Helmet side plumes- possible reason

[Caballo]

Apart from decoration, of course!

I have a long horsehair plume on my helmet, and (on windy days) it can swing round and obscure my face. At a windy Lunt fort this February, carrying hasta and shield, this led to some decidedly unmilitary flicking the plume back- more Miss Piggy than Batavian.

Having now fixed side plume holders with feathers on the helmet to make it more authentic- and lo and behold, problem solved.....

Could this be one of the reasons why so many helmets with top "slotted spikes" (e.g. coolus) also have side plume holders? If this is right, it would also support the general use of feathers in the side plume holders?

Cheers

Caballo

[Peroni]

There are helmets that have feather tubes (The Besancon Gallic F) which also have the 'Gallic' type slot for a separate slide-in crest support. So in that regard, a slotted crest knob helmet is no different when it comes to feather tube use

Try tying the plume to the crest knob like mine Paul. It works! :wink:

Alternatively, pass the plume through the carrying handle. This holds it well out of the face too.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/ ... CF1689.jpg

[Caballo]

Thanks Peronis- and I'm very impressed by the new title!!

Cheers

Caballo

[SOCL]

Hate to play Dr. Frankenthread and revive such an old and dead thread, but I thought this might be the most relevant place to post.

I have one of the new Deepeeka Gallic H helmets (the N-type), but it lacks any place to put plumes for side feathers. Is there a special fitting that should be added, like some sort of tube? If so, what would it look like, and can anyone direct me to any information on doing it.
If not, then would it be a bad idea to drill a hole in the crest nob?
Any suggestions?

Here's a thread with pictures of the helmet in question.
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... c&start=40

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

Saul,
I never knew of side feathers on a Gallic "H". The "G" doesn't have them
either. I thought they were only worn on earlier models. My model "H" (pre-N) doesn't have them. Although what I don't know about this stuff could fill volumes. I'll bet Peroni or Tarbicus know.
(See you in Mobile).

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Saul:

It's easy. Get a brass tube, and with a hammer flatten one of its extrems. Then file the zone flattened to make a semicircular ending. Make a rivet hole and rivet it to the helmet side.

[SOCL]

Thanks for the feedback.

Andy, I thought the same thing, but I did a search and found some images of other reenactors who have modified their own Gallic helmets. Here are some via Google o various optiones wearing Gallics with the side plumes:
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=1 ... tnG=Search

Cesar, thanks for the instruction, though I'm having a hard time visualizing the refit. Do you possibly have any close-up examples or visuals?...

[Peroni]

I have one of the new Deepeeka Gallic H helmets (the N-type), but it lacks any place to put plumes for side feathers. Is there a special fitting that should be added, like some sort of tube? If so, what would it look like, and can anyone direct me to any information on doing it.

The Gallic 'H' never had any feather tubes. The only Gallic types that did are the 'F' from Besancon and the Gallic 'I' (3x examples; Mainz, Aquincum and Sammlung Axel Guttmann).

I would leave the feather tubes off the 'H'. It never had them :wink:

[SOCL]

Precisely what I was looking for. Thanks, Peronis!

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

The tubes of our optio's helmet:

[SOCL]

Awesome, Cesar! The only concern I have is that the tube would easily wobble back and forth because it is only secured by a single rivet. Does this commonly happen, or at all?

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

No happens. The rivetting force the metal to be compresed, and the tube don't move free. You have to put some force to change the angle of the tube. But, if you make the rivetting and the piece moves, put some glue or a little soldering.

[Peroni]

Alternatively make/punch a square hole and make a square-shafted rivet. Tis will not rotate.

[SOCL]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll likely work on it this weekend and post some pictures of the outcome. That's not to say I'm totally disregarding your advice, Peronis; rather, this is something I plan to make somewhat temporary until I purchase a Coolus E.

[Servio Caro (Javier Sánc]

Hello, i'm also interested in adding two plume holders at the sides of my phrigian helmet, somebody knows what is the best lenght and diameter of the tube? what is the best plume? I have thought about goose plumes (it has over 30 cm in length) so it would be ok for it