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New guy looking to build a Roman era kit.
#16
Yes it does, it has the shoulder doubling and no sleeves. Not sure if thats period but it comes in 6MM straight from india. Maybe a custom one is a better buy but this pre made one is like 350 while all the other places I saw selling them was more expensive.
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#17
I was asking about shoulder doubling because all Roman mail of the period seem to have had it. Only later, in the second century, did the mail lose its shoulder doublings, first among the Auxilia, and later among Legionaries. Looks like a good buy. Also, if you are an auxiliary, you can have a long spear ( hasta ) or a pair of lighter javelins ( lanceae ). Your choice.

P.S. basically everything you wear will be Indian if you buy from KOA and go the cheap way but if you have the money for a nice gladius, I would say go with a Mark Morrow. Custom work will always be nicer then off the shelf, though some companies do make some good things, but GO WITH THE CUSTOM WORK!!!
Regards, Jason
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#18
Mark makes some of the best stuff, I have heard, but the price you listed earlier for a Mainz gladius is for only the blade and tang, not the handle and the scabbard. Luckily, Patrick here on RAT makes great wood handles, and Matt Lukes makes good scabbards, but Mark Morrow can make you one too. Hope this helps :-)
Regards, Jason
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#19
If you are planning on depicting a Germanic warrior of the period of the Tuetoberg Forrest distaster, then despite the number of pretty metal object which are available from various vendors, the most likely weapon you would be carrying would be a good old fashioned wooden club, possibly accompanied with a simple shield. So your impression can be very simple and economical to produce - Thorsberg style clothing and a club you can make out of an oak tree branch. Most Germanic spears of the period were probably little more than sharply pointed poles too, probably with fire-hardened points. I think there were some shields found at Thorsberg too, which were just smallish wooden rectangles with wooden bosses. Again, such a shield would be cheap to make and would not even require much skill at woodworking. I think the trickiest thing would be getting the hairstyle right.

Incidentally this thread should have been posted in the Re-enactment and Reconstruction forum, rather than the Beginners section.

Crispvs
Who is called \'\'Paul\'\' by no-one other than his wife, parents and brothers.  :!: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_exclaim.gif" alt=":!:" title="Exclamation" />:!:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.romanarmy.net">www.romanarmy.net
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#20
I might put that together but the more I read about Roman the more I want to do the Roman side. Only real issue I have there is to find a custom sized Segmentata or Hamata. I have a 38 sized chest over a gambeson for my 13th century reenacting. My shoulders are also not the most wide. I'm worried if I order a Hamata the shoulder guards will be too wide for me and it wont fit properly. Last thing I wanna do is tailor maille again. Most hamatas i've seen are 50 inch chests and 32 inches long. I am 5 ft 9 at 120 pounds so most of this stuff would be quite big on my smaller frame.
I know where to get the padded subarmalis off of KOA and shoes and tunic off of SOTW. I am a little stuck on what belt to get though as they all look rather similarly priced and looks wise. I plan to use thorsburg trousers with my tunic and stuff as I hate having bare legs. I already have a Gallic A type helm I got my eyes on which is made of tinned bronze. Bit expensive but it looks big enough to fit my rather larger head. Shoes wise I may just go for the ones on SOTW as well as the tunic there. Gladius wise I am saving up for a better quality one from Mark Morrow, if not I may have to cut corners and get the Deepeeka Mainz. Shield wise just gonna have someone else help me with that cause ordering one of those would cost a lot to ship so making it's probably the better option.
I had no clue where to post this as this is the first time I've been here so, if you need to move this topic go ahead and do it.
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#21
Wherever it goes it should be a sticky as this question crops up every so often.

Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.

"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.

"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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#22
Shawn, I wear a regular off the shelf hamata, and I have a chest size of 32 inches. That is one of the good things about mail, many people can all wear the same mail shirt as they usually do not need to be tailored. All I did on mine is to shorten it by about 8 inches. The Deepeeka mainz I would not go for, as they have sizing problems and the decoration is not that nice, and I think it is better to save up until you can buy a custom sword. For a belt, you can buy, or make your own. Some groups prefer you to make it and not to buy it, so check with the group you are thinking of joining first. If you want to make yours, many places offer belt plates for a good cingulum, such as Clang Armouries and Raymond's Quiet Press. If you buy, then the new Deepeeka belts are good. Is your helmet the DSC Gallic A?

Just what I think though.
Regards, Jason
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#23
Looks like I may just buy the 300 dollar Hamata then, as long as it wont be too big. There is the custom one on SOTW but it looks expensive so I may as well get one thats cheaper. I know Kult of Athena offers one but it's both galvanized and flat ring wedge riveted, both of which didnt exist in the Roman period. I know Roman maille was 6MM and dome riveted round ring with alternating flat punched rings, while Germanic and Gaulish maille tended to be all riveted or half riveted, half forge welded rings. I know ebay sells some of them too but not sure of the quality. I just would like to know what hamata has the best quality cause I prefer to make single purchases I wont have to replace it in the future.

I have my eye on the DSC Gallic A, which is bronze but tinned. I prefer the look of the tinned bronze to the super shiny polished steel. Don't own it yet but I may just buy myself it, as long as I know it's good quality and period for what I plan to do. It looks to be my size as I have a 24 1/2 inch head with padding added. Without padding my head measures 23 inches across the brow. Usually 24 inch helms are too tight on me with padding.

Belt wise I think I will just make my own after buying a kit to make it with just so I can join whichever group I plan to join. Need a few websites and links to some nearby groups if anyone can help with that.
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#24
The flat rings are correct but round ones are not. Stick with an Hamata with alternating rows of flat punched rings and flat riveted. I have never heard that Roman mail was different from the other peoples in the area. Where is your source?

On the 300 dollar Hamata, what are the rings like? I doubt for that price it is good Roman mail. Like the Gladius, if you want a totally accurate one, save up and then spend.
Regards, Jason
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#25
On the contrary. If you have a hamata that is too big then it is too heavy for no reason. A hamata should fit you if only to keep the weight down.

I bought a 6mm hamata directly from Al-Hamdd and I am also 38". The first one he sent was too small, the second one fits nicely but it is snug with the subarmalis. Its a nice product at a reasonable price. Just make sure he has it in stock or you will be waiting for it a long time. Not many of us have the time or patience to make our own so usually we end up buying Hamata's. As I said before almost everything else with the exception of a helmet can be made.

I've found it can be very frustrating dealing with companies in India. If I can't make something myself I tend to buy from one of their distributors who has stock in hand. You pay more but I find it less stressful.

A good start would be to join a group and see the items in hand up close and personal, both what was bought off the shelf and what was hand made. You'll also be able to perhaps buy someone else's stuff or at least try it on for fit. There's always kit floating around.
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#26
Shawn, can you post a picture or a link to this Hamata you are looking at? Seems too cheap to be of the alternating rows type. I bet that one is just plain riveted mail.
Regards, Jason
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#27
https://imgur.com/a/s5R5r
Heres some pics of what they made, I saved em and posted them there. It doesnt look bad quality to me but it does look a bit oversized to me. I think I may just buy the helmet and thats it for now. I dont have the tools or skills to make my own helmet but the tunic and whatnot seems simple enough to make, shoes seem hard may just buy those as well as just about every other bit of metalwork. Now to find a nearby group so I can get an idea of whats good and whats not.
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#28
DSC caligae, cheap but limited sizes:
http://www.history-revisited.com/detail/...cial-price
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#29
Shawn, do you know who makes the mail? Looks like Daniyal to me but could be a different manufacturer.
Regards, Jason
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#30
I think it looks like mine from Al-Hamdd's
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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