Mail gauntlets

[Guest]

Having foolishly decided to do some more training with steel weapons, and only light leather gloves, I am now sporting a very very sore finger.

So, I have considered making some mail gauntlets.

However, I'm looking at putting together something around the 10th century, and I can find no evidence for fingered mail gloves. Did they actually exist that early?

The closest I can find is a mail mitten on a full sleeved hauberk.

I'm going to have a look in the book on the Battle of Wisby. It's 300 years later than what I want, but he may refer to earlier periods in there as well.

Any historical references would be welcome.

[Colin]

It's been a while, but from my research several years ago you're looking at mail gauntlets coming in at the end of the 13th century. One of the monkish military orders (I think the Templars, but I could be mistaken) admonished how they weren't going to use this invention. It's been years since I looked at it though.

Mail mittens go earlier, but I don't believe they existed in the 10th century. I think they arrive in the 12th century. Not something I put too much research into though. Until the arrival of long sleeves mail armour with integrated mail mittens wouldn't have existed. IMO the lack of hand protection is a reflection of the type of shield, and shield use that was prominent.

I made some mid-13th century kit, and integrated mail mittens in the hauberk were a definite feature These mail mittens worked wonderfully IMHO. I did not figure out how to do the lacing so I could conveniently have hands free though (a defect I never corrected either).

[Anna Cruse]

[Colin]

[Guest]

Interesting. I wonder if making them a bit more like Y front underwear would work. Basically, making the palm from two overlapping pieces of leather.

In the book "Armour from the Battle of Wisby 1361" by Bengt Thordeman it states that:

"...Finally, there have been found one, or possibly two, loose gauntlets of mail. The best preserved of these [] probably for the left hand, gives us a very good idea of construction of the gauntlet. The mail covered the whole outside of the hand, and continued round the wrist in a band from which the thumb grows. The edges round the palm of the gauntlet are made of bronze rings, with traces of leather on them; the palm of the hand had obviously been protected with leather, as is occasionally seen on contemporary effigies, e.g. the relief effigies of the Count Palatine on the Rhine..."

There are photographs of a pile of rust I won't bother posting.

It's a useful description and the earliest extant example of a mail glove I am aware of. I think Mr Thordeman is possibly mistaken as describing the leather as "palm protection". The leather palm is to make it a functioning mitten, without which, it would fall off. Though, I suppose light leather on the palm is a hundred times better than nothing if there is an instance where you must seize a naked blade.

[Anna Cruse]

[Colin]

[Guest]

If you're grabbing your own blade, light leather would probably be just fine.

[Gaius Drustanus]

There is a Plate Armour Mitten Gauntlet from Mycenae dated 1450B.C.E. The Egyptians used heavy gloves to operate the reins of War Chariots as they appear in Tomb Art of charioteers and a pair was found in Tut's Tomb. In his cavalry treatise"On Horsemanship"Xenophon refers to a piece of plate articulated armour called"The Hand", probably similar to later articulated arm guards shown on friezes from Hellenistic Ephesus 200 years after that.
On the Adamklissi Monument Roman legionaries are shown with articulated arm guards as are gladiators from other sites. Greek cataphract plate iron limb armour attached to a scale cuirass has been found in a tomb in Afganistan (Bactria).

[stephan]

hello

i wear chain mittins that are attatched to my hauberk they have a split leather palm i found that the first time i used leather that was to thin then i changed to leather that was a little bit thinner that commen belt thickness and put a split that was the same lenth as my palm
they dont impede my hand gripping the sword at all i find them very comtable

the protection that these offer is about as good as standard leather reactment gloves that most people have
i have taken to wearing woolen fingerless gloves underneath to add a little bit more confort

stephan

[Victorius]

I just made a right-hand mitten with a thick leather glove and 4mm leather laminated strips sewn on, based on a design I saw on Brent and Feral, and some helpful suggestions from Derek of the SCA...It can take quite a hit: I wonder if it would fit under your mail muffler? Next time we meet up try it on and see how it goes.