Weight of your Armour System (all you fight in)

justus · Post by **justus** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:53 am

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/syrjustus/1306704691/" title="Justus at Gulf War15 6 by Justus Koshiol, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1242/1306704691_6210255250.jpg" width="268" height="500" alt="Justus at Gulf War15 6"></a>

My warfighting kit weighs 23.6 pounds. (without weapons) One of those pounds is my chain.

Add 3 lbs for the extra upper body armor I wear at practice.

-Justus

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:19 am

Whoa. That's light! Nice work!

-Aaron

justus · Post by **justus** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:48 am

There is a trade off for wearing very light armor. When I get hit, I get bruised. That kit keeps me from getting injured and that is about it. I bet that Duke Valharic's light kit weighs even less than mine since he doesn't wear vambraces and his shynbalds are much smaller and lighter than mine.

However, I could add upper leg, upper body armor, and upper arm armor to that kit and still keep it around 35lbs. I've actually meant to for years but since it works it has always gotten pushed to the back burner. Leather is your friend, well made it makes excellent lightweight comfortable armor.

-Justus

Jean Paul de Sens · Post by **Jean Paul de Sens** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:30 am

Ok, I just got done weighing my stuff...

Hard Kit => 20.6875 lbs
Soft Kit => 6.75 lbs
Total = > 27.4375 lbs

Here's the breakdown

Code: Select all

Item                             Type          Weight (lbs)
Body Armor                       Hard         2.5625
C-Belt                           Hard         1.0625
Demi Gauntlet ( L )              Hard         0.3125
Demi Gauntlet ( R )              Hard         0.5
Gauntlet ( L )                   Hard         1.15625
Gauntlet ( R )                   Hard         1.15625
Gorget                           Hard         0.5
Leg Armor ( L )                  Hard         2.4375
Leg Armor ( R )                  Hard         2.4375
Helm                             Hard         6.6875
Vambrace and Elbow ( L )         Hard         0.6875
Vambrace and Elbow ( R )         Hard         1.1875
Belt (Rope)                      Soft         0.1875
Braes                            Soft         0.25
cup and compression shorts       Soft         0.4375
Gambeson                         Soft         1.6875
Hose                             Soft         0.4375
Knee Pads                        Soft         0.375
Shoes                            Soft         1.6875
Waffenrock                       Soft         1.6875

For the hard kit, the largest weights are the helm and the legs (12 out of the 20). The legs are 3/4 legs, and have no greaves.

I have almost every type of metal on my kit from stainless steel (helm and gorget), spring stainless (elbows), titanium (vambrace splints), 4130 (legs and gauntlets).

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:37 am

mrks wrote:

43lbs including my shorts

Whoa! Wow!

-Aaron

liguangming · Post by **liguangming** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:53 am

38 pounds, including 2 swords, shield, & spare gauntlets.

mrks · Post by **mrks** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:54 pm

I am not posting from the shop so dont have exact weights.

its sport armour.
patterns are designed for ease of fighting, durability and extremely low maintenance. besides the helmet and shield its all thin guage titanium.

grieves weigh 1 lb each including knee pad.
demis can be 1/4 lb and still be protective.
vambraces are l3ss than 3/4lb elbows are 1/2lb not including pad.
legs are usually 3 1/4 lb each cup 1/2 lb.
gorget is stinless at 1 1/4 lb
breastplate is 4 1/2lbs.
shoulders are different now at 3/8lb for an articulating cop.
I have also gone to super lightweight shield .020 ti vambrace and .032 elbow probably less than 3/4 pound for the pair.

you can go super fly weight and still look good but the protection is not bombproof like the suit pictured. you wont get hurt with the beer can thickness Ti but you will get bruised. its also not as durable as the .040

if you are serious about dropping weight I would be willing to make you a set of simple grieves a .25 sword arm and .020 shield and vambraces.

the 3/8th pound (each) shoulder cops are $200 a pair I have 2 in stock.

anything I make can be returned no questions asked if you don t like something I make. m only a hobby armourer these days so no two week or less turnaround anymore.

am staffing a booth at a fair and have to go so will edit this later on.

