I'm selling my full kit. Sad but its true. I'm working on a whole new persona so starting over and hoping to find this rig a good home. Here's a link to my photobucket:
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm23 ... or%20Sale/
This includes a brass scale and leather suirass (very adjustable for a range of sizes), brass spaulders (18ga), 4" thick warbelt with a 70" long ring belt (ring and tip are bronze, both belts are heavily tooled), leather gorget, leather with brass plate bracers and shinguards (both heavily tooled, top layer of leather is cut out to expose images in the brass plate).
Reach out to me via IM or email (mc1csmo AT aol DOT com) and I'd be happy to discuss. This full kit is pretty pricey. I might break up a few pieces but unlikely to sell one item alone unless its the torso of scales.
More details:
With all the attention to detail and expensive materials (Brass is expensive) this is a pretty pricey rig. All the metals are solid brass (the plates, the scales, the rivets, the buckles), so they won't rust at all, but will tarnish (I don't mind that, it gives it an ornate look). That could easily be remedied with any number of products readily available. The only non-brass metals is the articulated belt ring and tip (special ordered) which are bronze, and the split rings that are used to weave the brass scales together, which are nickel. The split rings overlap over like your keychain ring, so they won't come undone and allow for modification if need be.
The leather is all top quality and armor grade. Base materials are 12-15oz, top layer tooling is 5-6oz, which are stitched and riveted in place. The bottom of the brass torso is lined and riveted to a strip of tooled leather to reduce the scale jingle and keep the scales uniform and looking good (if you are familiar with loose scales at the bottom of a scale mail weave, they can flap about and fall out of line on occasion).
The scales are NOT riveted to a backing of leather, only mounted to the leather harness with peened brass rivets and the washers on the outside (in front and back and on both sides) are antique brass conchos with a nice design on them that fits the theme of the piece. The rest is a chain/scale weave that allows for much more fluid motion and flexibility and also breaths much much better in the summer. If this were riveted to leather, it would stretch all but the thickest of leather hides, and that leather would hold in the heat in the hot summer. This weave helps keep it cooler to wear on the hotter days. If you aren't familiar with it, let me know if you'd like some pics of this weave and I'll be happy to send them.
The Bracers and Shinguards are double layer leather as described above, with a thick base, and a thinner top layer. Between these is anchored a plate of brass (18ga) on each piece, shaped to fit that body part. The top thinner leather layer is cut out to expose the brass and show a design, either a Thors Hammer, or a Celtic Dragon (I've done tons of other designs in work I've done for other people).
The Bracers and Shinguards have brass eyelet holes to guide the threading, which is black parachute cord for strength (and looks), with the ends connected to a clamp that allows for one handed closure and tightening of the fit on each piece (important for the bracers on the arms so you don't need help putting them on).
The Warbelt is a 2 part piece, with 4" kidney belt that has a 12" range on waist sizes to fit, and is surrounded by a 70" ring belt. Both are heavily tooled and the belt loops the hold the ring belt in place each have antique brass conchos mounted on each panel.
The Gorget will fit over or under the scale torso armor and is water formed to fit nicely over your shoulders and with plenty of room about your neckline for freedom of movement and in case you pad up or insulate with layers in the winter.
This is my own personal armor, so I took great care to make it as well as I'm skilled to do so, and with the best materials and quite a bit of attention to detail. I sell lots of items like this so taking into consideration material costs (brass is costly!) and the labor involved in having each piece made, but also a volume discount (which I usually give when multiple items or ordered at the same time) I would price this entire kit at $1000. It would be higher naturally if I sold each one individually, but my goal is to let it go as a package. I might break it all up, but that would be on a case by case basis. The most likely scenario is one that includes the full kit, minus one or two smaller items (for example, less the Gorget an Warbelt), and any combination that includes the torso scale mail vest and leather shoulder harness, which is the most costly individual item in the kit. That part alone is $500 plus shipping. It takes about a hundred hours to weave the average sized vest, and several months spread out, so if you had one made, it would cost quite a bit more, nearly as much as the price of this whole kit (see if you can get someone to make a scale shirt from TRL scales, and you'll see what I mean lol).
Please contact me via email (mc1csmo at aol dot com) to discuss further and I'll be happy to entertain breaking up the pieces and give you an adjusted quote. Naturally the full kit price is discounted and the best deal possible overall.
Thanks for any interest!
MC
