Jedi armour...

If anyone here's read/seen the Tales of the Jedi comics featuring Ulic Qel-Droma, then they might know what I'm talking about. Throughout the run of the Qel-Droma storyline, there are quite a few drawings of Ulic and otehr Jedi wearing what has been termed 'Jedi armour' - I was wondering if anyone has ever tried making this? It certainly looks quite a bit more impressive than the normal run of robes and so forth. The armour seems to consist of shoulder plates and several large cloaks that give the impression of mass. I'd be extremely interested in hearing about anyone who has tried making this or is thinking about doing it...

 

Well, I for one have the addition of a few armored pieces in mind. Even the addition of a pair of vambraces/bracers would add to a Jedi ensemble greatly.

What I have in mind is using layered leather to create a banded appearance to my bracers. I've got a number of years experience both in leatherwork and armoring, as I'm also a medieval buff (rennaissance festivals and such). I may do something with a pair of leather tabbards as well.

Even in Episode II we see certain Jedi (Anakin and Bultar Swan) wearing "synthetic leather armor". This really makes their outfits stand out. Also, Luminara Unduli also wears a pair of bronze looking bracers...

If you've seen Harry Potter and the Scorcerer's Stone...Harry and his team mates wear some leather-looking padded gear in the Quiddich match...stuff like that may also look good with Jedi garb...

Anywho, I may finally get my bracers started soon, so if I do I'll certainly post some pics...

--Kai

 

A reply! Woo!

I'm looking forward to seeing pics of the work-in-progress/finished work sometime, then! Jedi armour has always seemed interesting, moreso because Jedi (well, the light side variety) are generally more peaceable than their Sith counterparts. Have you ever seen the Tales of the Jedi comics? There are some spiffy examples in there.

 

I have indeed seen those comics. Being a bit of an armour buff, comics rarely depict armor accurately. Armor must, read MUST, be functional and comfortable...check out some of the armor sites around the web...like Valentine Armouries in Canada, and Illusion Armouring in the states...

Here are some links...Valentine Armouries
Illusion Armoring
Kai

 

I began working on the bracers this weekend. Hopefully I'll have time to finish them in the next few days. Here are some pics of the project thus far. Nothing impressive, yet.

I'm using some leather from Tandy Leather called "blacksmith sides"...this is great stuff. When it's new, it's rather oily, so you may want to either line it with cloth, or make sure you have it only on skin, so as not to stain your garb. The leather I'm using is old (I've had it for years...just waiting to use it...made a fencing vest out of it, and am now using the left-over...)

Anyhow, I took some pics during the project...I'll post more as it progresses into it's final form...

Design Sketch
Draw Pattern on Posterboard
Lay out template on leater
Trace pattern with pencil
Cut out Bracer pieces
The cut out pieces
Check the fit
Beginning to take shape
More to come

--Kai

 

Sorry to post again, but I found some good ideas...do an internet search for "leather bracers"...you'll get lots of results.

Here are some samples of medieval-style bracers. I particularly want to draw your attention to the "Kendo bracers" at the bottom of the page. These would look great with Jedi garb...

Ravenswood Leather

I'll have to do something like those next...

--Kai

 

Thanks kai,
The link for the leather stuff gave me some ideas. The kendo styled bracers seem to match the Jedi puches cloest then anything esle. But I've only seen Sith wear Bracers and shin gaurds. maybe cuz they'er bad sabre weilders and need protection whereas a Jedi doesn't need it. JUST Kidding.

Thanska gain for the link. My jedi outfit is more asian looking then straight up Obi Wan or Qui Gon, so I'll hold off on bracers for a tiny bit.

Any sword fans out there? I'm looking for some sparring partners.
peace
Mynn

 

Glad you liked the link...]

Well, I'm a pretty big sword fan. I've collected and used swords since I was a kid. I was doing fight coreography for a film, but it got cancelled. Had a great time teaching one of the actors though...she was a great student (yay Niralle!).

So where are you, Mynn?

