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Journal Issue No. 3 - June 2005 |
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Heavy Metal In April of 2005, Jeffrey Hedgecock, armourer and co-owner of Historic Enterprises, was invited to demonstrate armouring in the Armourer's shop at the Royal Armouries, Leeds. The demonstrations were scheduled as part of the Medieval Easter activities and demonstrations at the Royal Armouries.
This sounds like quite an opportunity- how did you get invited? I was planning to be in Leeds to joust at the Sword of Honour tournament. The Manager of the Craft Court, Andrew Bodley, is a friend of mine and asked if I would stick around to demonstrate armouring for 3 days as part of the program. The offer sounded like a great opportunity to do something fun and spend three days hanging out with Andrew at the Armouries, so I accepted. Has anyone else ever done a stint as guest armourer? As far as I know I'm the first guest armourer since Chris Dobson left 10 years ago. What was it like to be demonstrating armour making at one of the best known armour museums in the world? Exciting. Amazing. When you're there doing a craft like armouring it's an incredible opportunity to really learn something. You can be down in the shop making stuff knowing you have an entire country's armour available to you to look at and study any time you want. If you want to check a detail you don't have to wade through books to look at two dimensional pictures, you can go look at the real thing . That's what we would do at lunch, we'd go look at the real pieces in the museum. Not only that, the whole atmosphere is so energetic, there is a ton of stuff going on all the time; interpretations, research by curatorial staff, interpreters come in to be armed up for their demos, [the Armouries' Artistic Director] Mr. Waller pops his head in to see what's going on and say hi, [Senior Interpreter] Andy Deane comes around checking on armour and joking with everyone. Just an amazing experience to be part of things, even for a few days. So was there a planned program, or did you just "wing it"? Andrew and I outlined a plan in advance- I'm curently working on a commission for a harness of 1470's Italian armour very similar to my own harness for the Frazier Museum, which is the Royal Armouries US affiliate. Andrew thought it would be a good tie-in if I worked on pieces for the Frazier harness during the demos, so I brought over precut sheets of metal and worked on a cuisse, forming a cop and doing articulation. As it turned out, I also raised a conical helmet skull from a chunk of pure iron they had in the shop. Andrew showed me the slab and asked what I thought we could make out of it. I told him something early from say the 11th C or so would be a good choice. Andrew agreed, so we cut it out and I raised it hot on their coal forge. It took about a third of the time it would have taken to raise mild or spring steel. We lost about 25% of the material in scale which I didn't expect. I had never worked iron before, certainly not raising. It worked like I expected it to but it lost a lot more in scale than carbon steels. It was a fun little project.
That's certainly something to do on the spur of the moment! Did the shop have all the tools you needed for this? For the most part. One surprise was how few hammers and stakes they really have for a shop that has been in existence for nearly 10 years. I think that's more a function of the type of work done which is repairing armour rather than new construction. Part of it is that it¹s an unfamiliar shop so I didn't know where tools were, what specific hammers and stakes are suitable, etc. Some of it may have also been just a bit of nervousness at first, but I settled in pretty fast. Being in England, did they have any tools you weren't accustomed to using? The coal forge! In my shop at home I heat with a gas welding torch. I really enjoyed working on the forge because that's what I used when I started making armour 18 years ago. I switched over to gas because coal is too hard to get in CA. The nice thing about a coal forge is it allows you to get a much larger area hot so it can speed up certain kinds of work such as raising helmets or large plates. The flip side is that a torch is much more controlled, so you can do much more controlled work which the coal forge can't. Then again there's a almost a primeval feel to working on a forge with the smoke and flame and whoosh of the bellows and all. It was a lot of fun.
How did you talk and make armour at the same time? It was a real joint effort- Andrew did the commentary with a small microphone setup while I worked. After the first couple of minutes I wasn't nervous doing the demos, but I did find myself reluctant to talk, mostly because I wasn't sure how the English would react to an American doing that type of work. It was a relief to have Andrew doing the commentary because he's very knowledgeable and allowed me to concentrate on the work. We had my armour there so he was able to show a finished piece next to the one I was working on to compare. The crowd was very attentive and didn't interrupt, they stood and listened very politely. There were more people than I expected, sometimes as many as 100 people per session twice a day. As it turned out, the mike really came in handy, as the shop is in a concrete building and it's so loud it would be impossible hear anyone talking over the hammering without it. I did answer questions when the demo concluded and remarkably fielded the same exact questions you get in the States- "How did you learn to make armour?","How long does it take to make a suit of armour?" and "Who buys armour?". Questions like that.
