Hi I have been looking around for evidence of early grapers
I have found two good depictions of pre 1300 ones:
http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4906/14569/
http://armourinart.com/296/475/

any evidence in text, art, or extant remains is very appreciated!

I recall seeing this topic included in a TV program and my understanding of what a graper is, is as follows.
A graper was a circular attachment, for want of a better word, that was fitted to a lance which butted against the knights body when the lance was couched under his arm. The graper was positioned against the front of the shoulder/ arm and it "locked" the lance to the knight's body thereby increasing the energy transferred to the target at impact.
If you look for the Mike Loades TV programs "Weapons that made Britain" and in particular Episode 3 about the lance, you will see more about it. Try about 23 minutes into the program.
I believe you can see the program if you access You Tube.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Cheers,
M

Here's a lance in the Manesse Codex. The plate in front of the hand is the vamplate (avant-plate) and the one behind the hand is a grapper or graper.
http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglitData/i...1/256v.jpg

I'm not sure if that's what's being shown in either of the two given examples, as the ring appears far to the rear when couched. Perhaps it's a counterweight to better balance the lance in hand?

An interesting find of a detail in the art, nonetheless.

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From what I understand, a grapper can be metal or leather, it is attached just less than a forearm length from the butt[?] of the lance and, as mentioned above, assists in adding "grip" and spreading/adding the force of impact. Later on used in conjunction with an arret.

I'd say to be safe you're goint to have to couch your lance tighter if it's an earlier period as they were more like a spear (I think) but later became more specialised and so the addition of a ring of leather nailed to the heavier lance woukd help.

If you look at later fighting manuals they often shorten the lance (grip it further up) to be able to parry an incoming lance strike and reach the opponent when his point has passed.