--Kai

 

I once had an idea of how to do Ulic's shoulder armor. You could use either styrene or equiv. to sculpt it and then rivet some leather to it. That'd give that 4 inch thick look.

 

I think you can achieve the look of Ulic's shoulder armor (pauldrons) without using anything like styrene. Leather alone (provided it's at least 4-5oz. vegetable tanned leather for tooling) would give the "big shoulder" look of that armor.

One thing about that armor is that it's a bit too bulky. From an armorer's viewpoint. Armor has to allow freedom of motion. You could still replicate the Ulic pauldrons, I would just recomend making them slightly smaller. Attaching the armor is another detail...in the comic (which I'm only vaguely familiar with), there doesn't appear to be a visible means of attachment. Perhaps a concealed snap, buckle or other means could be employed. Snaps (like a "dot" snap found on gun holsters, leather jackets, etc.) would be my best suggestion. That's what I'm using on my bracers...still in progress...should be done by the weekend...

--Kai

 

I decided to check out this thread cause I was thinking of doing something like this originally for my Lady Maul but never did cause I couldn't find anything I liked, but I thought armor would have been cool. I like the bracers. I had wanted to do some kind of shoulder armor for the costume too. I also thought about shin guards but liked my boots too much to cover them up.

 

Hi Kai,
I'm stuck in Florida. it's been raining a lot lately almost like the kaminoan world. Oh well Liquid sunshine.

How'd the choreography go? Why'd it get canceeled? Not many Sword's masters near and Ilike swords as well. No space to collect them in an Apartment. My favs ar the samurai swords,Klingon Bat'Leths, a few double edged broadswords and Claymroes. But a Claymore is too large for me. it's as tall as I am.
What from is the ebst to sue for Lighytsabre deuling? What did the Visual dictionary mean by Forms I-VII?


Mynn

 

Well, Mynn, I'm in KY...and it seems to like to rain on the weekend a lot...

The coreography went great, and Niralle picked up swordwork very well. We had to cancell due to various reasons, funding included.

As far as style for Jedi, most of the techniques in the movies lean towards the Japanese arts. However, it depends on the individual.

The Visual Dictionary, I suppose, is just trying to assign numbers to given styles. Each style has trademark characteristics listed (for instance it may be described as "strong and powerful" or what-have-you). This just lends a little depth to the Jedi sword arts. It's remnescent (sp) of other martial arts: Chinese "Drunken Monkey" or Japanese "Ni-To" (Musashi's stlye, meaning "two-sword").

I would highly recomend: a) study of a martial art (fencing, karate, aikido, etc.) or b) books on those subjects. or even c) watching and imitating moves used in movies (like samurai movies, and of course Star Wars).

The first weapon I was trained with was staff. Once you learn to use a staff, you can pretty much apply that to learning other weapons.

Don't be intimidated by a big sword...I'm 5'10", but have handled a sword (believe it or not) that was a foot taller than me. The fellow who made the sword was 6'8" or 6'10"...and loved Great-Swords...espescially if they were bigger than he was. He made one that was 7', but I never got to handle it.

Mirax...
Love the Lady Sith costume, BTW...
If you don't want to cove the boots, but still want armor on the leg, you might simply add a knee cop. A cop is simply a small, dished piece that covers a joint (knee or elbow)...You can usually find them on any armorer's site. (sites are usually divided into various pieces...arms, legs, body, etc.)

--Kai

 

Thanks Kai! Do you have some other links? I actually would maybe like to do a knee and elbow guard. I don't know if the bracers would work with my gloves that I wear but they sure are cool looking. I don't want too much armor to take away from my overall look but I thought it might give it a little something extra.

 

Another Kentuckian! Cool! Where in Ky are you?

I'm in the southeast (Manchester)

 

You're welcome, Mirax...there are LOADS of armor sites...lots of armorers cater to SCA combatants, so you should have little trouble finding something online. There is probably an SCA chapter near you...(SCA is the Society for Creative Anachranism...a medieval re-enactment group) But, here's another link to an individual armorer. I HIGHLY recomend taking a look in the "Photos" section, which showcases his custom work...LOTS of detailed pics. God, I want that 15th century gothic suit!

