Who makes a good gamboised cuisse?

HannibalHulvey · Post by **HannibalHulvey** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:01 pm

Want to buy a pair of gamboised cuisses, preferably with an integrated knee pad.

Bear

Talbot · Post by **Talbot** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:02 pm

Therion arms carries the GDFB ones. I have a pair. I like them.

HannibalHulvey · Post by **HannibalHulvey** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:10 pm

Thanks Talbot, those are exactly what I was looking for. Does the integrated leathe cop work well with a poleyn and do you wear extra padding underneath?

Bear

Talbot · Post by **Talbot** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:38 pm

HannibalHulvey wrote:Thanks Talbot, those are exactly what I was looking for. Does the integrated leathe cop work well with a poleyn and do you wear extra padding underneath?

Bear

Mine have the steel cops (I don't use mine for SCA) I believe is would work fine with a poleyn. No extra padding is needed.

Angusm0628 · Post by **Angusm0628** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:01 pm

I've talked to Therion bout these on several occassions (we're in the same household). According to him the leather knee is not a problem to add a soupcan, poleyn what have you.

Randy W · Post by **Randy W** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:40 pm

It's also very easy to remove without causing damage too

BIG NIGE · Post by **BIG NIGE** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:01 am

WWW.PADDEDARMOUR.COM

make em to measure

sean of the chipendales · Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:23 am

Here is my working take on the GDFB cuisses.
I bought a pair at pennsic to try them out for SCA combat use.
I will go over the goods and bads, bads first.
THE BAD...OOOHHhhhhooooo!!!

1:The belt loop to hold them up is in the wrong spot, it needs to be rotated to the hip bone, not the lower abs.

2: When you do rotate them, the VERY bulky lacing in the back rubs together like a fat cricket.

3: when you rotate them the leather disc is now no longer in the right place as well.

4: the disc,..... oh yes the leather disc.... It is VERY hard (no bendy) I cannot possibly imagine putting knees over it and still be able to take a knee.
So I thought I will just take it off..... WRONG!!!! not only is it stitched in, but it is GLUED on as well and the glue does NOT COME OFF!!!!

The Good, yeah!!!!!

1: great quality of product overall

2: The material and padding is very good and effective as armour

So, Here is what I had to do to make the work.
I ripped off the knees, turned them inside out, cut off the weird lacing system in the back and attached regular ties.
They work great now, and are worth the 40 dollars as long as you know what you will have to do to them.
Just my "on the field" .02

Sean of the Chipendales

carlyle · Post by **carlyle** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 am

Talbot wrote:Therion arms carries the GDFB ones. I have a pair. I like them.

Doug -- can you tell me if these are formed as simple sections of a cylinder or cone, or is there a definite "front" and "back" (ignoring the belt loop for the moment)? In other words, I'd be inclined to remove the leather patches and mount them with the belt loops pulled more to the hip bone (front attachment is fine for mounted work, but I still contend it isn't optimal for foot combat). If they are shaped uniformally, that might work; if they are truly "leg shaped" -- even cut with a bend in them -- then it probably won't.

With thanks in advance... AoC

ADDENDUM: Sean must have been reading my mind as I was writing this. Thanks, SotC -- that's exactly what I needed to know!!

Benjamin de Hatfield · Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:48 pm

I'll second what Sean said, though I didn't have that much of a problem with taking the leather knees off. I cut the stitching then applied downward force to the cuisse and upward force to the leather simultaneously. Also, only try to pull off a small section of leather at a time.

The knee when removed, however, leaves a nast glue residue that I cannot get off, so I also turned mine inside out. I also don't like the belt loops though I haven't really had a problem with the location as of yet, though they are not the correct placement. YMMV.

Hope this helps!

-Ramius

bkillian · Post by **bkillian** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:53 pm

I have the GDFB cuisses my self.I just chose to work the leather knee cops like a baseball mitt. They softened up in no time at all. I just put grommets through the loops and pointed them to a C-belt. I too removed the leather lacing arraignment. I sewed some straps on. While not the perfectly period solution I do like being able to take the off quickly. Also any one else notice they smell like horse blanket ?

(with Murdock knees)

AElfwyn · Post by **AElfwyn** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:41 pm

Have been thinking about this for Lord Picky (My dear husband). What if these were made like Chausses only they stopped below the knee? You could choose to lace them to the hip or to the front of your cuisses (provided your cuisses lace on to your c-belt). I would have to make both styles with a pocket for your favorite knee padding (and unpadded at the back of the knee) but...regardless of that 'working' would it be overall too un-period? Granted there may have been something similar in period, I've not taken any time to look, as the idea just sprang up tonight when talking about glue and padding for Lord Picky's legs.

Just random thoughts,

AElfwyn

carlyle · Post by **carlyle** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:06 pm

AElfwyn wrote:What if these were made like Chausses only they stopped below the knee? ... regardless of that 'working' would it be overall too un-period? Granted there may have been something similar in period, I've not taken any time to look...

Take a look in the lower right-hand corner where the seated knight is putting on his gamboised cuisses:

http://www.medievaltymes.com/courtyard/ ... otm3va.gif

Is this what you had in mind? AoC.

BdeB · Post by **BdeB** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:13 pm

I never considered turning them inside out, brillant! I too took the leather off, replaced the crappy thong with a heavier duty thong. I still need to work them some more to break them up. They are still really, really stiff. I've temporarily given up on them until I can adjust some other armour problems.

AElfwyn · Post by **AElfwyn** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:51 pm

carlyle wrote:
AElfwyn wrote:What if these were made like Chausses only they stopped below the knee? ... regardless of that 'working' would it be overall too un-period? Granted there may have been something similar in period, I've not taken any time to look...

Take a look in the lower right-hand corner where the seated knight is putting on his gamboised cuisses:

http://www.medievaltymes.com/courtyard/ ... otm3va.gif

Is this what you had in mind? AoC.

I can see from this that he is pulling up the leg like a stocking, so, yes, and this would eliminate the the binding issues. I'd cut a diamond out behind the knee so that you could easily bend and there would be no waist band to twist or laces behind, just two padded legs that had points to lace to the front or to the hip. I' make a pocket on the knee to slip your padding in (hidden velcro at top, so you can take the pads out to wash the garment).

I will make a mock up for My dear lord and take some photo's. If there is anyone willing to take photo's of what they look like under the tunic... or point me to a link on the net that shows this?

audax · Post by **audax** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:03 pm

HOw do these do at taking some of the sting off the blow?

Bernhart von Bruck · Post by **Bernhart von Bruck** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:26 pm

Chello!

Second that question. Sir Ian, like all knights around here, seems to think that tendering the back and side of my thigh is funny.