Focale Shape

[Gallus Marinus Micarius]

There is one item in my kit that continues to give me trouble - my focale

I have a square-shaped focale folded over into a triangle, then tied together in front, but it always rides up out of the back of my segmentata and bunches around my neck. So I made a long, rectangular focale in the hopes of a better fit. Unfortunately it seems to wrap nicely around my neck, but doesn't provide good coverage under the armor.

Does anyone have a pattern or recommendation that works well for them? Thanks,

[Graham Sumner]

Hello Peter

You have basically already exhausted all the known possibilities for the design!

The long narrow version is attested archaeologically in the form of a Gallic sculpture which shows a rare picture of a man wearing a scarf over his Gallic coat. Two similar iron age examples survive from Denmark.

The triangular shape (movie U.S. cavalry or boy scout look) is an interpretation of what appears on Trajan's column worn by the Auxiliaries and visible outside their mail shirts although that would defeat the purpose most re-eanactors would tell you it was used for! I have been told by a leading textile historian that the Romans did not cut their garments into shapes like this so that would also seem to rule this design out. However when reconstructed it seems to look closer to what is on the column rather than the supposedly more accurate longer version :roll: Welcome to archaeological re-enacting!

Graham.

[Hibernicus]

Careful Graham!

Micarius is looking for some sort of neck cloth that's shiny.. perhaps a tin plated focale?

[Hibernicus]

Another way to wear the triangular folcae is to do the folded square (boyscout kerchief) but wear one half under the armor and the other half on top. In this manner the armor is in between the cloth..

[Gallus Marinus Micarius]

Thanks for the insight Graham - staying true to history is objective #1...which means my personal comfort must have to be objective #2 :lol:

I'm going to try the long, rectagular focale but instead of tying it in the front, I'll try it backwards...with the ends tucked into the back of the segmentata and the front with no loose ends...seems like it would leave more material in the back to prevent pulling loose when bending over...and might even look better in the front. I'll let you know how it works (and looks).

Conjecture here, but maybe the scarf had some social relevance, thus the auxulliaries thought it more important to "look cool" by wearing the scarf, albeit without apparent function. So maybe having it look cool under the segmentata was a key goal....


Hibernicus, does that mean you'll let me tin my focale?!? GREAT, let's get started! 8)

[Graham Sumner]

Sean wrote:

Micarius is looking for some sort of neck cloth that's shiny.. perhaps a tin plated focale?

Hi

You mean a Gorget! :lol:

Graham.

[FlaviusCrispus]

Graham Sumner wrote:

The triangular shape (movie U.S. cavalry or boy scout look) is an interpretation of what appears on Trajan's column worn by the Auxiliaries and visible outside their mail shirts although that would defeat the purpose most re-eanactors would tell you it was used for!

Marinus wrote:

Conjecture here, but maybe the scarf had some social relevance, thus the auxulliaries thought it more important to "look cool" by wearing the scarf, albeit without apparent function.

Soldierly fashion was certainly important, but even a scarf worn outside armor can easily been seen to have a function— to soak up sweat and keep the sun off your neck! Or, dipped in water and worn around the neck, it can keep you cool. Also, it keeps the baldric strap from cutting into your neck.

I saw a relief from the Arch of Severus recently, dating from the early third century, which showed a line of soldiers in Phrygian-type "smurf" helmets and what looked like muscle cuirasses, and sure enough, they all wore the triangular "cowboy-style" focale, outside of their armor. So the style was popular even then!

I've tried both the long, narrow scarf and the triangular one. On warm days, i prefer a linen triangular one, and just make sure the point of the triangle is tucked underneath my segmentata in back. It usually doesn't come out and keeps the rest of the kercheif neatly tucked in. When it's cold, I use the long, narrow woolen one. It is a little tougher to keep this one tucked under the armor. Maybe I'll try your "worn backwards" technique...

[Gallus Marinus Micarius]

Ah yes, the baldric strap...it does like to migrate towards the jugular...

You turned a light on in my head regarding materials...Both of my focale are wool...methinks I'll try linen!

[FAVENTIANVS]

I turned to linen as well and is smooooooooother... :wink: And cooler!

[Hibernicus]

Real men wear focales made from old goat hair and colored a deep red with the juice of toxicodendron diversilobum

[FAVENTIANVS]

I beg your pardon...?