Sabatons -- Should they be 14 or 18 gauge for SCA?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Mon Jun 18, 2001 4:40 pm

Howdy,

I'm going to make sabatons. I've got scrap 18 ga and 14 ga mild steel. That's it, nothing else. Now, do I make them out of 18 ga or 14 ga.

Given:
a. One of my good friends and main opponents weighs 300 pound OUT of armour.
b. Very, very few people will miss the 1 inch above the knee so bad that they hit my foot! (I hope....)

Besides being period-correct (which is all important next to safety) I'm concerned with the sabatons holding together as Alexi trods on my foot with his ~400 pounds of armour and self. Would 18 ga hold together for one shot or more?

I'm using Yancy's pattern from the Archive.

Thank you for your time,

Aaron Miaullis

Langdon · Post by **Langdon** » Mon Jun 18, 2001 4:49 pm

18 gauge. It is the closest to period thickness. It should be all that you really need. I would not think you would even want to use anything thicker (16 g) even if it were available.

Payn · Post by **Payn** » Mon Jun 18, 2001 5:12 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Aaron:
I'm concerned with the sabatons holding together as Alexi trods on my foot with his ~400 pounds of armour and self. Would 18 ga hold together for one shot or more?

I'm using Yancy's pattern from the Archive.

Thank you for your time,

Aaron Miaullis<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

somehow I knew you were talking about Alexi

Ok... If a big guy steps on your foot, you're too damn close :-)

if they hit you in the foot, check and make sure that your foot was actually on the ground and not picked up in some subconsious urge to hide it under the shield. That being said. 18 guage helmets are generally acknowledged (in An Tir) to accept 1 good blow without causing the wearer EXTREME amounts of grief. with that in mind your foot should be alright with 18 guage. I have been hit in the foot once in the last 4 years. That was when I stumbled over something while stepping back after throwing a head shot. My opponent had blinded myself and threw for where my thigh SHOULD have been. As I was on my back at that point, he hit my foot. No damage, and I fight in those pleather crap thigh high boots.

Fritz

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Jun 20, 2001 7:45 am

Well I generally use 17 gauge. I think that 18 gauge will work just fine. If you use 14 gauge your sabatons are going to be VERY heavy. In sabatons almost the whole foot has a double layer of steel on it.

Perhaps depending on how deep and how long you make the toe plate you may want to use 14 gauge for it. That's really the only peice that's going to be stepped on.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Jun 20, 2001 7:57 am

Oh and if you put in a center crease (not flute but a crease I'll explain the difference if you want) it's both historically accurate and it makes the sabaton much stronger from the top.

I know you're trying to go for something really accurate here so I'll just mention that mike yancy's pattern while it is likely a good pattern that will work isn't accurate for the 14th century.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

The Lost Scott · Post by **The Lost Scott** » Wed Jun 20, 2001 8:36 am

18 guage should be fine, if you are overly concerned and if the toe cap is large you may want to make it from 14 guage just to be safe.
BTW my pauldrons are made with 18 guage and 16 guage, in fact one of the pauldrons (cant remember which I think it is the right)has a heaveier cop (I can't think of the right word) because it is on the side that gets hit more. There are period methods that one can use to make "sports armour" like asymetric thicknesses to lighten the armour and making armour function and fit rightt and using proper padding will out perform most SCA sport rigs.

LS