wisby #3 gauntlets (in progress, allmost finished)

[Talbot]

When the left one is finished, can I use that one as a ring to marry the first one?!
It is absolutely gorgeous!!
I must go and drool over the originals next week and dream about gauntlets to come..
If you want to tag along I'll be in Visby (Wisby is the medieval spelling) between the 1st and 11th of august.
Or if you want me to ask or look at something special..

Any photos of the material from Wisby would be very much appreciated.

[Ambrogio]

I'll dig out anything I can, might even go to the museum!

But really, I'll check for stuff that isn't in the Thordeman book, since that one is available on the net for free.
And try to get some pictures taken..

[Talbot]

I'll dig out anything I can, might even go to the museum!

But really, I'll check for stuff that isn't in the Thordeman book, since that one is available on the net for free.
And try to get some pictures taken..

I'd really like any pics of the pieces as they are now. If any are on display that is.

[Mac Thamhais]

Knitebee,

praytell, how much would these gauntlets sell for?

[knitebee]

Knitebee,

praytell, how much would these gauntlets sell for?

depends (dont you hate that answer)

As this pair is done with the stamped rivet heads and all $1000. With simple rivets $900. Do plan on a personal pair with case hardened plates, tinning on the hidden plates, gilding on the exposed plates and silk velvet over the leather, anyone want a pair like that figure $2500-$3000 depending on gilding cost. Price is for custom fit to tracing and measurements of your hand, not off the shelf sizing. Leathers are sewn down with Linen or hemp thread and padded to your specifications (I do preffer to go with wool padding but can do what ever is wanted). Since they will be custom built I can do some changes and variations such as single finger plates between knuckles instead of the multiple little ones, or different cuff designs.

brian

[Mac Thamhais]

have you had opportunity to find out yet how these fare when taking a hit in SCA combat?

[kiltedwolf]

Heh, you know, I have to say in all the years I've known Brian - long before I convinced him to try armouring for selfish reasons - I've never known him to fully finish a project until now.

Still, there's far more right-gaunts out there that he's never made a mate for than the world could bear to hear about.

[dread]

Looking good Brian

think I have been away from here for to long ..
still not sure how you can ever let the stuff go you make
I become to attached to mine
keep up the great work

[Giles de Bois Guilbert]

Thanks for ruining the curve for the rest of us. Those are fantastic

[darksole03]

Alright that's it, Screw making spaulders im totally making a set of these. Every set ive ever seen has always had the Plates on the outside of the glove. Its ugly and nasty because they look like they are meant to be used for plumbing or something. The fact that you have plates under the leather is ingenious! Besides its not made out of a crappy 3 dollar set of welding gloves.


Amazing job on this set. Simply Amazing.

[knitebee]

The fact that you have plates under the leather is ingenious!

Amazing job on this set. Simply Amazing.

Its not ingenious, its how the originals where done, Studing whats left of the rivets in photos and drawings of the originals they have a gap and rivet head that held it to leather or what ever they where attached to on the inside of the knuckles, thumb and finger tips while the rest of the plates show they where attached underneith.

If you really want to make a set of these, dont study mine so mcuh but get the Wisby book and study the pictures and drawings in it and search online for more photos of the originals to study.

[Godric of Castlemont]

Just need do register an objection from my wife:


"Now you want to make what? How many projects does that make?"

You guys need to stop posting such cool armor, I have little enough free time as it is.......

[Jolly Knight]

Awesome!!!

[Milos N.]

This thread is an eyeopener and a reminder that "Just do it!" is sometimes the right aproach, when you get stranded. Thanks Knitebee!

[Kjott.Thorgrimsson]

have you had opportunity to find out yet how these fare when taking a hit in SCA combat?

These look really good. How are they when struck?

[Hrolfr]

Nice work, Brian!

[knitebee]

have you had opportunity to find out yet how these fare when taking a hit in SCA combat?

These look really good. How are they when struck?

They are great, at least the hand is, this particular set was made for living history level than SCA combat, so the fingers have all the small lames and aren't padded. That being said, they've been used a few times by friends with basket hilts and they've loved them. They've recieved a couple of good shots to the wrist joint and back of the hand with no injury or issue at all. I've used them with rapier a few times and did some cut and thrust practice and took a couple good shots to the fingers. They protected better than I expected with all the small plates. Still if anyone orders a set of these from me for SCA combat I'll do single plates between knuckls (fluted to look like the multiple plates) and padded to meet the SCA rules, with that minor change they will protect as well as any other non-bridging finger gauntlet out there.

[Pitbull Armory]

Hi Knitebee, Those gaunts look like high quality craftsmanship. Excelent work thank you for the pics.

Take care

Pitbull

[Mac Thamhais]

SNIP
Still if anyone orders a set of these from me for SCA combat I'll do single plates between knuckls (fluted to look like the multiple plates) and padded to meet the SCA rules, with that minor change they will protect as well as any other non-bridging finger gauntlet out there.

Actually, if you just make the finger plates wide enough to bridge over and make contact with the rattan on either side of the finger, that would satisfy the rules as well, and be less clunky than padded gauntlets.

