Building your own Armour
Part 2: Padding the Helm
Sir Michael DeLacy
In the
last issue, padding for the body was detailed; the gambeson
for the chest and abdomen and sports pads for the elbows and
knees. In this issue, I will be going over the padding for
your head, the helmet lining.
The helmet is the most important part of your armour, and to get maximum protection from you helmet, you must make sure that it is padded and strapped properly. A great percentage of the blows in SCA combat are head-shots, and the new rules regarding face thrusting make it imperative to have a well fitting helmet; snug, but not too tight, and with a sufficient thickness of padding to avoid getting clobbered senseless.
Helmet lining has of course been around as long as helmets have been in use. Most surviving examples of helmet lining are made of two or more layers of canvas stuffed with tow, horsehair, wool or other soft material. It was often formed in the shape of a seriese of 4 triangles, joined at the base to a leather band, which was riveted to the inside of the helmet. The tips of the triangles were then tied together with a loop of cord; the tighter the loop, the closer fitting the helm lining. This arrangement gave an adjustable fitting, much like modern helm webbing. In some later jousing armours, a full coif of padded fabric enclosed the head and was suspended from the interior of the helm by leather straps, so no part actually touched the walls of the helm, creating a very effective shock absorption system.
Today, we have access to a variety of materials to make helm lining from, of which the most popular and easy to use material is synthetic foam. Closed cell foam, like that found in camping pad rolls and open cell foam, like that used in upholstery, are the most common types used in the SCA. When shopping for a helm, make sure that it is not too tight. You should have at least an inch of space at all points between your head and the helmet. Have a marshal look at the helmet; he or she can give you advice on the fit and protection. Some helmets cover all the way down to the shoulders, while others, particularly 15th century and later types, will need extra bits such as a reinforced collar and bevoir to make them SCA legal. You should not have any gaps big enough for a sword to get into from the collarbone up, front and back.
Padding a flat topped greathelm is fairly straightforeward; cut the foam in the shapes of the individual panels of metal, and fit them inside. First, put down a layer of closed cell foam, which is denser than the open cell foam, against the steel. Then, add open cell foam where needed to make for a snug fit.
To
pad a round or conical topped helmet, I suggest the
following pattern - based upon the period original. First,
measure the circufrence of your helm at about brow level.
This gives you your base line. Next, measure up from the
brow to the crow of the helm, the topmost point. This gives
you the heigh of the triangles. Divide the baseline into
four segments, and turn each segment into a triangle, with
rounded edges like this:
Now, take this and stuff it into the helmet; the triangle should all meet point to point at the top of the helm; you will probably have to trim the triangles to get this to fit properly. once you have them more or less fitted, duct tape the segments together, and trim off any foam that is sticking out beyond the edge of the helmet. Add strips of foam where necessary, such as at the back of the neck and around the sides, if this has not been covered already, and tape into place. Now, take the padding out of the helmet; you should now have a foam helmet, which fits inside the steel one.
To
finish the padding, take strips of open cell foam and put a
strip across the brow, at the back of the head, at each side
and put a disc of foam at the top: leave plenty of room
between the strips; this will allow air to circulate inside
the helmet, making it much more comfortable. Try on the
helmet with the padding and see how it feels. Your should
have plenty of padding across the brow, as it will bear the
brunt of any strong impact. Trim the bits until you get a
snug and comfortable fit, with no tight spots.
Finally, make a lining bag for your padding; this is a very good idea, as a removeable lining can be washed, and believe me, it will need it. Use a soft, breathable fabric to line the padding; cut and sew it to fit over your head, and then over the padding, where it can be secured with a drawstring.
The chinstrap is a very important part of the helmet; it keeps you from eating your grill when you take a good face thrust, and keeps your helm from doing embarassing things like popping off in a melee. A double strap design is one of the most efficient. It should be anchored to the helmet just behind and above the ear, and fasten to a split chinstrap. Illustration: chinstrap pattern and fastening.
The
chinstrap should be snug to tight; the helmet should not
move about on your head. Your nose should not touch your
facegrille or visor, even when pushed hard.
Always check your chinstrap for wear or strain before fighting, and always keep a spare set in your repair box; a broken chin strap can ruin a whole war for you if you are not prepared. And above all, make sure that the helm is comfortable; a poorly fitting helm is bad news, and probably unsafe.