The Armour Archive

I am trying to make a set of leather and metal finger gauntlets. I want to make the half gauntlet portion out of thick leather and the finger lames out of metal plates.

THESE ARE NOT FOR SCA RATTAN COMBAT.

They ARE for SCA Cut and Thrust. As such I plan on making the lames in the late 16th century style:

http://www.wulflund.com/images_items/me ... lets_3.jpg

My issue is the knuckle rider plate. I could just rivet the fingers to the half gauntlet but I worry that when gripping the sword it will create a gap of protection at the knuckles. I was wanting to make the knuckle rider under the metacarple plate but I am having fit/clearance issues. I could go over the top, but I can't seem to get it to clear the end of the leather metacarple plate.

I am using Windrose half leather half gauntlet kits for the half gauntlet portion.

http://www.windrosearmoury.com/zc/index ... cts_id=541

Anyone have any ideas on how i can fashion a rider plate?

No one has any ideas?

I think you're going to have problems with an articulated leather gauntlet. Leather flexes more than metal, and it will cause an issue with it binding on any articulating pieces, meaning that your knuckle rider will possibly not function at times.
You can make leather articulate, but the gapping tollerance needs to be much larger, combined with the thicker material (leather armor tends to be thicker then steel, though not always), the fact that rivets need to be more loose will probably not be the ideal way to get what you're trying to accomplish.
If you make a knuckle plate, I would suggest making it from steel, like the fingers, as it will be lower profile, and less issue with binding. You can probably look through the pattern archives for an idea of what a knuckle plate shape should be (a sort of shallow tapering half moon, in my experience).
-Cian

Kind of along the same lines as Cian here. That pattern is not going to lend itself to what you are trying to do. I have built half-gauntlets with knuckle riders on them, but the metacarpal plate only goes up about 1/5 to 2/3 the way up your hand, then has two seperate lames. Even on a half-gauntlet, it helps to prevent exposing the top of the knuckles.

Oswyn_de_Wulferton wrote:Kind of along the same lines as Cian here. That pattern is not going to lend itself to what you are trying to do. I have built half-gauntlets with knuckle riders on them, but the metacarpal plate only goes up about 1/5 to 2/3 the way up your hand, then has two seperate lames. Even on a half-gauntlet, it helps to prevent exposing the top of the knuckles.

So I need to change the metacarpal plate pattern to be shorter, with 2 overlapping plates that cover the knuckles?

how about something like this

Heath B fraychef wrote:how about something like this

I thought about that, but the lame is dished over the knuckle area, which, as it turns out, is what makes the articulation work.

I was not planning on hardening these, so I don't think dishing will work. Plus I don't don't have any dishing tools.

so is the idea just to cover the gap?
and you are not worried about hardening so i take it you arent worried about physical damage to your hands.
i have a very similar set up with my gauntlets.
mine are used for heavy combat though.
i have the fingers sewn to a pair of gloves and slide on an hourglass demi gaunt.
there is about 1/2 inch gap but the plate on the back of the hand extends out about1/2 inch from my hand and prevents weapons from reaching inside.
if the weapons you are using are not likely to cause harm or even make it into the gap, i would not worry about it overly much.
or just sew down a patch of thicker leather to the gloves themselves.

Heath B fraychef wrote:so is the idea just to cover the gap?
and you are not worried about hardening so i take it you arent worried about physical damage to your hands.

Yep, just cover the gap at the knuckles.
Not worried about damage to my hands. Just want something to protect enough to take the sting out.

How thick is the leather? You could set a wooden spoon handle up in it, and then press down the leather where your knuckles will be over the spoon handle. You can use your fingers to make a dishing donut as you press.

Or you could drill a hole in a 2x4 round the edges of the hole and then use the spoon handle or a drumstick to press into the hole.

If you're using an armour weight (for heavy fighting) leather, it may not work. But 4-6 oz weights you should be able to pull it off.

Christopher

I believe the leather is 8-10oz. Not quite "armour grade".

of course you could change the gloves you are using.
mine have a decent ammount of padding sandwiched between thin leather.
right across the knuckles.

Heath B fraychef wrote:of course you could change the gloves you are using.
mine have a decent ammount of padding sandwiched between thin leather.
right across the knuckles.

I have short fingered hamhoc hands. Most leather gloves for WMA stuff won't fit me.

The gloves that do, are way to modern for my taste. Hence the desire to make something.

oh fine if you just want to be difficult figure it out yourself.

Might work if you put enough oomph into it. That's pretty heavy for the technique I was describing.

Christopher

hi how about adding a knuckle bar and a upper finger plate that the fingers can attatch to.

I use a set up like that with my titanium finger gauntlets:



maybe make a metal knuckle bar or even one out of leather?

you could probably get away with over lapping leather lames off the leather demi gaunt.

edit no metal working tools?

make a curved leather knuckle bar. drip bees wax on it while heating it so it retains its shape then add a finger plate and attach metal fingers with a leather strip or just contact cement them to a glove... works great and is very comfortable.... problem solved
mrks