James Llywelyn · Post by **James Llywelyn** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:55 pm

165 without armor, 214 with, so 49 pounds without weapons. The sword, rondel dagger and shield weigh 11lbs 8 ounces together, so grand total of 60 pounds 8 ounces.

I am truly enjoying the eye candy in this thread too. I only recently started getting serious about making armor since I settled down in a house with a shop and I feel like a child among masters sometimes on this forum!
James ap Llywelyn
http://sites.google.com/site/griffinroost/Home

audax · Post by **audax** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:31 pm

Josh W wrote:I'm not a big man. Even in that 71 pounds of kit, I weigh less (about 240 lbs. with everything on) than what a lot of bigger SCA fighters weigh in just a short and T-shirt. I can, however, turn somersaults and cartwheels and do push-ups in my harness, which I'm told not everyone can do out of their harness. I don't intend for that to sound like bragging; it took me weeks of practice to perfect the balance necessary for that fully-armoured cartwheel.

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/Picture%20008.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm11yAXeegg

It doesn't feel like 71 pounds when I have it all on, though. A mostly-rigid harness like mine is, to a certain extent, self-supporting, and the weight is well-distributed; it's not like it all hangs from the shoulders of my arming doublet. I thoroughly enjoy demonstrating that I don't really lose all that much range of motion in the suit, whether at public demos, fairs, or just at events to other SCA folks who ought to know better than to hold onto certain cherished Victorian myths.

The downside is that it is terribly hot and stuff in there. Additionally, it takes a long time to put on, and is maintenance-heavy. Given the choice, I do not wear it for weekly practices, choosing instead to wear lighter kit--brigandine, bargrilled helm, light plate outer armharness, and hidden legs. Unfortunately, I am often called upon to loan out my light kit in order to let someone else on the field, and have been lately obliged to fight in my heavy harness more than I'd have liked this summer.

I can do pushups and somersaults. I have never been able to do a cartwheel without killing myself. NOt even gonna try one in armour.

Wulf · Post by **Wulf** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:01 pm

If i remember correctly my suit weighs in at 68 pounds not counting weapons. Most of the weight comes in with the helm. Big head means a big bucket and most of the helm is 10 gage.

At practice i normally fight with a fairly light polearm cant weigh more than 3-4 pounds. At pennsic this year i was using a log that i was told weighed in at just under the legal limit and to not put any more tape on it.

William Arwemakere · Post by **William Arwemakere** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:40 pm

I may have forgotten a pound and half or so for socks and Underarmor.

22.1 lbs. 8.5# for the kettle. Not including the bow.

Bastior · Post by **Bastior** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:51 pm

Last week I flew to an event and my armour bag weighed 29.5 kilos (well it did in Germany, in England it weighed 32.5) that was armour, weapons, shield - my entire field kit less socks. The only extras were a small screwdriver and a wrench to assemble my travel shield, the tin for the bolts and washers and the bag itself.

B

Mac Thamhais · Post by **Mac Thamhais** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:18 pm

white mountain armoury wrote:I could never do a cartwheel, in or out, but plenty of pushups in or out.
The maile hauberk adds alot of weight, and I am having mine made longer.
My new greaves and sabatons will add some weight as well.

Aw man, your existing greaves are already dipped in awesome. Why on earth would you wanna replace em?

DukeAvery · Post by **DukeAvery** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 1:58 am

60 with sword and 24" round.

Motley Fool · Post by **Motley Fool** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:37 am

InsaneIrish wrote:Maybe 30 lbs?

I will weigh it tonight, but the only metal bits on my rig are the helm, knees and gauntlets.

I am the fat ass in the purple dress.

