Chain mail and Shoes

[Tiberius Geracius]

Ave all,

My legion has be exparimenting with different types of Calegae patterns for a while. However I have decided to start looking into finding someone on the West cost to make a pair for myself. I have heard of a few people in SC who make them, but are there any others?

My legion is set in the year 68AD so most of us wear segmented armor, but for other time periods I want to get a chain mail set of armor. Not an officers one just a standard legionary one. I know Museum Reps has one, but it looks fake and I dont know how Deepeekas looks like. So any sugestions from anyone.

[Neuraleanus]

The problem with having someone make you a pair of caligae, particularly if they're too far from you for travel, is getting a good fit. From my experiance, to make a suitable pattern the shoe maker needs access to your feet, not just your shoe size. See how Florentius used duck-tape to make a pattern:

[url:1o5m3p7o]http://www.florentius.com/calcei-pattern.htm[/url]

I used the duck-tape method to verify and correct my latest caligae pattern. Even with a good pattern, the strap lengths are best adjusted with the wearer's feet in the shoes.

Making caligae is not too difficult, check out my caligae HOW-TO:

[url:1o5m3p7o]http://www.geocities.com/legio_tricesima_cohors_tres/campusMartis/MakingCaligae/MakingAuthenticCaligae.html[/url]

Also study Martin Moser's HOW-TO here at Romanarmy:

[url:1o5m3p7o]http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/content/view/136/85/[/url]

Some specialized leather working tools are required.

[Matthew Amt]

Ave!

We're still waiting for a place to get a "perfect" hamata off the shelf, i.e., alternating rows of riveted and solid rings of reasonable size and quality, ungalvanized, in a decent hamata shape with good chest hooks. I think Deepeeka is working on that (with help from a few RATs).

If you want to make your own mail, Forth Armory offers rings ready for riveting, though I don't recall if they have any for round rivets (the Roman style) or just medieval wedge rivets.

That's about all I know about at present, though I'd steer way clear of Museum Replicas/Windlass for ANY Roman gear.

Vale,

Matthew

[M. Demetrius]

In Roman Britain, middle to late 1st Cent AD, were calcae worn by Roman legionaries? I'm sure this is answered elsewhere, not trying to divert the conversation, just looking for info.

How about during the original scouting excursions of Julius Caesar?

[Neuraleanus]

Caligae have been found at Castleford dating from around 80AD. The calcae that the legio VI guys wear are strictly a 2nd century boot. There is however an intermediate form of boot, closed about the foot, but open about the ankle that was worn in the 1st century.

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Another possibility is
drachenschmiede (Germany). They do a hamata alternating riveted rings and closed ones, with a diameter of 6 mm.


[url:1wepgmgm]http://www.drachenschmiede.de/catalog/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=132_184&products_id=5137&osCsid=b01a846dbee026f135dce248af155ff8[/url]

[url:1wepgmgm]http://www.drachenschmiede.de/catalog/catalog/images/DP-Kette6mm.jpg[/url]

[Neuraleanus]

Erik, did not you say that the roman hamata will be different?

[Erik D. Schmid]

Only the mail that I am involved with will be different and will be available only through me. That will not change. I hope that makes things a tad more clear. :wink:

[Marcus Julius]

Ave!
If you want to make your own mail, Forth Armory offers rings ready for riveting, though I don't recall if they have any for round rivets (the Roman style) or just medieval wedge rivets.

Another source for both solid and rivet mail rings, though I'm not sure how prices compare to that other recommendation:

The Ring Lord

Or I've also bought from King's Lance before. Though they don't have any solid rings, just butted and rivetted

Now since this is kind of a dual subject thread, what is a good source for hobnails on the North American Continent. I remember reading (I believe on LegXX site) that WWII hobnails are acceptable, but I can't even find any of those.

[Neuraleanus]

[url:2u4ybr9h]http://www.leprevo.co.uk/rivets.html[/url]
Shipping from the UK and VAT does add quite a bit to the cost, but they look great:

[url:2u4ybr9h]http://www.geocities.com/legio_tricesima_cohors_tres/campusMartis/MakingCaligae/LePrevoversusTremont.jpg[/url]

[Tarbicus]

[url:31k3v4w0]http://www.leprevo.co.uk/rivets.html[/url]
Shipping from the UK and VAT does add quite a bit to the cost, but they look great:

[url:31k3v4w0]http://www.geocities.com/legio_tricesima_cohors_tres/campusMartis/MakingCaligae/LePrevoversusTremont.jpg[/url]

Here they are in situ:
[url:31k3v4w0]http://armillum.com/tienda/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=33&products_id=340[/url]

I just got a pair of carbatinae from Jorge at Armillum with the Le Prevo hobnails, and they're just the ticket.

[Tiberius Geracius]

So does anyone know of a good shoe smith in America (preferably on the East coast) that makes the caligae?

[Neuraleanus]

[url:3kpxfz8g]http://www.albion-swords.com/accoutrements/sandals.htm[/url]
However, from the pictures I see a whole bunch of things that are wrong. It seems that the best reproduction shoes come from Europe.