The Armour Archive

I have not yet had the luxury of seeing or wearing a good pair of finger gauntlets.

Is there any standard for what's better, or is it just a matter of preference?

I was mainly curious about the variations in comfort and flexibility between gauntlets of these types:

http://www.wassonartistry.com/armor.php?w=gauntlets

versus finger gaunts with overlapping plates -

http://www.truehearth.com/tn_fguantlet.jpg

Though I expect this will vary greatly on the quality of the gauntlets and how well fitted they are to the user...

The overlapping plates are an easier construction, but offer inferior protection. In terms of the range of motion of fingers, the overlapping plates don't offer anything beyond the variety with phalanges and gadlings. Your fingers only have so many joints

The overlapping plates, when flexed, produce multiple opportunities for blades to catch and drive into the fingers. Blunt weapons can turn the scales into weapons against your fingers.

Charles Alexander wrote:Though I expect this will vary greatly on the quality of the gauntlets and how well fitted they are to the user...

Pretty much.

I knew pretty well that there was a massive difference between junk and alright. My most recent armour acquisition was a pair of tailor-made gauntlets from Jiri Lucius.



I have almost as much dexterity in them as if I were wearing a light pair of gloves. Lightyears past "alright". Jiri is very good at these gothic gaunts, and they were made to my measurements. For me, they are perfect.

Now, between the scaled fingers and the plate/gadling fingers, your fingers only move at the joints, so if the plate/gadling construction is properly done to allow for the change in relative length when contracting the fingers, they have plenty of range of motion.

Kilkenny wrote:The overlapping plates, when flexed, produce multiple opportunities for blades to catch and drive into the fingers. Blunt weapons can turn the scales into weapons against your fingers.

Good point...

Thanks all for the response.

I think I remember seeing thos eone sof Jiri's when he had just completed them (on the forum). They are exquisite. It would be a shame to see them beaten up.

Boner wrote:They are exquisite. It would be a shame to see them beaten up.

I've got a couple of other pairs that will work well for HWMA work and lower-end or high-energy "combat", but there is nothing else for high-profile presentation or living history events that would work. It'd be a Cardinal sin to leave them to collect dust.

... and, they may be super-model pretty, but they are certainly functional - definitely not dainty or delicate.

I have a pair by Jiri Klepac. Love 'em.

My input is that comfort and safety both depend on a good fit, especially with the "plate-n-gadlings" style of fingers.

The "scale" type fingers are certainly historical, but I wouldn't use them for any serious combat, as they are SO flexible as to offer less protection that you'd want.

If you're interested in serious fighting, you might want to consider a slightly ahistorical design which wraps around the finger tips a bit more, and/or which encloses the thumb tip. Mine don't do that, and I'm not sure how comfortable I would feel using them for pole-arm work.