VERY simple leather greaves pattern needed

[Jess]

I want to make a pair of very basic leather greaves (one piece that either buckles or laces in the back). I am looking for a simple pattern to get started on the shape, with the thought that I would try a few posterboard mock ups.

Anyone know of an online resource? The pattern archive has something, but it looks more advanced than what I was hoping for...

Thanks!

Jesmond

[Guy Dawkins]

Google: Begginers manual of armour construction.

Thats' the pattern I used for mine. NOTE: it is not markes as such but it is either a right or a left.

[Jess]

Ok. I am doing something wrong. I get over 140,000 results and the first couple pages of results do not seem to be what you are referring to. Is this a book title? The name of a webpage?

[Konstantin the Red]

This may hold it: an SCA site in Geocities. Scroll down the page past the swordsmiths listing to get to the how-to stuff.

http://www.geocities.com/illiton/Third/armlinks.htm

[Guy Dawkins]

Damn! The link is broken.
Shoot me am PM with your address an I'll mail a copy to you.

[Konstantin the Red]

The Illiton (Barony of) link works for me.

I ran my search on "manual of armor construction" and got a lot of busted links but at least one good one, to that page. Now for beyond it...

...some busted, some not. Gonna be homework, fer sure.

[Konstantin the Red]

Now frankly, I'm not sure why you think you need to go "VERY simple," especially when you're going to be patterning your greaves in posterboard first. Two layers of ductape, sticky sides in, can make any bulgy parts with great fidelity -- it will then take some measuring with a cloth measuring tape to see how that translates onto a flat piece of leather. First do one layer completely, then arrange the other layer over that. Nowadays, leather is an expensive material, even with the price of sheet steel climbing as it has, but it is very easily worked -- you won't annoy anyone in neighboring apartments. It takes about the same effort to cut out something rather fancy as it does to cut out something plain or simple.

Any pattern for metal or for plastic will work for leather also.

We'll need to know which sword game or organization you're making greaves to play in, or else our comments will be less relevant to your needs.

The deal with patterning greaves is they are going to have a somewhat curved centerline or main axis, this line following your shinbone all the way down. The kneecap area and knee joint should be covered all the way from the outside just behind the outseam of a trouser leg to just behind the inseam. The knee coverage should either hinge on the rest of the greave or be attached to the thigh protection (the better option) and be strapped and buckled, the buckle to the medial side of the knee joint -- towards your body's centerline, that is. The calf muscle will mean the greaves will be widest there to cover it, and you should also cover both the protruding ankle bones at the greave's bottom end, which means two semicircular tabs descending to do the job, with the top of the instep delineating a bay between them.

Greaves can be particularly well kept in position if they are flexibly attached to the bottom edge of a knee armor which in its turn hinges on thigh armor, which is hung from a belt or a suspender apparatus such as the "arming pourpoint," which is constructed like a long-waisted vest that fits snugly about the waist all the way down onto the hips, about the level of the jeans pockets. Gravity has this relentless effect on any piece of armor; the stuff does not ride quite like cloth and requires seriously sturdy suspension from either the shoulders or the natural waist to remain where you want it; don't squeeze your limbs with tight strapping, it never works.

[Kilkenny]

Gravity has this relentless effect on any piece of armor; the stuff does not ride quite like cloth and requires seriously sturdy suspension from either the shoulders or the natural waist to remain where you want it; don't squeeze your limbs with tight strapping, it never works.

Not to disagree with you about anything, as I think you made very good points all the way through - but - Greaves are about the one piece of limb protection that slides around this rule a bit. Because of the way most people's calves bulge, a strap above the calf muscle makes an effective stop against sliding down the lower leg.

Other than that, I'm quite in agreement with you.

Gavin

[Konstantin the Red]

Quite so, Your Grace, but a fastening of the top of the greave to the bottom lame or to a demigreave gives belt + suspenders reliability, and not only to the greave's proper fitting, but to the knee armor also. That is what I was driving at, at the expense of mentioning a supergastrocnemial greave strap.

Let us give Jess plenty of confidence to build some high performance greaves right off the bat, doing any necessary consultation/hand-holding from beginning to end. Jess? Your turn.

[Sixtus_Goetz]

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/s ... Armouring/

Should have some in there.

Cheers

Sixtus

P.S.

Good to meetya at Pennsic Jess.

[Jess]

Thank you! This looks like a great start. I will let you know how it goes...
Jesmond