Was it a good experience? It's always a good experience to demo for other people. I always learn a little bit more about what I'm doing because I have to explain it in a way the average person can understand. It was really nice spending so much time with Andrew because the time we've spent together in the past has been in brief periods. We share a huge amount of interests like the armour and historical equestrian pursuits, so we always have a ton of things to talk about and experiences to share. Andrew jousts, he was in the tournament as well. He doesn't joust as frequently as he used to, but his interest is still there, and he knows so much. It was a great experience for lots of little reasons as well- getting together at the pub at the end of the day, walking by the canal, passing the Black Church, just knowing you're there and "on your way to work" is cool. Then you turn the corner and you get a glimpse of the glass tower with all the pikes and munitions armour on the walls, rising 4 or 5 stories- it's pretty amazing and made it really exciting every morning. Any plans to go back? I'd love to do it again, and Andrew and I have discussed the possibilities.
We'll have to see what the future brings. Right now I'm just looking forward
to going back for the Queen's Jubilee Tournament Joust in August. I just
got my invitation last week, and I'm looking forward to competing with
my friends again.
Medieval feast day for June St John's Day June 24: The Christian Midsummer Festival June 24, marking the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, is St John's Day, a major Christian Feast. It is one of the "quarter days", signalling the beginning of each quarter of the year and welcoming each of the four seasons. The other quarter days are Christmas on December 25, Lady Day (Annunciation) on March 25 and Michaelmas on September 29. |
History
in the Making In the Fall of 2004, Historic Enterprises and Mandrake Armory joined forces in an exciting cooperative partnership. Black Swan Designs owner Gwen Nowrick explains how the idea came about. "I've known Greg peripherally for several years and felt him to be a super guy with a fantastic attitude. It wasn't until Pennsic 2004 that I really had the opportunity to sit and talk with him for any length of time. I came away from our conversations knowing that this was someone who shared my own view of business and how to treat people. Greg was a professional businessman and who took his commitment to quality merchandise and customer service as seriously as I take my own. After Pennsic I knew I wanted to work with Greg in some capacity". "We have been using and abusing Historic Enterprises products for years", explained Greg Anderson, owner of Mandrake Armory. "When Gwen approached us about working together we knew that this would be a great opportunity for everyone involved".
HE and MA serve slightly different markets, MA concentrating on armour, weapons and fighting supplies for the SCA. HE concentrates on historical replicas which can be used by any medieval enthusiast, regardless of which group or groups they participate with. A dynamic partnership "There's enough of an overlap in what we do for this to be a dynamic partnership" Gwen continues. "Because Greg participates with the SCA, he brings a knowledge of the SCA's unique needs and desires to the table, while we bring our strength in historical design. We're working on several armour and clothing designs which have a historical basis, yet are modified for the specific needs of the SCA. The arming pourpoint is our first collaboration and a perfect example: here is a garment that was used one way in the Middle Ages, yet functions perfectly in another context. I've used my knowledge of how arming garments were made in the middle ages to adapt a garment to fit the specific needs of SCA fighters. We've come up with something that is light, comfortable and infinitely adjustable to each fighter's body. It's all very exciting!" Greg adds- "Partnering with Jeff and Gwen has enabled us to move concepts toward production that for years were no more then wishful thinking. It is very interesting to see how the different businesses approached the same customer need; such as in providing appropriate foundation garments for armour. We knew what our customers were asking for and HE already had it in the works".
