Gauntlets and maintenance

[Harri Ohra-aho]

Besides being cumbersome and annoying, gauntlets are also really prone to break down. At least the Armour Online gauntlets get busted just after a few bouts, mainly due the leather(like) finger parts being shredded to pieces. In the charity tournament I saw some pretty impressive Army of the Dead style worn-down gauntlets, so it can't be an isolated problem.

So if anyone has some insight on these issues, please share:
- What kind of rivets can you use to fix the finger plates onto the leather parts? In some cases also the bigger rivets on the back of the hand break down.
- Has someone tried replacing the leather parts with something more space-agey? I was thinking about a split piece of garden hose or something to that effect. Might be too stiff, though.
- Glueing probably is the most popular way to fix gloves inside the gauntlets. Any other innovations?

It's always difficult to answer when someone asks about what hand protection they could buy. Gauntlets are not easy to recommend, since the price vs durability ratio is so bad.

[Ilkka Hartikainen]

Hi!

Gauntlets are, IMO, the absolute best hand protection available for our purposes - not the least because they also teach one to handle the weapon in armor, which is something no other protective equipment does.

The best fix for gauntlets is of course not to get hit in the hands, but mastering that skill may require a few pairs of dented gauntlets.

To fix detached scales you need to be able to make rivets, and have the necessary tools for that. Perhaps some more handy can offer more detailed advice on this.

As for attaching the gloves, the normal solution is to stitch the finger-ends to the glove and glue the fingers up to the second joint from fingertips. Some gauntlets also have leather straps around the fingers, but glue and stitching should be adequate.

Yours,
Ilkka

[Harri Ohra-aho]

(04-20-2009 08:01 PM)Ilkka Hartikainen Wrote:  The best fix for gauntlets is of course not to get hit in the hands, but mastering that skill may require a few pairs of dented gauntlets.

For me, most of the gauntlet damage has occurred in grappling. With all those quillons and whatnot abound, something inevitably is going to get tangled in some of the palm or finger loop and rip stuff to shreds.

Well, all the more reason not to let every other encounter degenerate into a wrestling match. I just wish all the non-metal parts weren't made of wet tissue, like they usually seem to be.

Harri

[Ilkka Hartikainen]

I guess for me personally it is also that I really like gauntlets, so I couldn't think of replacing them with anything.

But we could look into the design of the 3bros gauntlets, compare them to Fabri Armorum gauntlets (which seem to last longer) and see we can suggest an improvement on the design.


Yours,
Ilkka

[Guy Windsor]

I use normal 2-part leather-working rivets for reattaching detached scales; no need to make them when they are easily bought. I have a ton of them if anyone needs some.
I think the main problem Harri is referring to is actually the quality of the leather; the first batch of these gauntlets had good, solid leather; the latest batch has thiner stuff. I'll mention that at least to the supplier for the next batch.
Gloves should be glued (I use contact adhesive) and stitched at the fingertips.
A lot of the gauntlets in use were borrowed from the spare kit box, so not a representative sample.

yours
GW

[Harri Ohra-aho]

Thanks. Yes, the leather is the real problem. I haven't at least yet had any metal bits fly off. The leather just tears really easily at the rivet points.

My gauntlets actually aren't bought from the school, but sounds like they're the later weak variant.

Harri

[Joni K.]

How thick do you suggest the gauntlets to be storng enough for training? Would 1,5mm steel be enough or does it have to be even 2mm?

- Joni

[Guy Windsor]

The thickness required depends a great deal on the type of steel used and how it's been treated. We need a decent armourer to answer this one in more detail...

Yours
GW

[Risto Rautiainen]

I'm not really a decent armourer, but having talked to some of the guys at WSKRY I believe that when using mild steel (steel that doesn't have enough carbon to harden) 1,2mm should be thick enough for finger lames and 1,5mm for the metacarpal and cuffs. When using hardened steel you can easily go thinner. You ain't gonna go through any steel with blunt swords, but those thicknesses should keep the steel from denting provided it has been properly formed.

[Pauli Vennervirta]

Just found these from Swordforum. Could these be an alternative to steel gauntlets? They are only available in medium size. Paul Wagner sayes:

"Mine are good for everything up to and including steel sparring"

http://www.windrosearmoury.com/zc/index....3be17a7e58