New thumb design for gaunts and perf plate in helmets pics

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:47 pm

A little while ago I posted the first pair of hourglass finger mittens. The customer who got them is the president of the IJA in Canada. He has used them a bit and absolutly loves them. He is able to do grappling, lance, as well as heavy and light weapons with them wonderfully.

Everyone elce who has seen them and tried them on loves them. When I posted the pics there were concerns about the safety of the thumb design. Kel from AEMMA commented on this also. I've come up with a much safer design which functions just as well. The thumb plates are a little bit deeper. The upper thumb plate is a little longer extending back into the metacarpal plate a little more and is riveted with a single loose rivet to the metacarpal. This allows for full range of motion while keeping the thumb from being able to be pulled backwards causing a sprain, dislocation or break. The leather that holds the thumb tip to the upper thumb plate extends past the long rivet holding the thumb to the metacarpal providing padding to keep the long rivet from getting nailed into the thumb. It's not a lot of extra length but better safe then sorry. The area is also accessable if you wanted to add some padding of your own to the area but it shouldn't be necessary. Anyway pics are below let me know what you think. Price has remained the same starting at $400 in mild satin finish. Pictured is blued which I'd have to look up the price for. These will hit my site soon but in the meantime you can order through e-mail if you like.

Also for this customer it was requested that perf plate be used in the eyeslots as some of the WMA groups he fights with have stricter rules then the 1/2" X 1/4" eyeslots on my WMA klapvisor. Below are pics of how it turned out. The perf is welded all the way around on the back side. This option will hit my website soon and will be $50 and available on any helmet with eye slots. Thought it turned out really nice and wanted to show it off.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:48 pm

The bascinet.

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:53 pm

I like the bascinet. Nice work. Your bascinets are progressing nicely.

The gaunts look cool. I wish you were closer to me so I could try a pair on and test them out.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 3:05 pm

Thanks that klapvisor has the cleanest lines yet. I'm getting better slowly.

If you wanted to order a set of the fingermittens if when you get them you don't like them you can return them for a refund no problem.

RoaK · Post by **RoaK** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 3:18 pm

Matt, you might consider putting rounded finger tip ends on those gaunts (kind of like the thumb). The square ends look> I don't know, clunky?...

Leopold der Wolf · Post by **Leopold der Wolf** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:17 pm

Can you post a pattern for those gauntlets please? They look great.

Ingvarr · Post by **Ingvarr** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:51 pm

And while you're at it could you post your helmet patterns and maybe some pictures of your wife?

Leopold - Matt makes his living selling armor that he designs and builds. He has spent quite a bit of time developing and perfecting his patterns. Giving them away would take food off his family's table.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:32 pm

What he said. But there is a pattern for an hourglass gauntlet in the pattern section of armour archive not my pattern mind you. Then the finger lames are just rectangles.

There was quite a bit of time involved in getting these right. Not just patterning but making the prototype and deciding it wasn't good enough then patterning again.

These also have several days worth of special tools made to shape them with.

I've got to sell a lot of these to make up my time in developing them.

That being said if someone came to my house and wanted to make a pair it'd cost them the materials and consumables. Their time. And maybe some beer. People come over and make stuff a fair bit.

Leopold der Wolf · Post by **Leopold der Wolf** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:32 pm

Did not think about it like that. Sorry Matt.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:37 pm

No problem. Like I said about the pattern archive. There's hourglass gauntlets by Cad which works fine.

Shaping these is not a novice project though. It requires a fair bit of skill. Not a good first or even 20th project.

I'm not completly stingy with my stuff though. I do post a fair bit of tips on construction. Not so much lately since I just don't have the time. But I have been here a long long time.

Columb · Post by **Columb** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:52 pm

Mad Matt wrote:Shaping these is not a novice project though. It requires a fair bit of skill. Not a good first or even 20th project.

I'm not completly stingy with my stuff though. I do post a fair bit of tips on construction.

Funny you should mention that...

A friend Nathan and I are making some hourglass gauntlets quite similar to what you have shown, from 18g 304 grade stainless, and we're having some trouble with the "knuckles" (we haven't gotten up to the finger and thumb lames yet, still on the "hand" piece). When we put in the grooves, it flattens out the knuckle dishing.

We have discarded a couple of false starts so far, and are going to try getting a much deeper initial dish on the knuckles than we really want, making two sets of groves at 90 degrees (one of the "front", one running along the back of the hand) and then join them.

I hope that my explanation made sense...

Anyway: can I ask if you encountered the same problem, and how you overcame it?

