SCA legal gauntlet question

[Prince Of Darkmoor]

From the West Kingdom rules:

"The outer surfaces of the hand and wrist, of both arms must be covered by either one or a combination of the following, or equivalent.

(1) A metal basket hilt with enough bars or plates to prevent a blow from striking the fingers or the back of the hand, to be used in conjunction with (b).

(2) A gauntlet or demigauntlet made of rigid material, either lined with padding or foam, or arranged so as to transfer the impact of a blow to the weapon being held." emphasis added.

Does (2) mean to imply that having the gauntlets transfer the force to stick is not a set-in-stone requirement, and that I can just put foam in my gauntlets and be fine?

I'm spending this morning reading up on the West Kingdom's rules, so I'll likely be asking more questions later...

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Salinas Swordsman
Darkmoor Armoury

[Xanthier]

Basically at the last war I attended one of the marshals told me that a basket-hilt with a demiguantlet on the sword hand is what was required.

They pretty much just want your wrists and fingers covered.

[Gaston de Clermont]

Hockey gloves with a decent cross hilt are generally legal if they're in good shape, and cover your fingers and the bones on either side of your wrist with enough padding that you can't feel the bone from the outside.

I would very strongly recommend more substantial protection, preferably some rigid material particularly for the thumb.

You are correct that you don't need to have the gauntlet bridging to the weapon. Bridging is the most common design, and it's what most marshals are comfortable with, but it's not the only way to do it.
Gaston de Clermont

[theodrik]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Prince Of Darkmoor:
<B>From the West Kingdom rules:

"The outer surfaces of the hand and wrist, of both arms must be covered by either one or a combination of the following, or equivalent.

(1) A metal basket hilt with enough bars or plates to prevent a blow from striking the fingers or the back of the hand, to be used in conjunction with (b).

(2) A gauntlet or demigauntlet made of rigid material, either lined with padding or foam, or arranged so as to transfer the impact of a blow to the weapon being held</B>." emphasis added.

Does (2) mean to imply that having the gauntlets transfer the force to stick is not a set-in-stone requirement, and that I can just put foam in my gauntlets and be fine?

I'm spending this morning reading up on the West Kingdom's rules, so I'll likely be asking more questions later...

</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, you are correct. Properly built so that when struck the padding absorbs the energy of the blow and doesn't 'bottom out', then these are aceptable.

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Sir Theodrik of Skane,
West, Mists, Blackwood Company
'Lude Fortier, Lude Juste, Nemini Damnum!'

[freiman the minstrel]

Careful,

I have seen gauntlets in Meridies and Drachenwald fail because the plates didn't go stick to stick.

I usually feel like most armor and weapons regs are a little retentive, but I really don't on this one. People have chicken bones in the hands, and hands never heal exactly right.