A quick question on pointing and layers... -- myArmoury.com

Josh Skaarup

Heya folks,

I was hoping someone could help me out here, I'm just trying to visualize how something armor related would work, mostly out of my own curiosity, for drawing, and potentially for future projects. Anywho, on to the query.

With regards to a c. 14th century harness, something transitional, I was wondering how one attaches/points their arms to the arming coat/gambeson if a hauberk/byrnie is worn?

Allow me to clarify a bit. Your legs are already on the pourpoint, and your gambeson/arming coat is on now. There are points to attach rerebrace, couter etc.. but say you wish to wear a hauberk overtop? Do you pull the points through the links in the mail and point it like that? Or say if they're only elbow-length mail sleeves, do you point on your arms, then wear the mail overtop? If its the former (points thru coat) then does this cause binding/bulking issues?

Which then brings me to spaulders/pauldrons/espaliers. Should they be pointed, do you also bring them up through the hauberk to tie, or would you now be forced to buckle them to a gorget (which seems a good method, but I have to wonder if mobility is reduced at all)

I'm sure there's a very simple explanation for this, but of all the sites/instructions I happen to find on the subject, they tend to gloss it over, or don't show the harness with hauberk, or use something different, like a mail-gusseted arming coat.

If my questions seemed a little convoluted, I'd be happy to clarify.

Thanks in advance!

Chuck Russell · Posted: Sun 25 Apr, 2010 6:00 pm Post subject:

depends on the harness. i have seen where the rerebracer is pointed to the arming doublet and the hauberk is 1/2 sleeved and goes over the top of it. then the spaulders are pointed threw the mail. but then again I've seen the arm all as 1 piece and pointed threw the mail and the mail is completely underneath.

Dan Mackison · Posted: Mon 26 Apr, 2010 2:10 pm Post subject:

Does this help?

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/sho...300900g001

David Teague · Posted: Mon 26 Apr, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject:

Josh Skaarup · Posted: Wed 28 Apr, 2010 6:08 pm Post subject:

Why yes, that helps clarify superbly. Thanks guys. Really dig your harness there David, when I can get some more disposable income coming my way, that's sort of the angle I'd like to go for.