The Armour Archive

Anyone have a good place to pick up a cheap gambeson. I'm trying to get out of the shire loaner gear over the winter and have a full kit by spring.

moving pad and a sewing machine is generally the cheap gambeson method of choice. add a friend who knows how to sew if you're like me and can't work a needle.

Make an easy gambeson that requires little experince with sewing and under for under 10 dollars. The best part is that it breathes really well. Go to Wal-mart and buy a mesh vest for 5 dollars. Stop by a craft store and buy a yard of broadcloth and a bag of cotton stuffing. Cut the vest down the canter and yes edgeing to keep from unravelling. Sew tubes (about the diameter of a nickel) to run vertically along the vest. Stuff the vest with the cotton batting. Then sew the tubes to the vest. The only thing left is to sew some padded short sleeves for the upper arm. You can also sew in a pouch to put in shoulder padding (I find that foam pads for football knees pads the shoulder well). The tubes allow the air to flow under the armour and the mesh allows the heat to escape the skin. This gambeson has served me well in the worst heat of a Southern Atlantian summer (July and August brings 100 degree plus weather and 80 percent humidity).

From your friendly melting Viking,
Bjorn

how big of a guy are you, and what period are you looking for? i might have something....

patric