But watch out, he has a second fighter spirited away under his shirt as a deployable weapons system!

white mountain armoury · Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:49 am

Mac Thamhais wrote:
white mountain armoury wrote:I could never do a cartwheel, in or out, but plenty of pushups in or out.
The maile hauberk adds alot of weight, and I am having mine made longer.
My new greaves and sabatons will add some weight as well.

Aw man, your existing greaves are already dipped in awesome. Why on earth would you wanna replace em?

I will make something that looks quite similar but it will be a full greave, not just a front.

sean of the chipendales · Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:27 pm

[quote="Motley Fool"][quote="InsaneIrish"]Maybe 30 lbs?

I will weigh it tonight, but the only metal bits on my rig are the helm, knees and gauntlets.

I am the fat ass in the purple dress.

Im next to Irish in the first pic. From naked to "as i stand on the field" is 48 pound including all soft stuff, hard stuff, sword and shield.
Sean of the Chipendales

Christophe de Frisselle · Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:27 pm

My armour from the skin out with shield and sword is 40-41Lbs. Without shield and weapon, 28-29 Lbs.
Here is all what I wear, minus the hands, shield and weapons.
Nifty Action Shot from last Summer.

What I am wearing now weighs very close to my first set of armour in the pictures below.

William de Faleston · Post by **William de Faleston** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 9:37 pm

James Llywelyn wrote:165 without armor, 214 with, so 49 pounds without weapons. The sword, rondel dagger and shield weigh 11lbs 8 ounces together, so grand total of 60 pounds 8 ounces.

I am truly enjoying the eye candy in this thread too. I only recently started getting serious about making armor since I settled down in a house with a shop and I feel like a child among masters sometimes on this forum!
James ap Llywelyn
http://sites.google.com/site/griffinroost/Home

Slightly off topic here, but James those legs are 12 kinds of awesome. I'm thinking of building something very similar soon. Any pointers?

BobKnight · Post by **BobKnight** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:10 am

I see what this is.

Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more say no more.

Iain (Bunny) Ruadh · Post by **Iain (Bunny) Ruadh** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:15 am

Will do weights in 'melee harness' and 'Cott30' harness tomorrow and post. Was in mid change of harness when had knee broken so #'s should have dropped alot.

Owyn · Post by **Owyn** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:32 pm

Just weighed mine out, both kits.

Heavy Kit: 58 lbs (62 w/ S&S, 61 w/ polearm)
(steel arms, steel spaulders, steel legs from James River; 10lb bascinet w/ aluminum aventail (about 2lb); gaunts; leather greaves; plastic riveted to triple-layer linen COP roughly following WMA pattern; leather covered plastic gorget; Revival gambeson + shoes; HE braes and chausses; c-belt with hip plates)

Light Fight Kit: 25 lbs (29 w/ S&S, 28 w/ polearm)
(same bascinet + aventail; same spaulders, although I want to get some SS ones; SS 'crusader' cops from Hjalmir for elbows and knees; leather rerebrace, splinted leather vambraces; heavy tunic under same plastic COP as above; same c-belt as above; same gorget as above; splinted leather cuisses; same greaves and shoes as above; aluminum gauntlets; heavy weight breeches)

The first kit is pretty standard fare - a few of you saw it at Pennsic already. I tried to shoot for as total a period appearance as possible, but it weighs a fair amount.

The light kit is totally untried. Basically, the light kit ditches the 16g steel in favor of plastic splinted 8oz leather, and drops the gambeson in favor of a heavy tunic. The nice thing is, when complete it should look almost as good as the heavy kit, in terms of period look.

(Edit: fixed weight error on the light kit)

Jean Paul de Sens · Post by **Jean Paul de Sens** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:00 pm

Owyn wrote:Just weighed mine out, both kits.

