Browse our Categories! Arms and Armor Celtic Lore Historical Fiction Historical Non-Fiction (A-H) Historical Non-Fiction (I-R) Historical Non-Fiction (S-Z) King Arthur Legends Miscellaneous Fiction Miscellaneous Non-Fiction

Arms & Armor The Art of Making Armour by Rob Valentine $19.95 / American Lit. Press / 2000 A pictorial guide to the process of making a suit of armor, master armorer Rob Valentine of Valentine Armouries demonstrates 16th-century armor craft in this book, a time when the art of producing full plate armor had reached its zenith. Valentine takes the reader from the design phase to the fully-suited finale, starting with the sabaton for the feet, and ending with the gorget for the neck. He also outlines the elaborate labor-of-love that goes into making chainmail, a process which requires hundreds of man-hours, and the completion of thousands of riveted chains. The reader sees gauntlets and greaves take shape before their eyes, as well as the steady transformation of a simple sheet of metal into a formidable, battle-ready suit of steel designed for the modern warrior. The numerous photographs provide a detailed guide, though in reading through the book, one wishes for more textual explanation for the fascinating pictures. Disappointingly, some pictures are shot in extreme high contrast, at once conveying the forge atmosphere, but also on occasion obscuring the objects being featured. Still, as an accessible manual, the book is unique, being the product of one of the most skilled and accomplished armorers of today. For the curious, this picture guide to the art of making armor is the perfect invitation into the blacksmith's lair. —Duke Shadow

Click here to order:The Art of Making Armor             To order Renaissance Magazine, click here. To order medieval tapestries and other period products, click here.