The Armour Archive

This past weekend I wore polo wraps to simulate the look of winingas. It does not look as good as the real thing, but looks pretty darn good.

I got the idea here at the AA. After contemplating it a while I contacted the tack shop down the street from my work. I picked up 4 polo wraps for $21.25 with tax. I ended up needing 2 wraps per leg to avoid gaps, but I think most folks would only need one.

There is a small logo and the issue of velcro that I still need to deal with. But I truly think it took my kit from generic to Norse for less than $22

-Halbrust

That's not a bad price for polo wraps. I've seen them for as little as $13 or $14. Jeff plays polo, so we need new ones every once in a while.

For anyone who might be interested, our 100% wool, Regia approved Winingas sell for $22.95.



We also sell a Set with reproduction hooks for $30.95.

I have a pair of HE winingas, and they get my seal of approval.

i got HE wraps for garb and polo wraps for fighting - i likes em both!

I have 3 or 4 pairs from HE. Another thumbs up.

Another vote for HE. I own 3 pairs. In my opinion, it is worth they few extra dollars for theirs over polo wraps.

A nicer, but more expensive product, is from Wood 'n Woven. She does hand made winnengas for around $60-75. http://wood-n-woven.com/

I love the look, they are completely correct for me, but I can't stand how hot they make my feet. The LAST thing I need is more insulation, with the exception of the rare times I've been winter camping with the good folks in the U.P.

I need to find a less warm option.

Baron Eirik wrote:I love the look, they are completely correct for me, but I can't stand how hot they make my feet. The LAST thing I need is more insulation, with the exception of the rare times I've been winter camping with the good folks in the U.P.

I need to find a less warm option.

If you are wearing them on your feet, you are not doing it right.

Alternatively, you could make them from linen

Primvs Pavlvs wrote:

Baron Eirik wrote:I love the look, they are completely correct for me, but I can't stand how hot they make my feet. The LAST thing I need is more insulation, with the exception of the rare times I've been winter camping with the good folks in the U.P.

I need to find a less warm option.

If you are wearing them on your feet, you are not doing it right.

Alternatively, you could make them from linen

Socks, pants legs, then the wrapped clothed, even linen, just seems to be to many layers for my lower leg. (No I didn't wrap down to my toes ) My feet were swimming in sweat very quickly.

Eirik, would a smaller or lighter shoe help?

Personally, I have the opposite problem, a tendency to chilly feet. In my military days, that meant I was happier in my Corfam dress shoes than many. Nowadays I gotta watch 'em because of neuropathy having numbed them. They are not very sensitive any more. Could get me in trouble before I know.

I used them for a little while. Got a packet of 4 and while they were OK, they were quite warm to wear. Great in winter. Also tried the wrap that they use for boxing. They looked OK for a short while, but in the end were a little short, and didn't hold up right.

If I were still doing an earlier kit, Id just pick up a set of one of the decent replicas currently available.

For anyone who might be interested, our 100% wool, Regia approved Winingas sell for $22.95.



We also sell a Set with reproduction hooks for $30.95.

Can't wait for mine to arrive. I just ordered a set of the celery amd cream with the triangle hooks myself.

Konstantin the Red wrote:Eirik, would a smaller or lighter shoe help?

I'm already in a light turnshoe. (yes, I know they're late for Saxon, but my shoes blew out at Pennsic one year and these were available and affordable)

I should probably investigate correct gartering.

Wow! I didn't realize how cheap the HE winingas were!

But... since the polo wraps at 9ft don't quites provide the voverage I need, I can't imagine the narrower HE winingas would be any better. It's nice to know for the future though.

As for the heat. I was surprised that they didn't feel hotter than they did. I honestly didn't feel much of a difference, and I'm a very hot person.

I had some of the HE wraps for my soft kit. Liked them a lot (lost them in the fire), but I did have to buy two pairs and sew them together to make a pair long enough for me. Of course, I am 6'4 and not skinny. I also used the polo wraps for fighting gear (the ones I had didn't have logo tags, but did have the velcro - I simply started with the velcro at my knee wrapped over it once, then down my leg and around my ankle and foot which seemed to work pretty well); lost those in the fire too but now I'm trying out some herringbone wool that my lady-wife found at the local JoAnn's. Got enough for three pairs - each wrap is 18' and are just long enough.

I've never had heat issues with leg wraps, even at Pennsic or at other hot events. I find leg wraps very comfortable, if a little cumbersome to wrap and unwrap.

We advertise the winingas as being 9' long, but we actually cut them at 10'. I suppose if there is a demand, I could always make some up longer.

Are there a lot of people who need 18' long winingas? If so, should I make them available in that length? Cost would be $39.95/ pr. , $47.95 with the hooks.

If there is a need, I'd be happy to supply them.

Gwen

Gwen,

I know this is blasphemy, but have you considered adding some hidden Velcro to your Winingas?

I have a pair and I have the Polo wraps as well, and frankly, the velcro closure makes a world of a difference in the fit and whether they stay in place.

I know it is abhorrent and all that, but when you want to fight in them it may make them more user friendly.

Just a thought,

Glaukos the Athenian

Hi Glaukos-

Velcro certainly is the wonder of the age, and would probably work as well on winingas as polo wraps but no, I hadn't considered offering winingas with velcro. I have a hunch that Regia Anglorum would probably frown on such an ' improvement' to them.

Packets of Velcro tabs available almost anywhere (even in my local supermarket), so it would be a very simple aftermarket addition.

Gwen

I have the HE wraps too and love them. Going on three years with them. I should probably pick up a second pair, although my current ones are holding up superbly, with just a little felting where my sweaty foot (wrapped once around the arch and over before going up the leg) comes in contact with it.

Its also once of the best prices I've seen out there for true wool winnigas.

I wear them in the summer heat too, 113 degrees this year at one event and no issues with overheating what-so-ever.

I wear polo wraps for practice (mine have a long tie at the end, I don't like the velcro) and HE winingas with the hooked tags for events. Both are great, but obviously the HE ones look best.

Ulfr

Black Swan Designs wrote:That's not a bad price for polo wraps. I've seen them for as little as $13 or $14. Jeff plays polo, so we need new ones every once in a while.

For anyone who might be interested, our 100% wool, Regia approved Winingas sell for $22.95.



We also sell a Set with reproduction hooks for $30.95.

FTW!

I've gone to ordinary white crew socks and linen pants beneath.

Of course, this is over my leather leg armour, so "extra heat" isn't really an issue .

Primvs Pavlvs wrote:
If you are wearing them on your feet, you are not doing it right.

Alternatively, you could make them from linen

My wraps cover my feet
The way I wrap them they pull double duty as ankle support.
While I highly endorse the HE stuff they are to short for my purposes.

That's how I wrap mine as well.