Re: Japanese Armor

[rmhowe <magnusm@ncsu.edu>]

Poster: rmhowe <magnusm@ncsu.edu>

Debbie Halstead wrote:
> 
> Poster: Debbie Halstead <jebbydo@yahoo.com>
> 
> My lord asked me to post this, fishing for info, so here goes . . . He
> remembers there being instructions on the making of Japanese armor
> floating around -- he's trying to find those, as he's working on (or
> thinking about working on) a secondary, Japanese persona. He seems to
> think that it might have been in a back issue of the Compleat
> Anachronist. Any leads?
> 
> Deborah of Isenfir
> Lord Allister MacMillan

You might try this, as it seems to be more definitive:
The Manufacture of Armour and Helmets in 16th Century Japan
by Sakakibara Kozan, revised and edited by H. Russell Robinson.
Holland Press, 1962. Written in 1800 but with a number of modern
illustrations and pictures. Second impression 1979. ISBN 0 9000470 380
The Holland Press, Ltd., 37 Connaught Street, London W2 2aZ
Telephone 01 262-61874. If it is out of print try InterLibray Loan.

Also Osprey has the following books out:

Early Samurai 200-1500AD, by Anthony J. Bryant Osprey Elite Series 35
This one is quite illustrative of armor construction in different 
periods.

The Samurai 940-1600, Anthony J. Bryant, Osprey Elite Series 23
Later in period, not quite as illustrative in techniques and pieces
as the above.

Samurai Armies 1550-1615, S.R. Turnbull, Osprey Man at Arms Series 86
Contains Japanese illustrations of putting on armor in stages, but 
not as illustrative as the foregoing books.

Samurai 1550-1600, Anthony J. Bryant, Osprey Warrior Series 7.
Usually the Warrior Series is more illustrative of the composition
of armor and weapons than this one is, but it has some nice views 
of armor and shows the armorsmiths and their weapons.

Webpages:
Kumihomo for the braiding:
http://w3.thegroup.net/~janis/samurai.html

Defensive Weapons of the Japanese Samurai:
http://www.concentric.net/~Budokai/research/weapons.htm

Aoi Art, Tokyo:
http://www.tokyoweb.or.jp/aoi-art/index.html

William of Stafford's Arms and Armor Links:
http://members.aol.com/sca110323/armor.htm

As far as smiths go:

In Atlantia Mikhail the Armorer makes Japanese armor if he isn't busy
as hell. Ask if you're interested. Mikhail reads Merryrose.

Magnus, Windmasters' Hill, Atlantia, Brotherhood of the Great Dark Horde
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