The Armour Archive

Does anyone fight in the historic enterprises linen chausses?
http://historicenterprises.com/chausses ... ath=99_117
How do they hold up? I fight 10+ times a month, and hope to get full metal legs soon. If I start fighting in braies and chausses before I get metal legs I will have padded chausses as well. So how often to you need to replace them?
zippy

(I have yet to decide on a support system for my legs. Advice on that with braies and chausses is appreciate.)

I don't fight often, but when I do I wear my HE chausses.

Generally, I find they blow out at the toes first, then the heels. The feet seem to be rather small for the overall size (at least on my legs). I have several pairs I need to patch!

-Derian.

I fight in the linnen as well as the wool chauces. I found thet with knee padding on the outside of the chauces they don't have wear problems in my full steel legs. I use mine alot, but have 3 or more pair to change out. I have been using them for about a year and a half, and have worn a hole in the toes of one pair that started out a little small on my feet.

Not to pull business from HE they are wonderful people, but for a little more of an investment you could get a used sewing machine and the pattern kit from Reconstructing History, then foot size wouldn't be an issue. If you got the Pourpoint pattern as your shirt with the kit you would have an answer to your leg support problem as well. If you don't go with a pourpoint though I highly recommend Pitbull's C-belt.

I agree with Gurahl, just make your own. They are not that hard, and that way you can also do repairs easily.

I fight in lined linen chausses with thigh and knee padding. They are quite possibly my favorite, most comfortable part of my entire kit.

Part of the answer has to do with the quality of your armor. Armor itself can destroy your clothing if it is made poorly.

I could easily make my own, but as baron my cost vs investment ratio has shifted. Time is really important, and I need to make new outfits regularly. Just wanted to save some time. Once I step down, then making my own will be the plan.

(edited for grammer)

James B. wrote:Part of the answer has to do with the quality of your armor. Armor itself can destroy your clothing if it is made poorly.

Even if your armor does fit well, if you spend a lot of time on your knees on concrete or rough surfaces they will wear quickly.

G

At events, I only fight in braise and chausses. (Which is different than fighting only in braise and chausses!) While they have had to be repaired a few times at this point, I do not feel that fighting in them has shortened their life.

That said, my lady made mine, and she imbues them with seamstress magic. I believe she reenforced about every seam in them, and they are completely hand-sewn. These things do go a long way.

The RE pattern also includes a stirrup-only option. When we finally get around to making chausses for Laurenz, we'll use that, as he's got feet that destroy chausses (especially because his big toe is not his longest toe...)

Linen doesn't have the 'cush' that modern socks and/or wool has, so the feet are almost always the first thing to go whether you're fighting or not. Michael of Wolgemut has been wearing my chausses for 15 years or so, and he can wear the feet out in a couple of weekends because he's jumping up and down on stage all weekend long. It's not anything I'm wrong with the pattern, it has to do with the wearability of the linen fibre.

The legs of linen chausses should hold up fine, barring wear caused by ill fitting armour. We advise people to cut the toes off and wear short athletic socks when the toes give out.

Gwen

Derian le Breton wrote:I don't fight often, but when I do I wear my HE chausses.


-Derian.

Suddenly I can see a whole set of "the most interesting man in the world" commercials for HE.

Winterfell, that is an absolutely BRILLIANT idea. Watch this space.

Gwen

I've been fighting in my HE linen for roughly that many times monthly for the past few years. They hold up well as long as you maintain them. Toes & heals wear out first but are easy enough to patch/mend up. I go through a pair approx. one set a year that are dedicated to just fighting. I suspect I might get more out of set of wool, but a lot of practices and tourneys are held indoors or during the warm months (i.e. Pennsic). Wear is about the same as you'd expect for a set of elbow/knee pads with about as much use. I replace my leather gloves on about the same amount of time. HE's linen fit nice, wear nice and add to the proper look.

Sure I could make them myself with the RH patterns or by reverse engineering a set of my HE's, but life is good to me at the moment and I'd rather spend my $ on someone who's done the research and makes a known quality product that I like v. training myself up and going thru a half dozen 'working' sets to get them down I want them. But that's just my two cents.

p.s. the linen undertunic in the below shot is one of their natural linen ones as well ... works great for strong and comfy under the mail haubergeon.