I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the Armour and Castings Gothic Milanese gauntlets?

http://www.armourandcastings.com/index.php?_a...oductId=90

I'm planning on buying a pair of gauntlets from A&C next month for my 15thC billman kit, and at first was going to buy the Basic Gothic Fingered Gauntlets. But I think the flared cuffs on the mitten gauntlets will accept the sleeves of (and the jackchains attatched to) my jack.

If any of the fine user's of this forum have had any experience with these gauntlets, or can at least offer an educated guess as to their performance and articulation, I would be very grateful. :)

Since I'm planning on practicing longsword this spring I'm especially interested in how they would perform if used for longsword sparring, and if the finger gauntlets would be better for that sort of thing.

I have no experience with their "Gothic Milanese Mitten Gauntlets", but you can read a myArmoury review of the "Gothic Finger Gauntlets" you also mentioned located here.

Thanks Scott, I've already read that review (it was one of the first reviews I read on this site) and it helped me decide to get the Fingered gauntlets in the first place. If I cant find any info on the Mitten gauntlets I will probably end up going with the Basic Fingered.

So no one has had any experience with the Mitten gauntlets?

Hi there - I got a set of the Gothic Milanese Gauntlets you refer to from A&C relatively recently and they are fine for sparring giving good protection. Sizing is custom and you can plainly see on the inside that the iron has been hand beaten out on the front two articulations. It is important however to wear good custom padding underneath - welding gloves are not a runner in my opinion having too much padding on the inside i.e. at the palm. All in all these gauntlets are excellent munition quality repro's and for the price you will certainly not do better. All the best//DS

Thanks for the input Mr. Swift. :)

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of sparring do you do? (HEMA/SCA?)

After I posted this topic I really started looking at the gauntlets and realized the whole wrist is solid, which gives me doubts as to how this would work with some basic german longsword guards such as the ox guard and the plow guard. (sorry I don't know the german names)

Hi Robert

We're in the business of performing live choreographed sword-fights at heritage sites and for media productions but our sequences are based on HEMA. So far when using swords of hand-and-a-half type (and single/double-handers too) I have not noticed any problems with the wrist guard component of the gauntlets. The cuffs are quite short - and btw shorter again on the inside of the wrist than the outer side - and although the flare on them is quite wide it hasn't really hampered me in performing anything like Talhoffer's ox for example. Historically they are very appropriate for wearing with jack and chains - and the flared wrist is an assist here as you earlier suggested.

However - all of that said - if you have any doubt - leave it out!

Once again, thanks for the information Mr. Swift. :)

I am 90% sure I am going to buy these now.

I hate to ask all these questions but, have you encountered any problems drawing a dagger in these gauntlets?

And don't go to too much trouble but do you have any advice as to what I should add in for padding?

These will be my first gauntlets so I don't really know what to expect or how they will change the everyday movement of my hands (since they are mitten form, probably quite a bit!), thus my multitude of small questions...

No problem Robert

For padding - this type of thing is good: http://medieval-market.biz/details.php?id_towar=289&s=1 Or else make your own.

To be honest I have not actually drawn a dagger with the gauntlets on but swords of all sorts draw just fine. With the WOTR in mind I am assuming that you're looking at something like a rondel or ballock type - and for that I can see no real impediment.

Good luck//DS

Yea, I'm planning on getting a rondel dagger from Tod's stuff.

Thank you for the link Mr. Swift, you have been a great help. :)