How to fasten gothic armour -- myArmoury.com

Anders Nilsson · Posted: Thu 08 May, 2008 5:58 am Post subject: How to fasten gothic armour

Hello

I recently bought a custommade suit of Gothic armour. It´s measuremade and fits quite well.

My questions is regarding the legpieces.
As for now I attach them to a waistbelt, since I have found no other sources on how to fasten them.
A friend of mine is arguing that I should lace them to my hoses.
That could probably work since I lace the arms to the doublet. But I´m not convinced. I still think that a waistbelt is the way to go.
Anyone that knows anything on the subject?

Here is a pic of the suit. Sorry ´bout the bad quality

Photobucket image

Jean Thibodeau · Posted: Thu 08 May, 2008 6:10 am Post subject:

A waist belt can work but can also be uncomfortable for longer periods of wear also the traditional method seems to have been to use a pourpoint which is a vest and distributes the weight of the leg around over the entire upper body.

Here is an example from Revival Clothing:http://www.revivalclothing.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=39

Anders Nilsson · Posted: Thu 08 May, 2008 6:17 am Post subject:

That seems to work.
As long as the wieght is suspended over the waist. I dont belive to lace them to the hoses.

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

Gary A. Chelette · Posted: Thu 08 May, 2008 6:48 am Post subject:

I know that I use a belt to suspend my gambeson cuisse and a suspender to hold up the belt. I wonder if this was ever really used back then as a way to hold up heavy leg armor. A light doublet maybe the recorded way of doing this, but I still wonder if others were also used.

Bill Grandy · myArmoury Team

The proper way is to get a fitted arming doublet and point the legs to that. A belt can work, but it really isn't great because it can shift, even if its tight. It also isn't very comfortable. An arming doublet allows the weight to be better distributed over the hips and torso. Definately don't point them to the hose, unless if you like exposing yourself on a regular basis... and if you do, don't tell us. Happy

By the way, I second the recommendation of the Revival Clothing arming cotte.

Alexander Borum · Posted: Fri 09 May, 2008 3:34 am Post subject:

Hmm - i have a Arming doublet and a pourpoint and i was considering another approach.

My pourpoint, is more or less made to keep my hose up, while my Arming doublet, was meant for armour.

my idea, was to mount my brigandine, arm harness and in the future a mail skirt to the arming doublet

and then wear my pourpoint underneath it, to mount my hose and future leg armour on those.

the general idea, was to keep my upper body more mobile, by not having my arming doublet locked to a fixed position (ie. locked to my legs) while my pourpoint would do its trick on the more stationary legs