Padding in the helmet\'s sides

[Tarbicus]

A lot of helmets are pretty round. And before we kick off on a discussion of that hot potato, a lot of originals were, especially when looking at the Coolus and Montefortino type. So, let's not go there, and stick to the heart of one of the problems.

Cheek piece padding; is there any reason it's vital that it has to end at the top of the cheek pieces?

Why can't it just carry on upwards into the helmet bowl itself? That would add extra padding at the temples and sides of the head, and even on the crown if you wanted to take it all the way up there. Just don't glue over the hinges.

You put on your arming cap and hey presto, a better fit, and your cheek pieces are connected to the bowl more strongly as well.

[Primvs Pavlvs]

Jim on my last Coolus I done this. I continued the wool up into the helmet to get a better fit. It worked well since my helmet bowl was small. I only had about 1 cm of padding all around the helmet. AS you suggested the extended cheekplate padding did provide some stablization to the round bowl.

[Tarbicus]

Thanks for the info, Paul. At least I had one good thought this week :wink:

[A_Volpe]

Interesting idea.

There was discussion a while ago about "arming caps" and some sculpture (frescoe?) showing soldiers(?) in what appear to look somewhat like jaw-wraps like in the old cartoons when someone had a tooth-ache, where a wrap of fabric is around the top of the head, but a piece extends down over the ears, under the chin.

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... ap&start=0

Note the fellow in the top right background.

There are I'm sure a few other discussions on this, which I'm just unable to scour through right now.

Perhaps having a wrap going under the chin adds some comfort from the chinstraps/ties from biting into one's neck? (I don't think I've had much issue with that myself, though)

I'd think that having a liner from the crown down to the cheekpieces would interfer with the hinges; from foldling flat?

It's an interesting idea.

[AntonivsMarivsCongianocvs]

Salve,

As far as the image of the arming cap… the first time I saw that fresco I though the guy foreground was having a leg injury taking care of and the guy in the background had a head injury and was all bandaged up. I though it was an ‘after the battle’ fresco.

[Tarbicus]

Let's post the image again for convenience:



There's also perhaps this interpretation by Strutt.


http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... 200#137200

[A_Volpe]

Tarbicus -

Thanks for posting both the frescoe and the Strutt illustration, I was hoping to find that.

Antonius - I agree, I had thought the person in the background suffered a head injury as well...It's very possible...But, where then, is the blood? If they show it on the main guy's leg, then why not on the solider behind.

I know, it brings more questions than answers (as is usually the case), but I do see 2 possibilities - Bandages or Arming cap.

It's an interesting illustration, certainly.

[Dan Diffendale]

the main guy's leg

Just as a reminder, the "main guy" is Aeneas, whether or not that affects interpretation is another question.

[Gaius_Calvus]

Tarbicus,

Good idea. I normally use 1/4" (6mm) linen-covered felt for the cheekpieces cut to shape. I had not thought of extending them into the side of the bowl, but I think it would work depending on the size of one's head.

For me, depending on the size of the particular helmet, I use ~rectangular 1/2" (12.5mm) or 1/4" (6mm) thick, linen-covered felt for the side pieces, as you suggest.

All of my helmets are custom fitted to my head, looking like a jigsaw puzzle inside with individual pieces of 1/4"-1/2" linen-covered felt pieces at front, rear, sides, top, and cheek pieces.

I leave gaps between each piece of anywhere from 25mm-30mm wide to allow for air circulation, since overheating is always a factor in Summer. Our modern Army helmet linings use the same principle.

Each of my helmets is a little different in size, but each of them (through this process) fits me perfectly.

Edge

[Tarbicus]

Just as a reminder, the "main guy" is Aeneas, whether or not that affects interpretation is another question.

A good point, Dan, but the painting's contemporary Roman and it does raise the question about where the artist got the inspiration for the cap (I think it's a cap not a bandage)? It looks like it would sit very comfortably under the helmet seen further back.

Good idea. I normally use 1/4" (6mm) linen-covered felt for the cheekpieces cut to shape. I had not thought of extending them into the side of the bowl, but I think it would work depending on the size of one's head........

Absolutely, Edge. I was suggesting it as an alternative means of making sense of those rounder helmets, especially spun, and also as a solution to the wider helms that some people have a problem with. As PP points out it seems to work well, he being a practitioner of that method of stabilising the helm.

[Gaius_Calvus]

Absolutely, Jim.

Makes sense.

Edge

[Hibernicus]

A number of our guys have affixed varying layers of padding to the cheeks, other have created caps similar to those illustrated above, some like the jane cob hat from firely.. not knitted though.. also like:
http://wirelessdigest.typepad.com/photo ... beanie.jpg but without the sound system!

My ole dliner has flappy ears that can be tied under the chin or on top.

But, no matter the form cheek padding is essential!

Padding is an important and critcal part of armor..helmet, segmentata, manica...