Blackrock Hills

Ambrose · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 22

Yeah, I got a lot of things on my mind today. Laughing

So I was researching fur armor and it's pretty much a local park's call as to whether or not to give faux fur credit for a point of armor. I bought some faux fur to make barbarian garb out of but I want it to count for armor too. So what is our stand on the topic? I guess the reasoning for giving fur a point in general is because the skin acts as some sort of leather, which makes it count as one point. Since it's hella expensive, many parks go ahead and give the faux stuff the point. And if we do give the faux fur the point, I also have some quilted material that I am going to line it with. Will that then make it 2 points?

wisemonk · Board of Director Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 87

Faux fur has always been on the fence on whether to make it a legal armor point. We have so far allowed it as a point of armor, but made it so that you cannot improve its value in anyway. We have yet to truely enforce the -1 for inauthentic materials seeing as it will bring it to a flat 0. I understand that furs are expensive.
Hmm, actually I think William found a good source of cheap furs. Maybe you can talk to him on this.
In the future, there is a high likelyhood that we will start enforcing the -1, seeing as all other armors need to me made of "authentic quality"

Ambrose · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 22

So that just means it would be worth zero points, correct? Then if I pad it with quilted material I will have one point.

wisemonk · Board of Director Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 87

Yes you can cover padded armor with flax fur. Are you doing quilted or padded? Quilted being two layers of heavy canvas with padding in between it and Padded being 4 layers of heavy canvas sewn together. Make sure you leave vent holes at the armpit areas cause it will get hot. Even in the winter.

Ambrose · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 22

It has to be canvas? I thought quilted just had to be two layers with cloth with padding in between them, like a gambeson worn under chain.

wisemonk · Board of Director Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 87

Yes canvas, like duck cloth or denim or equivulent. Quack! Not to be confused with Duck Tape brand.

Ambrose · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 22

Then I will go with my original plan and make leather armor and use the fur as garb.

wisemonk · Board of Director Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 87

What is wrong with canvas?

Ambrose · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 22

Nothing is wrong with canvas, just that quilted canvas is going to be hot as hell when added to fur garb, so if I am going to put in the work and it be hot anyways, I would rather go with leather.

wvdmc · Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 47

If you make it with natural materials, such as Cotten or Linen (linen is especially cool) then it being of heavy material won't make it unbearably hot.

In the 15th century they were known to wear 15 and 20 layer jacks made from heavy linen layers. Even in the Crusades, the Christians wore thick garments of both padded and layered construction over their maille. There are accounts from both sides of the Christians looking like pincushions because their gambesons were full of arrows that hadn't penetrated, just stuck there.

Point is, even in the desert a properly made gambeson of natural materials isn't all that crazy hot.

wisemonk · Board of Director Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 87

There is also a difference between heat and humidity. Humidity can make things seem hotter than it really is. And WV has both on some days. But yes, if it is made from a 100% natural fabric it will breath well.

wvdmc · Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 47

I speak from personal experience when I say natural fabrics deal very well with humidity Wink

Remember the Ear ham.

wisemonk · Board of Director Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 87

I remember the stuff that came out of the ear ham more. I still shake violently while thinking about that.

wvdmc · Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 47

The tops of my ears are still disfigured slightly from that event.

We could have cooked eggs to go with our ham on that hat.