Heavy Kit: 58 lbs (62 w/ S&S, 61 w/ polearm)
(steel arms, steel spaulders, steel legs from James River; 10lb bascinet w/ aluminum aventail (about 2lb); gaunts; leather greaves; plastic riveted to triple-layer linen COP roughly following WMA pattern; leather covered plastic gorget; Revival gambeson + shoes; HE braes and chausses; c-belt with hip plates)

Light Fight Kit: 25 lbs (28 w/ S&S, 29 w/ polearm)
(same bascinet + aventail; same spaulders, although I want to get some SS ones; SS 'crusader' cops from Hjalmir for elbows and knees; leather rerebrace, splinted leather vambraces; heavy tunic under same plastic COP as above; same c-belt as above; same gorget as above; splinted leather cuisses; same greaves and shoes as above; aluminum gauntlets; heavy weight breeches)

The first kit is pretty standard fare - a few of you saw it at Pennsic already. I tried to shoot for as total a period appearance as possible, but it weighs a fair amount.

The light kit is totally untried. Basically, the light kit ditches the 16g steel in favor of plastic splinted 8oz leather, and drops the gambeson in favor of a heavy tunic. The nice thing is, when complete it should look almost as good as the heavy kit, in terms of period look.

(Edit: fixed weight error on the light kit)

Your sword and shield weigh less than your polearm?

Derian le Breton · Post by **Derian le Breton** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:24 pm

Jean Paul de Sens wrote:
Owyn wrote:Heavy Kit: 58 lbs (62 w/ S&S, 61 w/ polearm)

Your sword and shield weigh less than your polearm?

62 > 61.

Still though, 3lbs combined for sword and shield? Seems light to me.

-Derian.

Jean Paul de Sens · Post by **Jean Paul de Sens** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:00 pm

Derian le Breton wrote:
Jean Paul de Sens wrote:
Owyn wrote:Heavy Kit: 58 lbs (62 w/ S&S, 61 w/ polearm)

Your sword and shield weigh less than your polearm?

62 > 61.

Still though, 3lbs combined for sword and shield? Seems light to me.

-Derian.

Actually, I was referring to his light fight kit :

Light Fight Kit: 25 lbs (28 w/ S&S, 29 w/ polearm)

Leo Medii · Post by **Leo Medii** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:06 pm

Sport Armor#1- 1187 harness, maille hauberk, maille chausses, standard, maille coif, soupcan knees, wisby gauntlets, WMA crusader great helm. 59 lbs.

Sport Armor #2- 1375 English, maille habergeon, maille chausses, 9 piece breastplaste, besagues, crecy era elbows, wisby gauntlets or hourglass fingers, cloth cuisses, soupcan knees, 3/4 greaves, open face bascinet. 66 lbs.

COTT harness 1351 English, maille hauberk, maille chausses, standard, Wisby #24 COP, 3 piece arms (rerebrace w/articulated spaudler, elbow with rondel, vambrace under maille sleeve), wisby gauntlets, plaque belt, besagues, churburg full legs, 3/4 greaves, sabatons, spurs (currently has a Coburg bascinet with it, to be replaced by a WMA great helm combo). 87 lbs

Jousting harness 1410 English, Maille haubergeon, maille chausses, standard, besagues, globose breastplate w/fauld, hourglass finger gauntlets, full arm harness/articulated, one piece spaudler with maille edging, steel leg harness, 3/4 greaves, sabatons, plaque belt, spurs, italian great bascinet. 96 lbs.

Leo Medii · Post by **Leo Medii** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:13 pm

Mac Thamhais wrote:
white mountain armoury wrote:I could never do a cartwheel, in or out, but plenty of pushups in or out.
The maile hauberk adds alot of weight, and I am having mine made longer.
My new greaves and sabatons will add some weight as well.

Aw man, your existing greaves are already dipped in awesome. Why on earth would you wanna replace em?

NEW greaves?????

Oh man.....oh man....the old ones were SO AWESOME!

