Low profile gauntlets

lacheadon · Post by **lacheadon** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:28 pm

The standard in our club is a mail gauntlet covering padding, an unfortunatly anachoristic element. While this is alright for a housecarl, I am doing a portrayal of a fyrdsman however, and can thus have no mail in my kit.

I am thus wondering the best way to make a gauntlet which has no visible metal, yet still protects my hands. Some bulk will be required, yet how should I minimise this? Make a floating plate gauntlet from leather? Use a hocky glove covered in leather?

What do you think? And has anyone come against this problem and found a solution in the past?

Stonekeep · Post by **Stonekeep** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 11:20 pm

Although I may be offbase in what is needed... I saw a gauntlet made by Iaenmor last weekend in which he had to try and cover white plastic (why he was using white plastic I have no idea, but someone mentioned stormtrooper armor when he got it). But he took very thin upholstery type leather and glued it to the plastic. I am sure this could be done to steel. It looked like a simple leather glove. It looked great and was much much thinner than a comparable leather gauntlet. Like I said I am not sure if this was even in the right hemisphere.

------------------
Michael Spiers
Cyrack of Stonekeep
Stonekeep Armory
www.stonekeeparmory.com

Galileo · Post by **Galileo** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 11:27 pm

As far as that goes, you could cover metal gaunts with thin leather.

lacheadon · Post by **lacheadon** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 10:42 pm

All the matal gaunts I have seen seem to be pretty bulky.

It is OK though. I am making one out of jack rings. The others I have seen are pretty low profile.

Thanks for the ideas.

Aelric · Post by **Aelric** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 11:50 pm

How bout just quilting a layer of fine (think butchers maille) between layers of cloth or leather. It wouldnt be any more bulky than 14 ga maille.

Aelric

Maelgwyn · Post by **Maelgwyn** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 12:32 pm

Yeah, but fine mail won't keep yer fingers from getting smashed. For a low profile you want a thin rigid material...like carbon steel! Then paint or cover as needed for your portrayal.

Vogeljager · Post by **Vogeljager** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 1:24 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Maelgwyn:
Yeah, but fine mail won't keep yer fingers from getting smashed.</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You could say that about any mail.

As for bulky steel guantlets, you may have been looking at SCA versions. A low profile metal gauntlet providing the same level of protection as a mail-covered padded glove would be much smaller than it's SCA cousin.