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I'm starting to assemble my kit and it's coming allong nicely. Lately I've been gathering information for what to do about armor. High end metalwork/forging/smithing is above my experience level. But sewing is something that even I can do. So if i wanted to make my own armor squamata would seem more within reach. I've read allot of accounts of people how they made it themselves and I've talked to some reenactors at events I was at. I think I would like to try my hand at making my own. Now there is one thing I cannot seem to find. Most people/tutorials talked about buying brass plates or strips and cutting it themselves to size. But what people didn't talk about is the type of brass plates/strips. You see most companies where I live sell brass in what they describe as "soft", "half-hard" and "hard" (literal translation). A quick google search shows an american company selling brass sheets in "hard temper", "soft temper", "half hard temper" and ''quarter hard temper".
Now my question is this: "what type of brass would be the most suitable for making a squamata?"
On a related note, the squamata's sold by stores like danielle steelcraft or even deepeeka, does anyone have any idea what type of brass they use? And what about the seperate squamata plates that are being sold in stores like "armae"? Are they all the same?
And on a true final note, are there any off the shelf squamata's that are RAT approved (if there can even be such a thing) for reenacting?
with kind regards,
cannonfodder90
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First of all how thick is the scale going to be? Or if you are going use a find thickness. Roman scale tend to be made of thin plate even big scales, so the thinner the plate a harder brass can be used or thicker plate softer. Just look up roman scale armour finds/ images this will give you a idea of thickness of scale and how flimsy they are compared to what reanactors use. Hope that goes some way to answer you query.
Regards Brennivs
Woe Ye The Vanquished
Brennvs 390 BC
When you have all this why do you envy our mud huts
Caratacvs
Centvrio Princeps Brennivs COH I Dacorivm (Roma Antiqvia)
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(11-18-2019, 08:11 PM)Damianus Albus Wrote: Why not making steel or bronze squamata? Brass is the most unhistorical option. The best would be using bronze, then mild steel and just then brass. Brass was in ancient times very, very expensive, used mainly for coins and decorative items. Romans did not have access to pure zink (opposite to tin) and making brass out of copper was very, very expensive and difficult process. If anyone could afford brass squamata it was probably people with the highest status and probably just to show off (since brass is weakest metal out of steel and bronze).
Therefore, if you gonna make it yourself out of plate/strips, I'd recommend getting bronze strips (CuSn6-10) or simple mild steel 
People are using brass becasue "it looks cool" and "brass is easier to get" but it doesn't have much to do with accuracy. Just sayin
Good question. I seem to recall that Robert Vermaat made the same point at an event where I was at. Altough I think we were speaking about late roman reenactment at the time. But I see what you are saying. I my case the whole thing is moot anyway. I recently discovered that no company in my area sells strips of brass. In their own words: 'we can't cut it that thin, because it will twist during cutting.' They only sell full sheets of the stuff. And I don't have any tools, or even workspace for that matter, for cutting it to size.
I asked around and spoke with people I met at events, Robert for example and he pointed me in the direction of Armae. They sell fully brass, iron with brass coating and galvanized iron plates. When talking with Armae it wasn't advised to buy the brass coated plates because they would, in time at least, lose their coating where the plates rub against each other in time. It was more suited for greek linothorax armor. I was also advised against the off the shelf squamata because the closing system wasn't up to par. I didn't look into the galvanized iron plates to be honest. While yes it would be a more economical option (0.12 against 0.35), I always tought galvanized iron is even more unhistorical. A quick google search tells me that galvanisation was found earliest in the 17th-century Indian armour in the Royal Armouries Museum collection. Combined with the fact that almost everywhere I read about lorica it is stated that galvanized iron is unacceptable. Who am I to second guess everyone, especcially because I'm so new at reenacting. But I concede that I haven't looked into it any further.
On a seperate note. I'm very pleased and gratefull for the advise and info from Vaginay-Darnetzof Armae for his honesty. So many other salespeople would have just been itching for a sale that they would just as easily steer me in the wrong direction. It is a testament to his intergrity as a company, salesrep and even as a person, that he deals with someone like me in an honest and truthfull matter.
Jeroen
Lover of all things Rome and it's history...
...also an expert eater of pasta.
