veritas et vita,<br>
<br>
T. Flavius Crispus<br>
Legio VI Victrix Pia Fidelis<br>
California, USA <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=flaviuscrispus@romanarmytalk>FlaviusCrispus</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/legiovi/vwp?.dir=/Flavius+photo&.src=gr&.dnm=flavhead2.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 10/2/04 2:15 am<br></i>