[Thomas R-W]

I'm looking for a gambeson with elbow length sleeves and reaches almost to the knees and has a split at the front for leg movement. I've looked around but cannot seem to find one that fits all that and if it does it usually is too generous in the appendage room for it to properly be worn under a shirt of mail. If anyone could help me and refer me to a place I could buy one it would be greatly appreciated.

[Shahril Dzulkifli]

A gambeson with elbow-length sleeves? I am not sure where to find that nowadays.

[Paul Ballantyne]

I have two Gambesons currently being made by Debbie lough from paddedarmour.com. She is based in the UK but she is highly recommended by other people .

You can custom what you want.

[Mark Goble]

Have you tried www.matuls.pl? They have a good variety so may have why you need, or Spes Medieval market?
I have a matuls arming doublet and it is very good quality.
If you want bespoke then padded armour company is good.

[Mart Shearer]

You could always wear it over the mail.

The cut of the gambeson should follow the fashion of the time. What time period is your portrayal?

[Edward Lee]

Do you mean like this?
http://www.steel-mastery.com/en/padded-armour...iv-century

[Thomas R-W]

[Mart Shearer]

Unfortunately we don't have any written accounts for such padding until the second half of the 12th century. I can't offer much in the way of suggesting a form for a gambeson that early without evidence they used them.

[Thomas R-W]

[Edward Lee]

http://www.armoryworld.com/gambesons/short-sleeved-gambeson

That's about the best price you can get for actual padded gambeson.

[Thomas R-W]

[Mark Griffin]

these guys are helpful and will make whatever.

http://www.gambeson.pl/

Always make sure you tell the maker what you are using it for though. Most re-enactment gambesons are waaaaay too thick and cumbersome for my liking.

[Thomas R-W]

[Collin D]

Is this for history/reenactment or sport/combat? If the former Mart is right, gambesons aren't appropriate given current evidence, but a nice thick wool tunic does a surprising amount to make maille more comfortable. If it's for combat of some sort, how good are you at sewing/do you have a machine or the time to handsew? Earlier style (without complex patterns or fitted forms) gambesons aren't a whole lot harder to sew than any other clothing (though they do take quite a bit longer), and the materials can be pretty inexpensive, depending on how modern you're willing it to be.

[Thomas R-W]

[Baard H]

Norwegian ranks during the "Viking Age":

Konge (king)
pre-conquest: roughly the same rank as Jarl.
post-conquest: ruler of Norway

Jarl (earl)
pre-conquest: independent rulers of great areas of land.
post-conquest: rulers of great areas of land paying homage to the King.

Lendmenn (baron)
post-conquest: rulers of smaller areas of land.

Bonde (farmer)
head of his family and servants/thralls, may own other farms settled by freedmen

Freedmen
former slave or son of one. Owns only his own small farm or is a tenant of the farmer, retains limited rights under the law.

Trell (thrall)
unfree person.



And yes, if you want a proper gambeson that works as it should and looks the part you should probably save up (100£ or equivalent is almost give-away compared to its quality) and start reenacting the 12th century or later.

[Thomas R-W]