Gothic Arm Armor

(About): An Elegant Integrated Solution for Modern Roleplayers and Re-Enactors

Our Gothic Arm Armor is an excellent all-in-one pair of armor pieces designed to provide rugged defense from the upper arm to the wrist. In the medieval era, an armored knight would have had an attendant squire in his retinue who would aid him in donning and doffing his armor. This meant that armor did not need to be ergonomically designed to be put on by one person – and by the dawn of the 1400s, complex, multi-part armor systems had developed that had to be fitted together sequentially and painstakingly. Our Gothic Arm Armor combines an articulated, composite arm defense into one easily worn piece – for the roleplayer or re-enactor on the move.

The Right Steel for the Job

The expert armorers at famed Danish LARP artisans Epic Armoury have forged the Gothic Arm Armor from 18-gauge mild steel. This is a highly historically-authentic material: by the early Renaissance era, good-quality steel was being made in the new blast furnaces springing up all over Europe, which were frequently powered by water wheels. Plate armor from this time, around 1400 CE, was surprisingly light, often being around 20-gauge – 18-gauge (0.9mm – 1.2mm) in thickness. Armorers had to carefully balance their armor: if it was too thin, it would provide little protection and its articulations would dent and lock up under the strike of a longsword; too thick, and it would be heavy and exhausting to wear, sapping its wearer of the ability to fight before long. Judging by surviving historical armor, 20 – 18-gauge was a common compromise. Tournament armor was generally thicker, at around 16-gauge, because it was not worn for extended life-and-death struggles, and could err on the side of offering greater protection. Therefore, our selection of 18-gauge mild steel for our Gothic Arm Armor is just right: it is both light and wearable, and thoroughly robust enough to stand up to the knocks and scrapes of re-enactment and roleplay. Mild steel is, however, not stainless – in order to keep your Gothic Arm Armor in perfect condition, we recommend keeping it dry at all times, and adding a coat of light machine oil before storage.

The Gothic Arm Armor In Detail

At heart, our Gothic Arm Armor is a three-part construction, comprising of a forearm vambrace, a shaped elbow couter, and a half-rerebrace to protect the upper arm. Up close, it is an extremely fine piece of armor that’ll fit in perfectly with your plate armor ensemble. The vambrace is made from two parts, hinged to allow it to close fully around the forearm. The couter (elbow defense) is a carefully shaped flared design that allows for the full range of movement whilst protecting the inside of the elbow. The half-rerebrace is generous to allow it to be donned comfortably. They are sold as a matched pair for left and right.

The Gothic Arm Armor has been designed with the roleplayer and re-enactor in mind, and it includes plenty of features that make it a highly wearable arm protector. All of its steel edges have been rolled – this means that they are touch-safe, and won’t snag on clothing or catch on other armor. It also makes the steel pieces more robust against impacts and edge damage. The steel sections have been hand-riveted at joins, resulting in excellent stability. The Gothic Arm Armor is held on by three high-quality top-grain leather straps: one at the rerebrace, one at the couter, and one securing the vambrace. These are all robust, fitted with chunky antiqued buckles designed to keep the armor firmly in place during strenuous activity, and are all riveted to the steel plates. Each strap is individually adjustable, and so can give an excellent fit to a wide range of body types. As well, our Gothic Arm Armor is designed to work in concert with other armor pieces as part of a harness of plate – we have carefully curated an excellent selection of Germanic Gothic armor, and we recommend pairing it with our gorgeous Gothic Leg Armor. It can be worn over our Chainmail Hauberk, and it also has eyelets for pointing at the upper edge of the rerebrace, so that pauldrons can be tied down to it.

In all, our Gothic Arm Armor is an excellent shortcut to portraying a late-medieval warrior, without the need for a host of squires! It’d be a fantastic means of adding protection to a faithful depiction of an early 15th century footsoldier, or you could use it as part of a fantasy roleplay outfit: perhaps as a depiction of a palace guard or a valiant knight. It’ll be protecting your arms for many moons to come!

Technical Specifications:

• • Material: 18-gauge mild steel
  • Secondary material: Top-grain leather

• Sizing:
  
  Forearm Width: 6.5 Inches
  Upper Arm Width: 13 Inches
  Overall Length: 17 Inches