This project was to replace the blue foam that most of us in the SCA start off-padding our helms with. Blue camping mats can make a very good buffer for head blows, but they are an insulator (they don't tranfer the heat from your head), it is uncomfortable against your skin. Gluing in foam, basically turns your metal helm into a motorcycle helmet. And as if it's not enough of a reason unto itself- They are also not period.

By the late 14th century, bascinets had stitched in padded liners as evidenced by small holes perforating the outer edge of extant examples. There are also some cervaliers (skull caps) from much earlier in the century that have this detail. It's not illogical to have a stitched in liner, as it is what is often used in hard hats, and fireman helmets. It keeps the helmet suspsended away from your head. Period examples may have been linen stuffed with horsehair, linen, cotton, or fustian (cotten and linen). This one is made from layers of canvas and linen for strength, and has 6 layers of fused 100% cotton batting with channels oversewn over all of the layers.

After completing this project, not only did my head sweat a lot less, but the blows I was taking to the head seemed dampened a bit more, either from the suspension design or perhaps because of the soft cotton batting.

Shown in the first picture is a detail of the aventail liner from the effigy of Philip the Bold (c.1404). The second picture showing the proper line of an aventail hanging from the bascinet on the effigy of Edward, "the Black Prince".