by Clenawe » Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:07 am
I don't know your location, but St. Vincent De Paul's thrift store on Watt near El Camino sells fabric for about $1 per yard. It's a junk shop, so you get what you can find, but 3 yds is plenty for a tunic with enough left over for a sword cover. If you don't have a sewing machine, Arts and Sciences on Wednesdays will be able to help you.
Gear can be cheap, or it can be pricy. I don't think any of my swords cost more that $5 all said and done, but other gear can be quite expensive. Pool noodle is about $2, a core can be had easily for $2 ($1 if you look hard,) loaned camp pad and left over sword cover, you're armed and dressed at $7 total and an afternoon of work.
If you want armor, you can build chain on the installment plan: Buy 100yds of wire for about $10 when you can afford it, wind and build as you can. It takes a while, and it's plenty of boring work, but you'll get a full (and murderously heavy) byrnie before the end. I can loan you my wire jig and snips if you're looking to build. Be warned that 100 yards of wire covers a disconcertinly small area, so you will have more than a few of the $10 investments to finish the product, though you would have a usable peice (long mantle to cover shoulder shots that will grow to cover your torso) after only one or two.
A quilted tabbard is another cheap and easy solution. Joannes or Beverlys will sell you quilted cloth, grab three yards, and you're started. Studs from Tandy leather will bump you to 2 points, which is more than most of our Barbars run.