Hello all was wondering if anyone knew of a place where I could purchase a padded jack that is of good quality.

I've heard good things about Matuls but I haven't tried them myself http://www.matuls.pl/. However I did contact them. Communication was pretty quick, plus they ask that you send them your measurements so that they can tailor fit your item.

There is also the Padded Armour Company.
http://www.deborahloughcostumes.com/paddedarmour/paddedarmourhome

Moved to off-topic. You're asking for a suggestion on a vendor, not starting a discussion about historical arms and armour.

Try http://www.paddedarmour.com/ I have yet to try them myself but plan on purchasing an aketon off them soon. They look pritty good to me and do all sorts of padded armour including jacks.

Hey Brian looks like you just beat me to the punch with the link to padded armour company :D by the time I had finnish my post yours had just gone in. Oh well I guess great minds think alike.

thanks guys for the info and thanks Nathan for pointing it to the right place I had a feeling I should post it here but wasn't sure.

http://www.kokoszowamanufaktura.eu/en/

http://www.medieval-market.biz/pl/towary.php?...y%20bojowe

just a related point. many people sell what they call a padded jack that are not a padded jack they are more of a arming jacket.

a jack should be multi layered, ie over 20. if its 4 layers and some padding, its an arming jacket. trust me, i wear both at the same time. there is a "Stuffed jack" but again it should multi-layers besides the stuffing. if you wouldn't feel safe being shot with an arrow in it, its an arming jacket ;) hehehe

I think that depends. I North England at least jacks appear to have been commonly made only with cotton wool inside the linen/canvas/whatever lining and face. This is based of a late 15th century account of an italian who was interested in English Archers. Name starts with an M I think but cannot recollect it. The idea that multilayerd jacks of great amount of linen surely was common but it does not become the only way to do. That said the amount of cotton wool or linen layers is important. When my wife makes them she makes test patches for people to see and feel the varied thickness. I would not want to be shot with a warbow in fabric armour.... or any armour really. To me the thickness defines it as an arming coat over jack as both can be made with multiple layers and still be thin depending on with what material. Avoid poly material like the plague.

RPM

hi Randall, i know about which jack you are referring too. :) i was just trying to point out that i see a lot of "jacks" in reenactment that aren't jacks at all. it's hard to write so I may not have explained it very good in my earlier post and to that i apologize.

ahh come on, you don't wanna be shot with an arrow? If I could trust someone to hit the jack and not my other body parts I'd trust my jack ;) it's been arrow proofed hehehe. And thats one thing that I was trying to get at, i don't like "cheating" when making a jack cause the insides are hidden ;) if your wife makes them like the true stuffed jacks than you have my total respect :) all too many times i see reenacting pictures of either too thin or way over stuffed jacks that don't look like they would work. to me "cheating jacks" would be like having a beautiful silk velvet covered breastplate only to find out the breastplate is plastic or stainless etc hehehe.

where'd you have your jack made Chuck? I'd love to see a picture of it as well.

http://www.revivalclothing.com/index.asp i've only ever had a good exp with revival clothing

Chuck,

True. One of the biggest problems is synthetic padding or batting. It looks outwardly like it is thick and densely padded but 90-99% is air. I doubt they'd stop most of anything thrust-wise though they do take a lot of the sting out so I guess they could have uses. My aketon I wear made with medium to heavy linen and with real cotton wool sandwiched in while time consuming to make and a bear to do is nice and solid. Compared to synthetic fluff is 100 times as dense and absorbs impact well. I was thinking of making some for the guys to shoot at but this year I just ran out of time. I think that we will likely make a few of them of multi-linen layers and padded and mixes.

I'd rather be in some armour than no armour if I were to be shot at don't get me wrong. :D

Glennan,

I do not know. I think it only fair to let them look at the bows first then decide if they want to be shot at once there.

We should have a go on some padded armours. I will have to ask Nicole in a few weeks as she is quite busy at the moment. I'd like to see about what range this armour can withstand arrows and bolts from.

Jean,

Poly has two main issues. Synthetic batting is much more fluffy and airy compared to using real cotton, wool or left over natural fabrics. I have used those three types of fill and found them to be very good at absorbing impact, breathing and in some cases penetration. The synthetic does not breath super so it is a factor for sure but breathing issues are majorly affected by your lining and foundation as well, using natural or synthetic. Most synthetic battings are not nearly as good for defensive qualities either. They just do not have the density usually. With mixes that are that high I suppose they might work but I'd have to feel it. if you can basically push it down greatly likely not foing to stop much impact. I think at one point we came across a similar mix but I cannot remember how I felt about it. They also are much fluffier making them look thicker when it is an illusion.

RPM

Jean,

Well I'd say with that much wool it likely will be fine but do let us know. Much of the padding fill and fabric is something I think you get used to by feel. Good luck with the padded armour.

RPM

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heres some info that jamesb wrote up on jacks: http://www.historiclife.com/pdf/KASF2008/Jacks.pdf


my jack is home made. its 24 layers of 7+ oz linen and then quilted. it used to be very stiff, but has softened up a lot over the years. i think you can make your own jack. it just takes some time. its not hard :)

we tested it a few years ago with some 70 lb bows with bodkins at 20 yards. it didn't go threw the front so I would have been safe (maybe a broken rib) but fairly safe hehehe. now mind you at 20 yards i seriously doubt in times of war someone would still be using a bow ;) but we wanted to get close and try it out.

heres some pics after the shooting. the first pic shows the bodkin looking like its in a lot, well thats cause the last shot someone fired made the jack fall off the haybail and land on the arrow (the arrow was vertically stuck in the ground and it still did not penetrate all of the layers)

http://www.replications.com/greys/Image%20Gal...GP1816.jpg
http://www.replications.com/greys/Image%20Gal...GP1818.jpg
http://www.replications.com/greys/Image%20Gal...GP1819.jpg