Okay okay, I lift my shield too much.

Tomorrow: Impressions!

I'm very interested in getting back to a pair of vambraces that look more like these, which are one set back.

I stopped using them because they didn't fit quite right. They weren't protective enough around the points of the elbow, especially on the inside. So I made the ones I have now.

Sadly, these are not as pretty, especially now that they have aged and darkened. I really like the light yellowish tan color that I get from using Fiebing's  yellow, but it just does not stay that color over time. It gets darker and darker as it absorbs sweat. For example, here is my current gorget when new.

It currently looks almost black. This reminds me that I also need to make a new gorget. And, while I'm at it, I might as well make it all match and do up a new pair of gaiters. The current ones are still perfectly serviceable, which is amazing since I'm damn certain they were made around 1994, if not earlier. I recall the original motivation for making them was that Kyle had a tendency to hit low when we practiced back at Holliday Elementary!

Here they are at Thorbrandr's coronation, 1994, looking very new.
Time to design! And get into the shop.

One of my other problems with the pretty vambraces is that the octofoil washers seen here were painted gold, not brass, so they scuffed and then rusted. They also had the alarming tendency, if hit just right, to bend up, presenting my opponents with a nice little steel cutting edge. Bad.

So if anyone knows of a reasonable source for pretty, durable brass or bronze stud decorations please let me know. This more or less leaves out every SCA merchant source, because a buck or two each is not reasonable. I probably need 60 of them, if I'm going to use them on my gorget, half gauntlet, gauntlet cuffs, vambraces and gaiters.

I can't vouch for ANYTHING in this thread on the Armour Archive, but from the pictures, these shoes look very nice, and you can't beat the price with a new piece of rattan.

Some of them look sturdy enough to fight in. Not the ones pictured here though.