The Armour Archive

OK so a lot of scadians wear bazubands for one reason or another (usually ease of construction) but I get the opinion that they are used more often then historicly accurate. I've always assumed that they were turkish in origin but someone who is usually knowledgeable about history in general recently told me that there is a viking/pre-viking-norse version of a vambrace that is very similar.

So the question is: to what cultures and time periods can the bazuband and/or similar non-articulated arm defenses be attributed.

Thanks in advance,
Sean

Persian / middle-eastern

13 - 14 centuries

Mongols as well...

It's my impression that Mongols wore them a lot later in their period. I could be wrong but I'm thinking they were Timurids by that time, rather than during the time of Ghengis Khan or even Kubilai Lhan. By rights I shouldnt have them with my kit but they're the perfect answer to me for the history vs. function issues that rattan fighting presents to me.

ECW era as well, although they may have had them pre1600. I'm not entirely sure when the first European versions started.

They also were used in India.

Bazubands are from the NE region, and are very, very old... They most likely derived from the ancestor of the manica, weared by... I think, parthians, but I'm not sure. The first arm defense which could be classified as bazuband is the banded one, and we have evidence of those used in the 8th century. I'll try and dig up some, but thanks to system crashes, I can't promise.
Later on, it was MOSTLY used by NE warriors, mostly turks, persians and northern indians. It was used by the mongols, just as Animal Weretiger said, and it was used by the polish hussars as well - most likely from the 16th century.
I would say that the elbow gauntlets are inspired by the bazubands.
Southern indians preferred using splinted mail&plate vambraces, like those I made a while ago.

OK I'm assuming that NE means "Near East" and not "New England" thanks for the information so far. How about extending the question. What is documentable for arm protection (other than maile) in england, scandinavia or northern germany at about 900ad?

Thanks again, Sean

Sean Powell wrote: What is documentable for arm protection (other than maile) in england, scandinavia or northern germany at about 900ad?

Thick caluses.