According to "How a Man Shall be Armed for His Ease When He Shall Fight on Foot,"
"Also a payre hosyn of stamyn sengill and a peyre of shorte bulwerkis of thynne blanket to put aboute his kneys for chawfygeof his ligherness/"
Can anyone describe how the bulwarks looked and were tied on, or even better, could someone post a picture of such padding. I'm trying to make my kit more authentic.
Thanks for any advice you can give.
[This message has been edited by Noe (edited 04-03-2002).]
knee bulwarks
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JJ Shred
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A piece of wool wrapped around the knee to pad it from chaffing instead of a hockey pad or modern support is how I would interpret it. Chef uses this in his harness, but unfortunately I have to wear an open patela neoprene support under my hosen or my ancient, wore-out kneecaps will slip off. I may start using a thin piece to keep from wearing out the wool on the hosen, though.
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Asbjorn Johansen
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I use woolen knee wraps on and off when I fight (my knee armour greave combo is good enough that I really don't need any padding).
After experimenting with them, I wonder if they would have been simply stitched to the hosen as your armoured up and taken off at the end of the day, it seem like the most secure way of doing it.
First I tried just wrapping my knee around 1 1/2 times (double layer in front) with an 8 inch wide strip of wool blanket. I then just safety pined them up on each side. This worked fairly well, but occasionally a pin would open up, or would tear my pants a little.
My next version had Velcro attached, so that the wrap closed on itself. This gave them enough body that I only have to use a pin on one side, but the pin still occasionally opens up or tares my pants just a little, but not as much as before. As a reference the damage from the pin is significantly less than the damage that the knees themselves do to my pants over time.
When I don't where my greaves or forget them, some form of knee pad is definitely needed for comfort. I've found that the blankets are much more protective and comfortable than any knee pad I've worn.
Asbjorn
After experimenting with them, I wonder if they would have been simply stitched to the hosen as your armoured up and taken off at the end of the day, it seem like the most secure way of doing it.
First I tried just wrapping my knee around 1 1/2 times (double layer in front) with an 8 inch wide strip of wool blanket. I then just safety pined them up on each side. This worked fairly well, but occasionally a pin would open up, or would tear my pants a little.
My next version had Velcro attached, so that the wrap closed on itself. This gave them enough body that I only have to use a pin on one side, but the pin still occasionally opens up or tares my pants just a little, but not as much as before. As a reference the damage from the pin is significantly less than the damage that the knees themselves do to my pants over time.
When I don't where my greaves or forget them, some form of knee pad is definitely needed for comfort. I've found that the blankets are much more protective and comfortable than any knee pad I've worn.
Asbjorn
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chef de chambre
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Hi Guys,
Thin "blanket" wool is what to use - we have a TON of red wool for making livery that I cut mine out of, as we could literaly outfit the combattants of 3 or 4 companies of the ordinances with bold red St. Andrews crosses out of the mass we have. I simply fold it in thirds, so it covers the knee, and just above and below, and wrap it 1 1/2 times around my knee, and tuck it in at the top like wrapping a towel around yourself. the top of the grave holds the bottom edge in place, the strap of the poleyn holds it firmly. I've worn the rig for 4 hours with bulwarks on without having them undon, trotting up and downstairs at the Higgins, and doing presentations, etc.
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Bob R.
Thin "blanket" wool is what to use - we have a TON of red wool for making livery that I cut mine out of, as we could literaly outfit the combattants of 3 or 4 companies of the ordinances with bold red St. Andrews crosses out of the mass we have. I simply fold it in thirds, so it covers the knee, and just above and below, and wrap it 1 1/2 times around my knee, and tuck it in at the top like wrapping a towel around yourself. the top of the grave holds the bottom edge in place, the strap of the poleyn holds it firmly. I've worn the rig for 4 hours with bulwarks on without having them undon, trotting up and downstairs at the Higgins, and doing presentations, etc.
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Bob R.