Armour and Castings Gothic Gauntlets
Original: Early 15th century
These gauntlets came from Armour and Castings, a Ukrainian company that offers armour at very low prices for American buyers due to the favorable exchange rate. I had originally been very skeptical that such a low price could yield functional armour, but after having read many enthusiastic reviews about their products, I decided to take a chance, as I needed a pair for bouting with aluminum and steel swords.
These gauntlets are by far worth the incredibly low asking price, and I would even go as far as to say that they are worth more than the asking price. That said, they are far from perfect. They are rather bulky and do not articulate very well and the shock of any sword hitting the back of the hand is strongly felt through the plate. They would appear like an early 15th century style to a person who does not really know much about armour, though anyone who has looked at antiques will immediately see the basic form does not really match that of originals. The fluting looks somewhat bulky as well. For the price I did not mind the aesthetic issue at all, though due to the reviews I had read I was expecting more out of the function.
These gauntlets are adequate for longsword practice, but unless one needed these to fill out a harness, I would personally recommend sticking with modern sporting equipment such as lacrosse gloves.
See our
hands-on review for more information on these gauntlets.
Weight of each gauntlet: 1.9 pounds
Overall length: ~12.5"
Cuff length: 5.5"
Metacarpal plate length: 6"
Cuff width: 7.5"
Width of metacarpal plate at the knuckles: 6.25"
Maker:
Armour and Castings of the Ukrain.
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