Video showing mail brayette & sleeves

[Tom B.]

I finally had a chance to shoot a quick video showing me putting on my mail brayette and sleeves.
These are made from 6mm (internal diameter) rings, 50% round riveted rings and 50% solid rings. Both the brayette and the sleeves are patterned on extant originals.

Video on my Historically Patterned Mail Facebook Page

Here are some screen shots:

[Tom B.]

I also stuck a lower resolution video on my Google drive for those who don't do Facebook.

Brayette & Sleeve Arming Video

[Ernst]

Tom,
How did you finally decide to suspend the leg harness and fauld, along with the brayette? I remember you and Mac batting ideas around earlier, but wondered what you settled upon.

[Tom B.]

Ernst,

That is still the biggest unknown.
I had three days in harness last weekend to try a couple of different things out.
Note I did not wear a mail fauld / skirt.

#1 I ran my leg suspension points through the mail of the brayette.
Basically I tighten the belt of the brayette then fish the points through before lacing the front.
Then I have to fish them through the front flap.
This method worked very well apart from the difficulty of running the points through the layers of mail.
If I decide to do this long term I think I will go back and add in some larger rings at just the right places for the points to pass through.

#2 I put the brayette on under my doublet. After my experience from the first day showed me that my fears of wear and abrasion from the
brayette were unfounded, decided to put it on over my shirt and hose then tighten the doublet down over top of it.
With this method I did have an issue with the brayette migrating down a bit giving me droopy drawers syndrome
I think that when I get around to replacing the narrow belt with a wider one this method will warrant a revisit.
I also think that it would be easy to point the brayette to the doublet from the inside.

So basically I am still not sure of the best way. Method 1 works well but is a bit cumbersome and puts extra wear on the points.
Method 2 had some issues but showed enough promise not to write it off altogether.

I also think that I had enough room to point a mail fauld /skirt / paunce above the brayette without much issue.