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Good Armour Examples
The best place to learn about armour (other than at the Azure Armoury, of course) is in a museum. Some museums have larger collections, better interpretive notes, and more informative displays—though some can be a bit tricky to navigate. So, we've put together a list of some of our favorite places below:
Art Institute of Chicago
New York Met
Royal Armouries Collection
Worcester Art Museum
Allen Antiques
Gambesons
Gambesons are worn under armour and come in a wide range of quality and historical accuracy. If you're looking for something inexpensive, you can try Museum Replicas. But if you want something of the highest quality, you really don’t have many better options than Medieval Market.
My bespoke gambeson from Medieval Market is one of the finest garments I own. It was made to my specifications, and I cannot recommend them enough.
Leather and Buckles
It’s inevitable that the leather parts of your armour will eventually need to be replaced, or a buckle will fail. When that happens, it can often be an easy at-home fix with a bit of effort and a call to Tandy Leather.
This is where we get all our leather and buckles. The rivets we do ourselves, and you can watch a video on how to pein your own rivets and make minor repairs at home, just like we do.\\\\\\\
Plumes
Plumes are the decorative feathers seen at the back of some helmets. These brightly colored features helped identify the wearer to both friend and foe across the battlefield. You might find some plumes at hobby shops, but if you want a large selection of quality plumage, you should check out Feather Palace. That’s where we get our plumes — and while they can be a bit pricier than the local guy, the selection and quality are well worth the extra expense.\\
Custom Knives and Blades
We don’t make custom knives or blades ourselves, but we’re asked often enough that we’re including a few great resources:
Phoenix Forge: Alan Bedgood has been making knives for some time now. He’s both reasonably priced and produces quality pieces.
Angel Sword: We’ve been friends with the team at Angel Sword for over a decade. These folks really know their stuff — if you know what you want, they’ll surely be able to help.
Custom Chainmail
White Rook Chain is the team we’ve worked with for years. Chris is incredibly knowledgeable and does fine work. Most of what you’ll see on their site is jewelry, but they’re quite adept at armour pieces as well.
Azure Armoury Custom Sizing Guide
The below link is for when we are making a custom item for an individual. These measurement locations are most but not always all of the information required for us to get a nice fit for your unique item. Please send measurements in imperial units (inches/feet) and measure with a cloth tape being sure to not be overly tight or loose so we have an accurate measurement of your body.
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