How do you attatch a metacarpal on a primitive gauntlet?

fghthty545y · Post by **fghthty545y** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:57 pm

I know of the meathod for attatching gloves to an hourglass gauntlet, but how would a metacarpal plate be attatched on a 1340's style gauntlet? Rivited to the glove, or rivited to leather that is sewn onto the glove?

Gerhard von Liebau · Post by **Gerhard von Liebau** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:14 pm

It's probably best to rivet all of the metallic bits to an integrated leather structure which you can sew onto a glove. The gloves will wear out, and it's easier to remove the stitching from them than to remove a pile of rivets to save your gauntlet plates. Also, using this method, it's possible to pad various sections of the gauntlet for extra protection, such as sticking bits of felt or mouse pad between the finger plates and the glove.

I want to say that historically this was probably the most likely route, as well, but I honestly don't know anything about the composite remains of the Wisby gauntlets and whether or not they reveal the attachment method. I'm sure evidence is out there, and someone will know!

-Gerhard

fghthty545y · Post by **fghthty545y** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 8:07 pm

The stitiching meathod would be best for allowing glove replacement, though the particular gauntlets in question will not be used for live sparring, so I'm not concerned about to replacing them.
Do you think I could rivet the pieces to leather, then glue the leather to the glove? i'm just not sure how much it would stiffen up!

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:02 pm

Some glues will stiffen more than others. But I think you will be happier in the long run to just stitch them on. It adds a couple of hours to the job, but you get a better result. After all the work of shaping the metal, why rush the assembly? It just has too much chance of not being quite right and that takes away from all the hard work you did earlier.

-Patrick

wcallen · Post by **wcallen** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:33 pm

When we did these, we assembled the gauntlets on/in a leather base and then attached the result to the gloves/hand using some combination of rivets all the way through (not many), stitching at the edge of the cuff and a palm strap. Seemed to work just fine.

Stiching would likely be the most authentic method. That is certainly how they seem to have attached fingers in the 16th c.

Wade