[Mac]

Actually, if you just make the finger plates wide enough to bridge over and make contact with the rattan on either side of the finger, that would satisfy the rules as well, and be less clunky than padded gauntlets.

Mac T

I am afraid that I must disagree with you here. In my experience, building gauntlets which will "bridge" the fingers and make contact with the weapon hilt is a bad idea.

They end up with so much material between the fingers, that they are somewhere between uncomfortable and impossible to use. The fingers end up wedged apart by the armor, and do not allow a natural grip. Further, in an effort to come together in a normal grip, the tips of the forth fingers invariably end up getting outside their plates. As a result, when the tips of these fingers are struck, the edges of the armor pinch them against the hilt.

And this in the name of "safety"!?!?

It is better, I think not to build gauntlets that are so uncomfortable that they will be left in the armor bag in favor of hockey gloves.

It is also better, I think, not to build finger armor with vertical edges which the fingers can (and will) get caught under.

Shallow fingers with some padding not only look better than "bridging" fingers, they are more comfortable and safer in use.

Mac P

[Kilkenny]

Actually, if you just make the finger plates wide enough to bridge over and make contact with the rattan on either side of the finger, that would satisfy the rules as well, and be less clunky than padded gauntlets.

Mac T

I am afraid that I must disagree with you here. In my experience, building gauntlets which will "bridge" the fingers and make contact with the weapon hilt is a bad idea.

They end up with so much material between the fingers, that they are somewhere between uncomfortable and impossible to use. The fingers end up wedged apart by the armor, and do not allow a natural grip. Further, in an effort to come together in a normal grip, the tips of the forth fingers invariably end up getting outside their plates. As a result, when the tips of these fingers are struck, the edges of the armor pinch them against the hilt.

And this in the name of "safety"!?!?

It is better, I think not to build gauntlets that are so uncomfortable that they will be left in the armor bag in favor of hockey gloves.

It is also better, I think, not to build finger armor with vertical edges which the fingers can (and will) get caught under.

Shallow fingers with some padding not only look better than "bridging" fingers, they are more comfortable and safer in use.

Mac P

This is very much a "YMMV" issue. Scales can be made such that they are weapons against fingers. Bridging phalanges can be made so that they force fingers apart. Either can be made so these problems are minimized.

A given individual may find anything between their fingers uncomfortable while another person may have no problem with it. Just part of why gauntlets are, imo, the single most idiosyncratic piece of armour.

Besides, Mac - you never make gauntlets for full size people anyway

[Mac]

Besides, Mac - you never make gauntlets for full size people anyway :wink:

There is much in what you say. The bigger your hands are, the less is matters if you have a few layers of steel crammed between your fingers.

Mac

[D.Z.P.]

I just came across this thread. I had seen the site and sent off an email to the local bad ass armourer about helping me make a pair of these. Then I come across this thread.

Knitebee, you did an awesome job on these.

[Steve S.]

Absolutely bad-ass.

Steve

[Otto von Teich]

Awesome! ..

[sha-ul]

Mac, especially when it comes to gauntlets, how much difference does using an alloy that can be heat treated like 1050, or 4130 make?

[Mac]

Sha-ul,

I think that using hardened steel makes a very big difference. If I were making fingered gauntlets in mild steel, for the SCAjun hurley burley I would use 16 ga. for the bodies and 18 ga. for the fingers. By contrast, with spring tempered 1050 I feel that I can get away with .042" (19 ga.) for the bodies, and .032" (21ga) for the fingers.

This is a savings of several ounces, and makes a more durable product.

Gauntlets in these lighter gauges are much closer in weight to the real thing, where a pound a piece is pretty typical for ungloved shells.

Mac

[Sextus Maximus]

I was wondering if these were made out of spring and possibly be used for SCA use like for single sword and throwing javelins? I was thinking of just making a half gauntlet version and make the metal pieces low profile since I am a Roman persona.

[Leo Medii]

It is so nice to see gauntlets without all that extra junk on the fingers so they touch the haft/grip of a weapon.

That and they just are so drool worthy.

[Tableau]

I know this thread is over a year old, but every time I see those gauntlets, my brain still goes "...guh ...buhh ...zuh"

If I had gauntlets that nice I would casually wear them around. Or something. I don't even know.

At some point in my life I will make gauntlets that nice. Mark my words!

[Steve S.]

Inspired by this thread, I am trying my hand at my own Wisby #3 gauntlets.

This is the most sophisticated metal forming I will have ever done.

I have all but finished one metacarpal plate. It went easier than I thought. In fact, I would say the finger tips are harder to get right than the metacarpal was.

Here is my progress so far:

http://www.forth-armoury.com/photo_gall ... ntlets.htm



Steve

[Chuck Davis]

Inspired by this thread, I am trying my hand at my own Wisby #3 gauntlets.

This is the most sophisticated metal forming I will have ever done.

Steve, your work looks great! Keep going, the articulation isn't that hard. Punch the holes on the top first, then look at the range of movement and mark with a sharpie.

[Steve S.]

Thanks for the encouragement, Master Cad!

Steve

P.S. Check your tag line spelling.