I'm making Samurai Armor

[jjhammerstein]

Nice work.

I was into the Samurai when I was about 13. Found them fascinating.

I'm not into them like I want to BE one, or I'm going to star following Bushido or something. I like the cultural depth that can be seen through what was worn as clothing and armor. So many little things that have stories behind them, it's amazing, I think.

[gamemasterAS]

I found you on google earth!

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&q= ... 7805207798

[jjhammerstein]

Oh wow.
I wish I was in StreetView somewhere.

I want to point out that they are LARPers, and LARP is silly.

[cennar]

Now, just to get a samari sword signed by randy jackson and it will be complete.
Awesome dude.

its all about Randy Jackson homes.

[Kurt_]

I thought the original poster, and maybe a few others, would be interested in making hardened leather at home.

It came up during a conversation with my physics prof about his chain mail he was making at home with a few other students, as he showed us the period arrowheads and spearheads he had in his office, for some reason.

Then it escalated to making it myself during a zombie apocalypse, and the benefits of hardened leather over chain mail in said situation.

It's not hard at all. It'll take a bit of practice to get it right, but it basically comes down to the following procedure:

1) Soak VEGETABLE TANNED leather overnight.
2) Hammer it.
3) Put leather into water just hot enough for your skin to stand (To avoid cooking the leather).
4) Take it out, hammer it.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for a while. Each time will make it harder (This is an assumption, it may not be true).
5) Repeat step 3, then take it out and nail/tie it onto a mold. (Keep in mind the leather will shrink during this whole process).
6) Dry the leather at 50 Celsius for a while.
7) Wax the leather with paraffin wax.
Repeat step 6.
9) Assemble your armour, and you're pretty much done.

http://www.swordbrother.com/sca/hardleather/
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~Marc-Ca ... l.html#cb7

[rikitheshadow]

Freakin awesome dude! lol......

Nah really, i always like wanted a full set of samurai armor myself as well, but i'm pretty sure it would be expensive.
I wanna wear something like that to the Renaissance Festival or a Anime con.

[jjhammerstein]

That's so much more complicated than need be.

Step 1: Soak leather in near-boiling water, or heat it in the oven.
Step 2: Shape and dunk in cold water until cooled
The end

That's water hardening

Waxing
Step 1: Soak in melted wax
Step 2: Dry

You don't even need to hammer it.


That armor was made with the second method.


That tsuba was made with water hardening.

WARNING: MAJOR SHRINKAGE MAY OCCUR WITH DRYING.

[Those pictures might not work]

[Kurt_]

Yeah, the shrinkage is why you do it my way. Also, my way will produce armour that can withstand actual swords, not just blunt play swords. But hey, to each his own.

[jjhammerstein]

Pff, I don't believe that it withstands real blades.
Once it's "hardened", you can cut leather with normal SCISSORS.
So, I want some proof before I swallow that one.

[Kurt_]

Sure, I'll prove it. Just buy me some vegetable-tanned leather.

[jjhammerstein]

No.
Find some online documentation, if you dare.

[Kurt_]

http://www.swordbrother.com/sca/hardleather/
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~Marc-Ca ... l.html#cb7


I'm in no position to argue about this, I've never laid hands on hardened leather armour. But the very fact that it was used as medieval armour should be enough to tell you that it would at least resist heavy slashes. I don't think you could thrust very far into it, either.

[jjhammerstein]

FINE, I'LL TEST IT.
Once I get back to my mom's house on Wednesday.

[Kurt_]

I'm not telling you to test it. I'd like you to, but I'm just saying I don't know a thing about this stuff. It'd be cool to test out, though.

[jjhammerstein]

Well, I really want to prove you wrong. XD
This has no anger in it at all, I'm just very competitive.

But still, YOU'RE GOING DOWN.