Christian Fletcher

DarthBkane...I live in Berea, but work and lurk in Lexington...

Meanwhile, I have finished one bracer and snapped some pics. The padded area is 3 layers of leather (all the same leather...blacksmith sides from Tandy...) and is hand stitched with waxed white nylon artificial sinew. The closures are dot snaps like found on gun holsters, jackets, etc.


View 1

View 2

View 3

View 4

With Garb 1

With Garb 2

The bracer is fitted, and is soft (yet thick) and feels great. It also would provied exellent protection for the arm...I like it, anyway...

Next I'll have to make a cuirass (breastplate + backplate) to go with these...or maybe an entire set. I have to get more leather, and that may have to wait...

--Kai

 

I'm glad the choreography wen twell, but not glad the funding haulted it. I had to back out of Kung Fu b/c of an in jury to the top of my foot. I wasn't happy, I couldn't even run. I figured it was a nerve injury, and the doc confermed my guess. Prasie God it's better now. Time to get myself backinto Kung Fu calsses.<G>

Good pics of the bracers Kai. I'd have to custom make mine if I do sicne my wrists are very small. As in a take a braclet6" long instead of the standard 6.5-7.5". These look they'd offer awesome protection incase some yuzt is a bad swordsman and hits you.
Thanks for the clues for sword study. I do happen to like bow staff fighting. One of the best weapons for a short person to use, besdies a blaster. Good stand off power. I'll check the Kung Fu joint near me, and see if the teacher can help me out.

Mynn

 

Thanks...

To get the fit you see on my bracer, it has to be custom fit. You need measurements at the wrist, forearm muscle, and 2 more points in between. Gives a nice, snug, "fitted" look.

If you're going the Kung Fu route, Mynn, see if the sifu might show you some stuff with Darn Gim (straight sword), it's a very elegant style (see Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon?)...would look great with a lightsaber too...

Good luck!

--Kai

 

I just came accross this site...

Lord Entropy's

They have a few different suits of all leather armor for both men and women. Lots of good ideas. There's a high degree of "fantasy" influence, save for the "Roman Centurian" armor. The ladies' armor tends towards the 'risque', but nevertheless is well done. Might be good for some ideas...

--Kai

 

Yes I have seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I have the DVD and enjoyed the movie, eventhough it wasn't in english. Darn Gim? Ok I 'l bouce if off Sifu see if he's coolwith it. I'll see if I can get some private lessons sicne my shcedule is kinda' crzy and the group classees are harder to get to.
Mynn

 

Well, both of my leather bracers are finished. As soon as I snap a pic in full gear I'll post it.

A couple of ideas I had for body armor were either to directly copy the armor worn by Qui Gon and Obi Wan seen on their "training gear figures". Or (which I might prefer) I may simply make some shoulder armor (essentially rectangular pauldrons) that would be stitched to a set of Jedi "tabbards". Lastly, I may simply make tabbards from leather like Anakin and Bultar Swan are seen wearing in Episode II. All this, of course, hinges on the purchase of more leather...and that may be a little ways off.

I'd love to see more costumes with armor additions...

--Kai

 

Here are a few pics of the finished bracers with my Jedi Garb. I should have worn my darker brown robes...but, it shows the effect well enough. My camera's not the best, so bear with me...

Bracers with garb
Another shot
Ready for action

Okay, now what will I make...?

--Kai

 

Those look pretty slick - good job! I can't wait to see what else you decide to add to your costume in terms of armour.

 

Thanks! It may be a while before I make more armor...cash is tight and leather costs. But I definately want to make something more this summer, so hopefully within a few months I'll have something more to show. I have a few leather projects in mind, so I'm going to try to get some of them done over the next several months.

Whatever I end up making, I'll try to share pics...

--Kai

 

Those bracers look phenomenal, Kai!
Fantastic job!

-sg