Still other notes from Raglan - Robert's projects at Raglan
Robert took on a greater share of fire-care and cooking this year, which meant less fighting and time on the field. He's still nursing his post-surgery hand, so is being very careful with how much it does.
He chose to herald the torchlight tourney, and this year Master Gottfried entered as a guest, which was splendid - he always looks awesome, and he's a pleasure to watch with a great weapon.
Robert did get to play long weapons with Gottfried and did play in the Oxford Roll, a tourney of his own making, where he records the winners' arms on, well, a roll of arms (early pic, this has grown at least 2x as long since then).
This year it was won by Pont Alarch, which was a first, and excellent for them, well deserved.
Robert also continued in his annual campaign of painting other peoples' shields, when they haven't Gotten A Round Tuit. Blank shields offend his wa, so he 'fixes' them with a quick dose of simple heraldry.
This year it was Hakeem (argent, a chevron and a canton sable) and Harada, known to some as Clancy Jr (gules, a Japanese temple gate argent - Harada is interested in a Japanese persona) who gave in to having their shields civilly taken from them, returrned less than an hour later painted with some simple arms. Apparently a stylised temple gate looks something like Albrecht Durer's A in his signature.
Since he only brought red, black and white paint to Raglan this year, they are simple, but man they make a difference to the look of the fighting. One year he painted a long teardrop shield chevronny argent and gules, for someone in Pont Alarch, and it looked like something out of the Bayeux Tapestry, and you could see it everywhere in photos afterward.
Just as cool, though, was carving and casting a new pin on site with Joel, aryanhwy's husband. Since J's introduction to pewter work a few months ago he's run with it, found new sources of materials and references - he came armed with a type of carve-able stone easily available in German craft shops that Robert had not tried, and that's what they used to make a new brooch. It's awesome to see them working together, and clearly J is just as keen on the process, the skills and the technical intricacies as Robert.
This pin is in the shape of an hourglass, because one of their highnesses' challenges this reign is to 'make something on site'. You can do preparation and bring materials with you, but do the work at the event - and the pin is the token of their highnesses' approval of the best item made on site at that event.
Charmingly...the token was made on-site, in Robert's small pewter crucible over a gas burner.
On other pewter fronts:
Something Robert has posted since 20 year is a clip of his pouring the 20 year token - the slush-casting process to make a hollow piece on YouTube.
Aside from having the right mould, the art is in the timing to pour the mould allow the outside to set, and then pour off the excess before it sets solid.
Also: use pure tin. Robert's notes about the process are on his wiki.
For the filming, this was my first try at using the video option on our ageing camera and I'm reasonably pleased at the outcome. Next time, I'll turn off the stupid washing machine before recording.
He chose to herald the torchlight tourney, and this year Master Gottfried entered as a guest, which was splendid - he always looks awesome, and he's a pleasure to watch with a great weapon.
Robert did get to play long weapons with Gottfried and did play in the Oxford Roll, a tourney of his own making, where he records the winners' arms on, well, a roll of arms (early pic, this has grown at least 2x as long since then).
This year it was won by Pont Alarch, which was a first, and excellent for them, well deserved.
Robert also continued in his annual campaign of painting other peoples' shields, when they haven't Gotten A Round Tuit. Blank shields offend his wa, so he 'fixes' them with a quick dose of simple heraldry.
This year it was Hakeem (argent, a chevron and a canton sable) and Harada, known to some as Clancy Jr (gules, a Japanese temple gate argent - Harada is interested in a Japanese persona) who gave in to having their shields civilly taken from them, returrned less than an hour later painted with some simple arms. Apparently a stylised temple gate looks something like Albrecht Durer's A in his signature.
Since he only brought red, black and white paint to Raglan this year, they are simple, but man they make a difference to the look of the fighting. One year he painted a long teardrop shield chevronny argent and gules, for someone in Pont Alarch, and it looked like something out of the Bayeux Tapestry, and you could see it everywhere in photos afterward.
Just as cool, though, was carving and casting a new pin on site with Joel, aryanhwy's husband. Since J's introduction to pewter work a few months ago he's run with it, found new sources of materials and references - he came armed with a type of carve-able stone easily available in German craft shops that Robert had not tried, and that's what they used to make a new brooch. It's awesome to see them working together, and clearly J is just as keen on the process, the skills and the technical intricacies as Robert.
This pin is in the shape of an hourglass, because one of their highnesses' challenges this reign is to 'make something on site'. You can do preparation and bring materials with you, but do the work at the event - and the pin is the token of their highnesses' approval of the best item made on site at that event.
Charmingly...the token was made on-site, in Robert's small pewter crucible over a gas burner.
On other pewter fronts:
Something Robert has posted since 20 year is a clip of his pouring the 20 year token - the slush-casting process to make a hollow piece on YouTube.
Aside from having the right mould, the art is in the timing to pour the mould allow the outside to set, and then pour off the excess before it sets solid.
Also: use pure tin. Robert's notes about the process are on his wiki.
For the filming, this was my first try at using the video option on our ageing camera and I'm reasonably pleased at the outcome. Next time, I'll turn off the stupid washing machine before recording.