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Elrond's Elven Battle-Armor - Last Alliance

(only colored bordered pictures will open larger pics)

Layer 1: Shirt, trousers, boots

Shirt

• The undershirt is a dark (midnight) blue.
  • We never get to see anything but the collar... the 6" toy is our best bet
• The sleeves are straight; loose at the lower arm, later tucked into the vambraces.
• Collar, slightly raised up on the neck.
  • Seen on the 6" Elrond action figure, the collar at first seemed slit, then upon closer examination, is shown to cross over to his left. [See collar diagram]

To make the shirt... two options

• Easiest:
  • Since it is mostly hidden beneath the rest of the armor and isn't seen unless the mantle, the plate armor, and the chain hauberk are removed, a substitution could be a slit collar.
  • diagrams will show the slit collar so as to not obscure the rest
• Wrap over:
  • We can't see enough of the collar to know if it's a kimono wrap or uses a bit of a rolled collar.  Either way, a wrap over bathrobe pattern would work.
  • If it's a wrap, there is probably a tie belt.  Translation... under layer is very Jedi in nature

Trousers

• The trousers are loose fitting mossy green color.  They are tucked in the boots. 
• Looks like a silk fabric, maybe mixed with metallic threads.
• No special details know at all.

Boots

• The boots lace up the front, with the top point coming to just below the knee.
• They are made of medium-dark brown leather
• According to the toy, they have a simple vine design on the sides, in gold. 

This is the pattern on calf of boots.  It is on both sides.

Reference is the 6" Elrond doll.  The front of the leg is to the left of the design. [See boot design diagram]
 

 We have found after examining other toys that the design is normally slightly simplified.  So it would be good to check the books to see if a fancier design like these exist.

Layer 2: Armor-skirt

For real battle armor, this "skirt" would be  made of fabric thick enough to give some protection or a light-to-medium-weight leather. However, it is the same green crinkled textured fabric as the trousers.  It is edged in trim. 

It has been suggested that this is watermarked sari silk.

There is a petal-shaped front overlap of about 4-6".

To make:

• The skirt is sewn together at the waist only.   This leaves the panels free to slide over each other to give ease of movement.
• There may or may not be a waist band. This could be fastened with buttons or buckles and tabs.
• Make sure that there is enough flare when you "wrap" the skirt or you may not be able to walk in it.  The solution then, small slit in the back

Layer 3: Hauberk
 

The hauberk is made of chainmail.

The bottom is petal-shaped, the bottom ending at mid-thigh or knee at the point. The sides go up at approximately the hollow where the thigh meets the hip.

• Questions, and speculations
  • Is this a full hauberk?
    • The toy says no; no chain maille is shown on the back of the toy except for the sleeves and the mantle.
      • 'petal' piece could be attached to the cuirass.
      • midriff-protecting mail could be attached to the lower chest-plates, going down a few inches further than the top of the cuirass.
      • The sleeves could be attached at the shoulders.
      • The mantle itself is completely separate from the hauberk. [See layer 5]
    • Is this just where the toy is wrong???  Balance with real chainmail would be very weird.
  • What is the chain maille pattern?
    • Is it 4 in 1, but sideways?
       

References:
6" Elrond action figure; Art of FotR, hardcover, p.129; FotR Visual Companion, hardcover, p.7; FotR Official Movie Guide, softcover, p. 87.
 

Main editor: SkyFire

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This page was last updated 04/22/08