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:16 pm

You can send the old ones to me if you don't want em. :lol:

James Llywelyn · Post by **James Llywelyn** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:37 pm

Thanks for the compliment on the legs. The uppers are just leather cuisses with cast studs. I made a mold from some left over oak one by 4 boards, used a round auger bit to make the half round shape I wanted. I tried a variety of off the shelf shapes, but none of them were as large or as round as I needed. I made a three stud gang mold then cast them from tin antimony solder. It isn't a super hard alloy but it's harder then rattan! <wink> I have never had to replace even a single one. I made one board with three dish shapes in it, then the top mold had three holes drilled into it to form the shanks. I bored out the top of each shank channel to cause the solder to pool and pressurize the mold then split the top mold right down the center to make a three part mold that casts three studs. When they come out I snip off the top flash, chuck them in my drill and polish them with steel wool on low speed. I made them very fast. The cops are plain, I didnt have the dough to spring for the soupcan knees I would have preffered. The rondels on the knees match the besegews I am wearing, I made them as a lesson in creasing. The greaves are new, a recommendation after this year's CotT for next year's. They are one inch wide splints dished the whole length for strength. Tips, put ON the upper legs when fitting the pattern for the greaves! They are a little snug now, hehehehe.
Again, thank you for the compliment.
Cheers,
James
http://sites.google.com/site/griffinroost/Home

Derian le Breton · Post by **Derian le Breton** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:48 pm

Jean Paul de Sens wrote:Actually, I was referring to his light fight kit :

My mistake, apologies!

-Derian.

Owyn · Post by **Owyn** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:54 am

Derian le Breton wrote:
Jean Paul de Sens wrote:
Owyn wrote:Heavy Kit: 58 lbs (62 w/ S&S, 61 w/ polearm)

Your sword and shield weigh less than your polearm?

62 > 61.

Still though, 3lbs combined for sword and shield? Seems light to me.

-Derian.

OK, now it's really, really fixed.

Sorry, I swapped the weights for the S&S and polearm by accident. Yeah, according to my digital bathroom scale, the S&S is about 4lbs. Some margin for error there, as the scale is not perfect, but it sounds about right. Fairly light but dense sword, and that's my light shield (small, thin, no basket). My heavy duty war shield (haven't used in a while) is substantially heavier, being about 3x as big as the small heater and having a steel basket. But I've been using pole and spear in melees for a while, so the big shield isn't top of my mind.

The light kit's a nice "toss it in your bag and be ready to roll" sorta thing. I'm traveling a lot this year, so I hope to hit some practices out of my usual area, and not having to bring the entire steel kit plus the bin of stuff to care for it everywhere I go would be nice.

That said, I wouldn't trade the feeling of chasing the Middle kingdom around the field battles in the good stuff for much of anything.

Cian of Storvik · Post by **Cian of Storvik** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:02 am

If you're not wearing atleast 50 lbs. of armor, then you're underdressed for the occasion.

Mine is about 52 lbs. with Atlantian heater and a sword and backup weapon (rondel). It doesn't include a houbergeon/voiders or mail legs either. I have a chain aventail and liner, but with proper chausses and bernie or bergeon, the kit should be closer to 65 lbs.
The big things, obviously are helm and shield, but the gambeson with armored plates tied on comes in a close third.

Just sayin' is all.
-Cian

Thaddeus · Post by **Thaddeus** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:06 pm

Hmm...

Hauberk 25lbs
Helm 12lbs
Legs and arms and kidney belt 8lbs
Clothes 10lbs?
55lbs total.

Weapons and shield (depends)

60-65lbs completely kitted out.
Gradually weighing more as I sweat into it.

Iain (Bunny) Ruadh · Post by **Iain (Bunny) Ruadh** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:16 am

Weight in harness - 300. Weight out of harness - 244. So 56#.

AndrescalledAJ · Post by **AndrescalledAJ** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:19 am

Edit: I forgot my boots

With war-shield 45 lbs

with Round tourny 35 lbs

That includes a 14 lbs helmet

The basket on my war shield is almost 3 lbs...

My knees and legs only weigh a pound... total they are used in motocross
My chest plate is really bulky and is close to 6 lbs. I hope to be switching to a coat of plates that will be lighter.

my favorite sword is 3lbs