What counts as "heavy leather" for SCA rules?

[Uly]

Does 10-12 oz leather count as "heavy leather" for kidney protection? I'm putting together a simple leather cuirass to go under some Icefalcon riveted maille for my new kit, and I need to know if I have to harden the leather for it to count as legal kidney protection. The marshal's handbook isn't very specific.

If the answer is "no," will the answer change if I decide to drop the maille? I'll probably take the maille off for long res battles at Pennsic.


If it matters, I need to be legal in Trimaris, Atlantia, Aethelmearc, and the East.

[Hanko Kal]

From the Trimaris Marshal's Handbook.

"E. Body, Shoulder, and Groin Armor
1. The kidney area and the floating ribs shall be covered with a minimum of heavy leather worn over 1⁄4 inch
(6mm) of closed-cell foam or equivalent padding."

[Uly]

I read that, but the trick is the phrase "heavy leather." The handbook has no problem specifying gauge for helmets, but never mentions thickness for leather.

[Hanko Kal]

10-12 oz would have to be hardened. 14-16 oz could be worn without any hardening.

[Uly]

Awesome, thanks. I'm glad I thought to ask before I strapped everything.

[Coenred]

XVIV. GLOSSARY

A. Armor Materials

Heavy leather: Heavy Leather: stiff, oak-tanned leather nominally 11/64 inch (4.4mm) thick. Often referred to as 11oz. leather.


It's in the back of the handbook.

[Uly]

Ah. So much for being thorough.

[losthelm]

Honestly I would sugest adding splints, over time leather can become much more flexable and wearout expecialy if exposed to salt or water and stashed in a dark warm place.

So sweat+armour bag= shorter life for leather armour.

Sewing in splints like torvaldr's kidney belt can be fairly easy with a little time. Rivits are faster but I find they wearout if the leather gets abused through lack of upkeep.

[Kaliban]

ya could have asked one of us Uly

[Uly]

Ya, but the archive is so close and so easy. You can't beat an answer in 10 minutes.

[Kilkenny]

10-12 oz would have to be hardened. 14-16 oz could be worn without any hardening.

Actually, no. 11 oz. is sufficient without treatment, according to the rules. But, 16 ga. (.065?) mild steel is legal for a helm, too.

There are places I consider 11 oz leather quite sufficient, and places where I wouldn't use less than hardened 13-15 oz.

[Blackoak]

If it is under maille, you will be fine. you can always double the leather over the kidney area to be extra safe.

Uric

[Uly]

If it is under maille, you will be fine. you can always double the leather over the kidney area to be extra safe.

Uric

This is what I'm thinking of doing. I don't want to harden the entire piece, because I want to avoid the "there is something rigid under that maille" look. I'll probably just harden a rectangular piece of extra leather and rivet it directly over the kidneys. If nothing else, it will act as a marshal deflector, and I won't ever have to worry about arguing about it if I choose to fight without the maille on.

[hivemind]

Uly, I make kidney belts of 12-14oz with integral padding, if you're interested.



Could make one from 11oz with the padding, it'd be pretty low profile. I could even use 1/4" foam instead of the 1/2" in the pic to make it even smaller.

[Oscad]

I would just spend the few bucks on a couple of zoombang pads and use those.