Fitting greaves

Charles Alexander · Post by **Charles Alexander** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:06 pm

Just got myself a nice pair of stainless shovel greaves. Problem is they tend to ride just a little lower than they should, making them less effective for knee cover when I walk.

Any ideas to keep them up? The way they were designed doesn't leave adjusting the leather calf strap as much of an option. I could add a leather flap at the ankle to help boost them up or use some other kind of padding, like -

http://cgi.ebay.com/MEDIEVAL-LEG-LEGS-G ... m153.l1262

Perhaps something on the inside of the greave as well to give some room between the knee and cup.

What of padding is recommended for the inside of a shovel greave?

Thanks

Konstantin the Red · Post by **Konstantin the Red** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:25 pm

I'm afraid you're the victim of dramatic fashion and poor design. You're trying to hold those tall, heavy greaves up with your instep, and that's an owie. Closed greaves need to cup the gastrocnemius muscle of your calf, and that back half doesn't, so it can't hold anything up.

For a fix, the first part is probably to place a third strap on it, very high up, and probably of some breadth -- 1 1/2 to as much as 2 inches, located just below the crease of your knee joint. Right now there is absolutely nothing holding the greave up -- it's all merely holding it on.

One reason hoplite-type over the knee greaves didn't outlast Classical times is limited protection of the knee, being very gappy from above, particularly with the leg bent, and also that such greaves are very uncomfortable to kneel in if you're playing SCA: that rigid knee cover sticks wayyy out in front of your kneecaps to press against the ground, and your entire weight is transmitted onto the greaves via your kneecaps and thighbones, with the result that the greave becomes a rigid lever trying with considerable force to grind your ankles into the ground.

Padding down near the instep does the most for you. Perhaps also a strip of camping foam crossing the top of your shins just below the knee.

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:50 pm

I would lose the back plate and add a third strap right at the top.

Andrew Young · Post by **Andrew Young** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:55 pm

I'm afraid you're the victim of dramatic fashion and poor design. You're trying to hold those tall, heavy greaves up with your instep, and that's an owie. Closed greaves need to cup the gastrocnemius muscle of your calf, and that back half doesn't, so it can't hold anything up

heh, heh..he thaid gastrocnemius ...heh heh

[img]http://www.geocities.com/stimpysvideotrading/bandb.jpg[/img]

Charles Alexander · Post by **Charles Alexander** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:04 pm

My mistake, those armstreet greaves aren't a picture of the pair I have... I was just using them as an example to show the leather flap at the bottom.

Charles Alexander · Post by **Charles Alexander** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:06 pm

I don't have a picture yet, but my pair has the typical two strap greave setup, one at the calf, the other at the ankle. They fit, but they could be fit better.

Konstantin the Red · Post by **Konstantin the Red** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:09 pm

The strap must go at the top of the calf, right behind and just barely below the knee joint.

Charles Alexander · Post by **Charles Alexander** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:13 pm

Konstantin the Red wrote:The strap must go at the top of the calf, right behind and just barely below the knee joint.

It does, and it keeps the greave up for the most part; just not the best for optimum comfort. Which is why some padding at the ankle or on the greave itself may be of assistance. Just curious if anyone has tried this.

Charles Alexander · Post by **Charles Alexander** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:17 pm

Konstantin the Red wrote:Padding down near the instep does the most for you. Perhaps also a strip of camping foam crossing the top of your shins just below the knee.

Ask and you shall receive... Thanks Konstantin.

James Arlen Gillaspie · Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:16 pm

Look at the fellow furthest left. This is a very good method for taking greave weight off your instep.

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:20 pm

James Arlen Gillaspie wrote:Look at the fellow furthest left. This is a very good method for taking greave weight off your instep.

Does he really have a y strap going from the greave up the front of his thigh to - belt - pourpoint ?

Have you tried it and does it really work ? If I seem incredulous it's because I am. It strikes me as not a very good idea. But - I've been wrong before

Mac · Post by **Mac** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 9:14 pm

James,

My God man! you're right! What's more he's not the only guy in that picture who's doing that. Check out the third guy from the left. I think it's a side view of the same thing.

I think it would work. The location of the attachment at the greave would be a bit tricky. Too far forward, and the greave would ride up when you flexed your knee; too far back and the greave would slide down.

This reminds me of the fellows in the Midelalterlich housbuch. Some of them have straps like that to hold up their riding boots. You can see it on the ones who have their boots turned down to the knee.

Mikael d'Armstreet · Post by **Mikael d'Armstreet** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:56 am

Charles Alexander wrote:My mistake, those armstreet greaves aren't a picture of the pair I have... I was just using them as an example to show the leather flap at the bottom.

Thank you for advertising )))
LOL
Basing on my experience best solution is padded armor with strap attched to greaves (you need to attach strap or make 2 holes in them)

mattmaus · Post by **mattmaus** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:54 pm

Mac wrote:I think it would work. The location of the attachment at the greave would be a bit tricky. Too far forward, and the greave would ride up when you flexed your knee; too far back and the greave would slide down.

I think that's why it's a y shaped strap.

If it were a straight strap down the front of the leg, it would never work. Bend your leg and the strap gets way too short in a hurry.

With the y strap, your knee would pop out the front of it. Placement of the straps might not be as important as the length of the forks on the Y.

Sean Powell · Post by **Sean Powell** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:28 pm

Cool! suspenders for boots/greaves. This is an interesting idea. I would be worried that if the arms of the Y were too short and you were to kneel down (to pick something up off the ground since no one would actually FIGHT from their knees in real battle :twisted:

) the arms might form a loop about the upper thigh and pin it.

It seems the easist way to develop the correct shape of Y would be 2 strings to the purpoint and a sliding not. You could adjust the slider up and down while working with it until you found just the right spot and then duplicate in leather.

Sean