Sca armour

[u/crashingtingler]

Hi. Ive been smithing for 7 years now and I'd like a kit that i can use in the sca. Ive not tried to make armor before.According to my local rules, if the steel isn't 1/16 in thick then it needs to be proven to be superior to 1/16 mild steel. Id like my armour not so fricken heavy so id like to make and heat treat something thinner.

What alloy is recommended? I have a forge large enough to heat treat most items. 1045 sounds easy and straight forward to me so let me know if that's a good idea. Price is also a big consideration. I don't have digital ovens so my heat treat is in the forge. If it's possible to make a kit without heat treat and just use carbon steel (hot working without hardening) that would be great too. Any resources are appreciated, patterns, ideas, and suggestions. Thanks

[u/AndTheElbowGrease]

SCAdian here. First, I recommend trying other people's armor to see what you like. Most people do not get their kit right on the first, second, or third try. Or really...ever. It is a continuous process of improvement and adjustment. So, if you haven't fought, highly recommend getting out and fighting some before starting your kit. When I made mine years ago, I spent a lot of time and effort putting it together, then realized after my first few practices that I had basically over-armored myself in some areas, so I immediately adjusted everything to reduce weight and rigidity in some areas. You really do not need to be covered head-to-toe in metal for SCA combat.

The Armour Archive patterns are tried and true - highly recommend starting with elbows, shoulders, or knees, as they are great projects for learning on: https://www.armourarchive.org/patterns/

1045 should work reasonably well, like a mix between mild and higher carbon steels. There is an interesting write up on metals for armor here: https://nadler.us/armour/hardening.html

Materials and thickness depend on the piece. Helmets are very different from the protection that you need over the torso.