scratch built samurai armor x2

[dreaminspired]

here's a couple of one-off suits of samurai armor that i built between 1999 and 2004. (i was a student of iai-jitsu for many many years.) the materials are cardboard, paper, glue, spackling, super sculpy, covered in cloth doped in latex paint, and painted. i laced the lighter one up with nylon parachute chord and the darker one with dyed shoe laces... like an idiot i took absolutely no images of the build process with either of these (which were built before i had a digital camera). i do plan on building another suit soon and will be sure to accurately document the process. i also have some repair and detail rework to do on both to clean them up a little (now that i'm a little more refined:wacko).

last year i wore the dark one for a friend who wanted some pics for drawing reference and again like an idiot, i didn't tie the arm pieces down. anyways.... crappy pictures, cool armor!!!

 

[dreaminspired]

p.s.
notice the blue slippers

 

[krazy]

that's awesome! I'd be interested in doing something like this!

 

[Riceball]

Very nice work, I've been thinking of doing something similar and duplicating the lamellar armor worn by the terracotta soldiers from the 1st Emperor's Tomb in China. If I do I plan on casting all of my lamellar pieces; sculpt one, mold and cast it and when I have a few made I'd then make a mold of several of them so I can cast several at once. The main thing that keeps me from seriously attempting it is thinking of all the time effort it will take to lace all of the pieces together. How long did it take you to make yours?

 

[CardBoard King]

I have been wanting to make a samurai armor inspired by this face mask I've found. But you inspired me even more with your artistic skills. Your armor came out very beautiful

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

I see you are a fan of The Last Samurai! Nicely done! I am now inspired to create an armor piece with my family 'mon' considering that most of my family items / swords disappeared after WW II!:cry

 

[dreaminspired]

Very nice work, I've been thinking of doing something similar and duplicating the lamellar armor worn by the terracotta soldiers from the 1st Emperor's Tomb in China. If I do I plan on casting all of my lamellar pieces; sculpt one, mold and cast it and when I have a few made I'd then make a mold of several of them so I can cast several at once. The main thing that keeps me from seriously attempting it is thinking of all the time effort it will take to lace all of the pieces together. How long did it take you to make yours?

thanks everyone!
from start to finish on the first armor (which is the last image i posted) it took roughly 6 months of pretty steady work. the second suit i worked on here and there for 2 years before calling it good. the lacing probably took a few weeks... once you get into the groove it doesn't take too long. the hardest part about lacing was making everything fairly even in length.

 

[gwizah]

Hey there fellow Samurai Armorer! I created this suit using large plastic flower pots, pop rivets, shoe laces, rubber drawer liners, and pajamas.

The Sandals are made of hand-knitted rope using plans I obtained over the internet. The helmet was made using a fiberglass m1 helmet liner, brass lamp parts, and assorted items from my misc parts trays. The mempo (mask) was a Halloween store clear plastic mask painted black with a mustache and beard created from a paintbrush.

Yours is truly amazing compared to mine. Here are some shots minus the rear armor and neck plates that I was still working on at the time.

It was more a test to see how difficult it would be to use that type of plastic and laces, rather than an attempt at authenticity. Ive always been fascinated by Samurai armor and wanted to create a costume of my own. Sadly, I had to sell it to make ends meet. :thumbsdown

 

[Riceball]

Hey there fellow Samurai Armorer! I created this suit using large plastic flower pots, pop rivets, shoe laces, rubber drawer liners, and pajamas.

The Sandals are made of hand-knitted rope using plans I obtained over the internet. The helmet was made using a fiberglass m1 helmet liner, brass lamp parts, and assorted items from my misc parts trays. The mempo (mask) was a Halloween store clear plastic mask painted black with a mustache and beard created from a paintbrush.

Yours is truly amazing compared to mine. Here are some shots minus the rear armor and neck plates that I was still working on at the time.

It was more a test to see how difficult it would be to use that type of plastic and laces, rather than an attempt at authenticity. Ive always been fascinated by Samurai armor and wanted to create a costume of my own. Sadly, I had to sell it to make ends meet. :thumbsdown

For something made from a hodgepodge of parts it doesn't look too bad, it certainly looks the part. If you ever feel like attempting this again I have found a place that sells pre-made lamellar plates for $26 for a bag of 100. I don't know how good or accurate they are but it's an option if you don't want to make your own plates.

Plastic Lamellar

 

[dreaminspired]

For something made from a hodgepodge of parts it doesn't look too bad, it certainly looks the part. If you ever feel like attempting this again I have found a place that sells pre-made lamellar plates for $26 for a bag of 100. I don't know how good or accurate they are but it's an option if you don't want to make your own plates.

Plastic Lamellar

wha..wha...WHAT!!!!
holy cow! great find. i believe that those plates are for the older style of armor that consists of small plates laced together to form each lame, but still... that may be something that i'm interested in someday. thanks!!!!! (i'm a tokugawa era nut.)

gwizah, you're armor looks great. you're a bigger guy than i, so i have an easier time fitting into a traditional sized suit... but yours looks good!

 

[DivineHeresy]

Seriously cool!
Love Samurai armour, would love some myself.
Maybe one day.

Neil

 

[firebladejedi]

Your home made Yoroi looks superb

 

[Nobody]

Wow! Great work! I'm looking forward to seeing the progress pics of your next set.

 

[SmilingOtter]

Lots of great pictures!

Every so often I go to this site - Nihon Katchû Seisakuben -- An Online Japanese Armour Manual and look at their instructions for making armor, but I've never had the gumption to make a set.

 

[dreaminspired]

Lots of great pictures!

Every so often I go to this site - Nihon Katchû Seisakuben -- An Online Japanese Armour Manual and look at their instructions for making armor, but I've never had the gumption to make a set.

yes! that website is great. anthony j bryant is a japanese armor historian and author of some cool simple japanese armor books. i believe that he has some templates on there that can easily be printed out and used to make homemade armor from whatever materials you choose.

 

[gwizah]

Lots of great pictures!

Every so often I go to this site - Nihon Katchû Seisakuben -- An Online Japanese Armour Manual and look at their instructions for making armor, but I've never had the gumption to make a set.

That was EXACTLY where I looked to for guidance, but it seemed like the more I read, the harder it seemed. And by GOD if I knew that those plates existed my hands would be less sore from punching the holes in hard polyurethane!

 

[Loess]

Lots of great pictures!

Every so often I go to this site - Nihon Katchû Seisakuben -- An Online Japanese Armour Manual and look at their instructions for making armor, but I've never had the gumption to make a set.

That site is fantastic! It's been a real help on the SCA heavy-combat legal armor I've been working on.