[Jean Thibodeau]

[William P]

[Henrik Granlid]

Thing is, you don't need it.
More coverage will not do anything to help you, since if a spear actually gets to where the greaves are not protecting at the moment, and you do wear a shinguard, the spear would slide either upwards and straight into your kneecap, or to the side and be forced into the horse.
Neither of which are better than staying on the horse with a gruesome-looking, but not very lethal wound to the shin/calf.

To show you, find your nearest flat surface that you can press the inside of your leg against, an open door is a good example.
You'll notice just how little of your front is actually a target.

Now, picture the stuff you're pressing into is actually a bit maleable.
As well as the "shoulder" part of the horse being in front of you, sticking out an extra inch or two.
Couple this with the horse actually being at the front end.

To GET to that point as an attacker, you will have to stand VERY close to the horse, either right in front of it, or close enough that the swet on the horse wets whatever clothes you are wearing. Even with a calm and peaceful horse, this feels a bit uneasy (unless it's specifically your horse or you are a very horse-y person).
Now add in full gallop.
Armour
Kicks and motion
And the rider on top trying to kill you.

[Boris Bedrosov]

Interesting discussion so far!
Actually I didn't expected these greaves to cause so much controversy.

But as Jean marked, I based them strictly upon historical pieces - just re-scaled them for my own body measurements. That's why I think they are correct - at least as proportions and shape.

[William P]

[Sam Gordon Campbell]

I look forward to seeing this project completed!
I wonder if a new helmet might be in order to go with it?

[Boris Bedrosov]

Unfortunately, I'm not in a mood to work over this project.

Although I've got only minor things to do (except the helmet), I still can't start it up.
But I hope to do so next week.

[Boris Bedrosov]

Recently, this armour was chosen to take part in a temporary museum exhibition, dedicated to the anniversary of the Battle of Varna, 1444.
And doesn't matter if I'm in a mood to work over it or not, I have to finish these minor things left.

Today I started with the bazubands. If you remember, what was left was to was to trim the maile section and to sew it to the padding (page #12).
When this was done, the bazubands were ready and these are some pictures from the final result:

* outside










** closer to the maille sections

[Boris Bedrosov]

Some more pictures:

*closer to the decorations (do you remember them?)




** and inside

[Jean Thibodeau]

Incredibly attractive work and it makes one wonder how one could tolerate the idea of having someone hitting them with a weapon and causing even a small scratch !

But I guess if you where rich enough in period to own armour of this aesthetic quality you could afford to have it repaired or replaced, and looking good on the battlefield was as important as the protection afforded by the armour.

Also congratulations in making reproduction armour for a museum exhibit.

[Boris Bedrosov]

[Boris Bedrosov]

Some pictures of the bazubands on:









Interestingly, I feel the right one just a little bit tighter than the left one. The plates are identical, so the only explanation is a minor difference in the hammer-work.

[Boris Bedrosov]

And pictures with a weapon in hand - although not quite appropriate, that mace was the nearest within reach

[Karl Edgar]

[Boris Bedrosov]

[Boris Bedrosov]

The last minor thing to do was the collar. Many of the historical cuirasses show collars with leather lacing. In such way they are more rigid, stand up (not roll over the shoulders and the back of the warrior), thus offering good defense at such vulnerable area as the neck.

After some training and recounting of different ideas



I decided to make double lacing like this (look at the center of the picture, bottom row)



and this is the result, when the whole collar was laced



Now, I must cut the ends of the laces and the collar is ready.

[Tibor Szebenyi]

There is an other method of making the collar rigid: build in small plates. I made my armour's neck with two rows of plate, and now it works well. I sewed a strip of padded cloth to its inner side.
First I tried with lacing, but it didn't work for me. The collar wasn't rigid enough, it rolled over. When I strained it stronger, it strangled me.

[Boris Bedrosov]

Yeah!
Looks very well, and gives good protection I think.

Although I was familiar with this variant, I've always considered it as "later"; or at least - all dated examples I know, are later than 15th C. I clearly know I might be wrong, but the information I have reveals me this.
That's why I chose the variant with leather laced collar.

[Dan Howard]

The weave on the gauntlets should ideally be rotated 90 degrees. That way the expansion and contraction of the links corresponds to the movement of the fingers.

Apologies for not commenting before all that beautiful work had been done. It is a wonderful project.

IIRC these pics are of the duelling gauntlets in the MET. Notice how the weave changes direction up near the wrist. That way the links can be easily attached to the forearm plates but they can still flex properly down at the fingers.

[Boris Bedrosov]

Wonderful pictures, Dan! Thanks for sharing!!

I didn't know them. Also I understand completely what you mean about the direction of the weave pattern. This really should be better than my way (only in one direction).
Ideally, I should re-work my gauntlets in this way, but I feel very, very reluctant to do the whole work again.