Ashigaru

[Yamamoto Morikazu]

I am currently interested in making some Ashigaru armour for new recruits. Anyone have any detailed information about this ?

what arms did they use ?
Legs ?
Do ?
etc.

[konrad]

I say shoot for something like this:



Cover standard SCA grade leg and arm armor with Japanese appropriate clothing, throw in Tatami Dô, and wear a jingasa.

[cygnus]

Effingham's Osprey books have a few blurbs and pictures about ashigaru.

"Samurai 1550-1600" - Pg. 21, 30, Plate, and 59
"The Samurai - Pg. 25, Plates D, G, H, and L

Those are the only ones I have easy access to.

While not by Effingham-sensei, I noticed that Osprey has a book titled "Ashigaru" - which is probably worth the price when compared to the time and money required to make a bunch of retainer armours.

[maredudd]

"Ashigaru 1467-1649" by Stephen Turnbull
Osprey Warrior series 29
ISBN 978-1-84176-149-7
As with many of the Osprey publications there is a combination of period pictures and "artistic impressions". The original images are often not dated and, even when a source is given, the sources are not listed in an academic-style bibliography. The major sources listed are 1960s Japanese texts so the book should be regarded as a tertiary source
With those provisos, Stephen Turnbull is a fine historian with a long list of publications in our field. The limitations of the Osprey series are the only problem here; not the work of the historian.

[Yamamoto Morikazu]

for the sandals. for got the name at the moment.

I wonder what take boots with the sandals attached to them would look like.
Our kingdom requires proper footwear. I saw some tabi boots online that would pass our inspections.

[Saionji Shonagon]

for the sandals. for got the name at the moment.

I believe you mean "waraji."

Do a search on the forum for "Rikio" as I believe some of the guys liked their safety jika tab.

[Yamanouchi Eidou]

Case in point, duke Konrad.

[Yamamoto Morikazu]

i saw those.

so has anyone made any ashigaru armor ??

jingsa ? how big were they ?

[Yamanouchi Eidou]

Out of curiosity:

So, I was under the impression that within the Dream of the SCA most people were considered to be at least minor nobility of some kind or another. Would people who were assigned ashigaru status elevated enough to be quote-unquote "nobility"?

Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't undertake this project. I'm also behind the idea that people can do pretty much whatever in the SCA. Furthermore, I think making the simple tatami do is a great way to get people into armor quickly, so kudos on that front. I just wonder about the historical rankings of ashigaru people.

Sorry to hijack a thread.

Anyway, I'd bet that ashigaru would be all about using spears, more than swords.

I bet a jingasa is probably about the same size as an equivalent kasa style hat. Maybe two feet in diameter? 30 degree incline?

[Saionji Shonagon]

Jan 15, 2010 15:39:31 GMT -5 Yamanouchi Eidou said:

So, I was under the impression that within the Dream of the SCA most people were considered to be at least minor nobility of some kind or another.

Aww, man, you used the D word. (Shudder.)

Would people who were assigned ashigaru status elevated enough to be quote-unquote "nobility"?

Ashigaru are draftee peasant spear (or musket) fodder. This is not to say they cannot be well trained and effectively deployed, but they would be low in social status.

Regarding jingasa, Kurodachi no Mykaru does a relatively inexpensive, SCA legal one. You can see what it looks like here:
www.blackhydraarmouries.com/SCAJapanese/J.htm
(Try not to drool on his other items, he does gorgeous work.)

In answer to Yamamoto-dono's question, I believe forum member "dannyinjapan" was working on some tatami-do projects. I should think you might be able to find it on the armor board, but you may have to search a bit. That said, I'm not sure it was for SCA combat. Ah, well, I've slept since then.....

[Yamanouchi Eidou]

Jan 15, 2010 18:13:36 GMT -5 Saionji Shonagon said:

Jan 15, 2010 15:39:31 GMT -5 Yamanouchi Eidou said:

So, I was under the impression that within the Dream of the SCA most people were considered to be at least minor nobility of some kind or another.

Aww, man, you used the D word. (Shudder.)

Well, my wife tries to punch me if I call it a LARP so i need a more dignified term.

[mitsuhide]

The Jingasa is a relative easy helm to build. Take the circle cut it in half, fold it, weld it, smooth it, attach the back and grille. Ok maybe harder but thats the jist of it. Down here in 1000 eyes we are working on a small group of ashigaru.

[Saionji Shonagon]

Jan 15, 2010 21:01:48 GMT -5 Yamanouchi Eidou said:

Well, my wife tries to punch me if I call it a LARP so i need a more dignified term.

How about "The Society?"

I fail to see what's so dignified about some wiftysparkledust, unicornhugging, sentimental claptrap that's routinely used to justify laziness, both intellectual AND creative. I don't know about you, but I put a fair bit of time, effort and expense into trying to achieve a reality.(Muttermumblecurmudgecurmudgekidsthesedays....)

[AJBryant]

Preach it, sistah!

[Saionji Shonagon]

Jan 15, 2010 22:40:51 GMT -5 AJBryant said:

Preach it, sistah!

Don't encourage me, I'm a mean old woman.