As a side note: this is my second project (after a spangen), but I'm just a "helper", really. Nathan has a reasonable amount of experience.

Regards,

Columb

Louis de Leon · Post by **Louis de Leon** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:17 pm

I just wanted to say that I'm really enjoying watching your work get better and better and better.

That bascinet is flat-out beautiful.

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:54 pm

Ya know.. I'm looking at the bascinet and noticing that the two halves are not quite symmetrical - - And I Like that.

You are definitely doing nice work Matt

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:04 pm

Columb won't have time to give you an explanation till after the weekend. Just in case I forget bump the thread if it drops off the first page by monday.

Be happy to explain it though. One quick hint though is you want to get the knuckle forming stake halberds makes. Mine's different and better and faster but I'm not sharing that one. Be happy to explain how to do it without super specialized tools though.

Columb · Post by **Columb** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:09 pm

Mad Matt wrote:Columb won't have time to give you an explanation till after the weekend. Just in case I forget bump the thread if it drops off the first page by monday.

No problem, will do! Thanks!

Mad Matt wrote:Be happy to explain it though. One quick hint though is you want to get the knuckle forming stake halberds makes. Mine's different and better and faster but I'm not sharing that one. Be happy to explain how to do it without super specialized tools though.

No need to share all of your secrets

We were using a jarrah form for the grooves, but it split

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:10 pm

What the hell is a jarah form?

Columb · Post by **Columb** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:14 pm

Mad Matt wrote:What the hell is a jarah form?

As in, made from jarrah, a hard wood. Your confusion is understandble, because according to wikipedia, it mainly grows and is used down here in Western Australia!

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:31 pm

Ahhhh. That'd work but you need it to be tall so it won't split. You might get one set out of it.

Bleddyn De Caldicot · Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:35 pm

MMMM nice mitties Matt

Let me know when you are more feed up and I could drop by for a weekend.

es02 · Post by **es02** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 3:43 am

Columb: have you thought about dishing into lead?

Hrolfr · Post by **Hrolfr** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 9:24 am

Matt, have you thought about doing these in split fingers?

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 2:04 pm

I just thought about it today. I'll need to make a new stake for it. I'm behind schedule which means I don't have time to make new stuff unless it's come up in the queue.

Order a pair and I'll make them. They'll be more expensive though. Probably by about $100.

Stuff that's ordered that doesn't have a pic or firm price is done so with no money down. When you get a pic and price you decide if you want them. But they go into the queue just like anything elce.

Columb · Post by **Columb** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:51 pm

(Matt, this is your friendly bump

)

es02 wrote:Columb: have you thought about dishing into lead?

I've never tried that - at what stage do you mean? When sinking the flutes (with a cross-pien, say)? Or do you mean re-dishing each knuckle after the flutes flatten the piece out?

Regards,

Columb

Columb · Post by **Columb** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:42 pm

Gee, those knuckle shapes are pretty!

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:54 am

Sorry today was stupid. Just got back from the emergency room will find out tomorrow when I get an ultrasound on my neck.

Will try and explain it all tomorrow. Will put it in a seperate post.

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:18 am

Best of luck on your neck.
That piece effects your whole body.
Just ask AaronT.

Some times the hammer arm can effect the neck.

Columb,
These are what some finger gaunt forming tools look like.
http://home.armourarchive.org/members/h ... ullSet.jpg

Hal

Columb · Post by **Columb** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:41 pm

Thanks Matt and Hal - we'll see about making some metal stakes!

RenJunkie · Post by **RenJunkie** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:43 pm

Those are spiff. Getting up on towards uber-spiff.

Christopher

Blackoak · Post by **Blackoak** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 11:21 am

Hey Matt, would you be willing to sell a set of thumbtips?

Uric

RoaK · Post by **RoaK** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 2:10 am

I hope this turns out ot be nothing...

Mad Matt wrote:Sorry today was stupid. Just got back from the emergency room will find out tomorrow when I get an ultrasound on my neck.

Will try and explain it all tomorrow. Will put it in a seperate post.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 10:59 am

I can sell the thumbs seperatly. The thumbtips aren't enclosed. Have to think about a price.

As far as my neck goes had an ultrasound thursday. My esophagus is out of place like I said. They didn't find anything with the ultrasound that would cause it. Haven't heard from the doctor yet but the ultrasound tech said they might end up doing some different tests that let them see stuff with air in it like lymph nodes. Will wait and see. There's a lot less pain now but there's still pain sometimes it's worse then others.