Getting the word out Expanding visibility is another benefit of the HE/MA partnership. "We only attend Pennsic, which limits our exposure to SCA folks who have seen us at that event or have found us on the internet. Greg and Gretchen have taken our Black Swan Designs clothing to a number of wars and events we would never have gotten to otherwise, and the response has been phenomenal! Having clothing available expands MA range, providing a great service to SCA members who may not have access to high quality garments at events otherwise". "Ok, so you all know that this is totally self serving - since I get first pick of the clothes." Gretchen Anderson of Mandrake Armory admits. "It has been really fun and educational to sell the Black Swan line. I learn as much from Gwen's customers and I do from Gwen. People come in to find a specific piece for their kit or they bring their friends in who are new to reenactment. I meet so many people who are passionate about their hobbies and committed to take their play to a higher level." HE and MA share the same goals in providing quality products, fair prices and superior customer service. Greg has been in business for 20 years, and felt from the beginning that word of mouth is best advertising, and that "treating customers as friends" is the best way to gain repeat business. Gwen laughs and agrees- "I know it sounds corny, but I always try to treat people like I want to be treated. We can't always make everyone happy, but we always try." A bright future What this alliance means to Historic Enterprises and Mandrake Armory is new and better ideas, new and better products as well as moral and business support. What it means to Historic and Mandrake's customers is a new level of commitment to quality and service. From Gretchen, "Working with Gwen and Jeff has inspired a new energy and focus for MA. If you are reading this article then you probably already know - Jeff and Gwen are intense, informed and opinionated. Just the mix to get things done. You couldn't ask for better in your friends and partners." For HE, Gwen says"Greg and Gretchen are absolutely the best kind of people- honest, straightforward, levelheaded, intelligent and perceptive. They're also interesting and plain old fun to be around. Working with them is one of the best opportunities we¹ve had in a long time, and we plan to make the most of it." June Source: Thomas Tusser, Five hundreth pointes of good husbandrie, 1586. June is the month of Sheepshearing. If last year's harvest was been poor, things start getting a bit unpleasant now. The Hay harvest begins after St. John's Day. June Hay harvesting began around St. John's Day (June 24th). At dawn on that day, the lead harvester crossed himself and began the first cut. Hay harvesting also marked the coming of age of young men. A boy who cut hay well was first considered a man on this day. The harvest leader tied a bunch of flowering grasses onto his scythe to signify this fact. La Cuisine Médiévale
The following recipe features honey, and is one variation on what seems to have been a popular dish- thin pieces of dough or pastry, filled or cut into pieces, fryed in oil until crispy and drenched in clarified honey. A light and pefectly elegant sweet in any century! Tourteletes in fryture 157. Tourteletes in fryture. Take figus & grynde hem smal; do Þerin saffron & powdur fort. Close hem in foyles of dowe, & frye hem in oyle. Claryfye hony & flamme hem Þerwyt; ete hem hote or colde. -The Forme of Cury Over low heat, cook Take figs & grind them small; do there-in saffron & powder fort. Close them in foils of dough, & fry them in oil. Clarify honey & baste them there-with; eat them hot or cold. Figs Finely dice the figs as small as possible by hand or purée with a processor. Add saffron and powder fort to taste. About 1 tsp. per cup of ground fruit is nice, more than that will give a more pungent flavor. Roll out or defrost premade pastry dough and cut into 2-3² circles. Brush a pastry circle with water. Place a teaspoon of filling on half and fold the other side of the pastry over the filling. Seal and crimp edges. Fry the pies in hot oil until lightly browned & crispy; remove from heat and allow to drain. Heat the honey until bubbles start to rise, skimming off any scum that rises. Baste pies with honey. Serve hot or cold. * blend of strong spices, thought to contain a mixture
of pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cubeb, clove, etc. Pumpkin pie
spice may be used in a pinch. Introducing our new destrier - Leopold!
Although we can never replace Bella, we are very excited to have found Leopold, and look forward to resuming our reenactment activities with he and Petrus. |
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All contents ©2005 by Gwen Nowrick & Historic Enterprises, all rights reserved. Page created by Jenn Reed. |
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There
appears to be an old connection between honey and the month of June. June
is traditionally the month when honey is first harvested for the year.
In pagan tradition, the moon of Midsummer is called the "Honey Moon" from
the mead made of fermented honey drunk after the many marriage ceremonies
held on the Summer Solstice. In Christian cultures, June continued to
be a favorite month for weddings and in some traditions, newly wed couples
were fed dishes and beverages that featured honey for the first month
of their married life to encourage love and fertility. St. John's Day
is celebrated on June 24th; St. John is said to have lived on nothing
but locusts and wild honey. 
Leopold is
a 3 year old, 15.2 Clydesdale - Thoroughbred cross.