How do you hang your legs?

Tod · Post by **Tod** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:42 pm

I just got some rather nice leg armour and wonder what different methods people use to attach it.
Obviously it has straps to go round the legs and points to hold it to a belt or some thing.
What some thing do you use?

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:47 pm

er an arming doublet

simple really

stephen wootten · Post by **stephen wootten** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:06 pm

braces or arming doublett, found braces was easyist to make, fix and adjust on the fly. but doublett was the aufentic way.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:15 pm

I've got two buckled loops on each of my legs, which I thread a thick belt through, then do up the belt as tight as I can over my hips (that's directly on the bones, not above them) and it's pretty comfy. If you put the belt higher than your hips (i.e. at your waist), the weight of the legs makes the belt dig into your hips which is pretty uncomfortable almost immediately.

Marcus Woodhouse · Post by **Marcus Woodhouse** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:32 pm

I too do this.

Adam R · Post by **Adam R** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:38 pm

A couple of options for you from our clan - doublet and 'super-braces'!

The doublet wouldn't mind a leather reinforce like a belt sewing to the inside to stop the front pulling down - but that's because I have a rather thin doublet compared to many.

m0rt · Post by **m0rt** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:24 pm

If you go for the braces method, I would advise crossing the straps, so that the weight hangs on the opposite shoulder, this way, when you step, the lower shoulder (ie the one with the leg that is on the ground) takes the weigth of the raised leg.

Have seen a good few people us this method and they dont complain like some people who only use belts do!

Laffin Jon Terris · Post by **Laffin Jon Terris** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:50 pm

It also stops your straps from trying to slide off your shoulder!

I have tried both methods and have to say that the points onto a doublet are by far the most comfortable method for me!

Steve lunn · Post by **Steve lunn** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:52 am

I initially pointed my legs to my arming doublet, but found that if i bent over the poleyns would shift, so i've been using arming hose for my legs instead and found everything to work perfectly since then

Fox · Post by **Fox** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:04 am

I just point them to a belt.

I've not yet found the need for braces. I suppose it depends whether you're one of these skinny, @rse-less people. [you're not, by the way]

Fox · Post by **Fox** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:06 am

Tod wrote:I just got some rather nice leg armour

Hold on a second. What are you doing with leg armour, archer boy?

Phil the Grips · Post by **Phil the Grips** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:56 am

Quite legit for archers to have leg armour, especially if they are household or mounted archers (using early draggoon type tactics)- I really dislike this " Iam an archer so I shall be a scruffy get wearing an arsewipe for a shirt and manky hose" when they were on a par with, and sometimes greater than, the rest of the common troops on a field in terms of kit,pay etc.

Disclaimer- this is not me justifying trading the leg harness for some very fine shoes- though I think I got the better deal

Type16 · Post by **Type16** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:18 pm

Phil the Grips wrote:Quite legit for archers to have leg armour, especially if they are household or mounted archers (using early draggoon type tactics)- I really dislike this " Iam an archer so I shall be a scruffy get wearing an arsewipe for a shirt and manky hose" when they were on a par with, and sometimes greater than, the rest of the common troops on a field in terms of kit,pay etc.

Disclaimer- this is not me justifying trading the leg harness for some very fine shoes- though I think I got the better deal

Mr. Tod is the 2nd well dressed archer in our group

Fox -- aparently the pale highland skin shows bruises worse than us southerners

Fox · Post by **Fox** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:27 pm

Phil the Grips wrote:Quite legit for archers to have leg armour, especially if they are household or mounted archers (using early draggoon type tactics)- I really dislike this " Iam an archer so I shall be a scruffy get wearing an arsewipe for a shirt and manky hose" when they were on a par with, and sometimes greater than, the rest of the common troops on a field in terms of kit,pay etc.

Agreed, but not the answer I was fishing for.

Marcus Woodhouse · Post by **Marcus Woodhouse** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:42 pm

Mind you Phil, I was wondering where you can buy arsewipe shirts as I'm low on them at the moment.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:09 pm

Fox wrote:Agreed, but not the answer I was fishing for.

He's giving up the stick chucking and joining the dark side of clankiness as you well know.

Tod · Post by **Tod** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:59 am

Fox wrote:I just point them to a belt.

I've not yet found the need for braces. I suppose it depends whether you're one of these skinny, @rse-less people. [you're not, by the way]

The mealy pudding diet and three nights a week at the gym has it's bonus'

Tod · Post by **Tod** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:02 am

Fox wrote:
Tod wrote:I just got some rather nice leg armour
Hold on a second. What are you doing with leg armour, archer boy?

Blame Phil! He made me swap it honestly, you wait till the magic of the dancing shoes kicks in

I've seen some contempory pics of archers with leg armour and I thought well..................................and I don't do ragged *rse stuff, and its good to show the punters. As for going down the full armour route NBW!
By the way still looking for a spitfire to cover all era's, and the griffin says "Hi".

RottenCad · Post by **RottenCad** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:44 pm

Hmmm - do these methods of suspension go for mail leggings / chausses as well?

The trouble with primary pictorial sources is that effigies and woodcuts tend not to show the underthings.

I am aware that "arming hose" have been posited as a solution, but again, is there any real PS evidence for them? I imagine the Conquest chaps have a range of practical solutions, but which can be provenanced?

For my later medieval plate legs I'm currently using the good Mr Fox's solution, at least until I can pry an arming doublet out of my tailor; I know there's been a lot of debate, mainly to the contrary opinion, about the use of belts to suspend weight (rather than a weapon or money purse).

An arming doublet / undershirt of some form makes the most sense in the later period, but were they extant beween (say) 1066 and 1314?

"Raising more questions than he answers"

Cad

Colin Middleton · Post by **Colin Middleton** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:08 pm

I point my cuisse to my arming doublet, which I'm interpreting to mean a well made doublet, possibly with some padding and/or reinforcing on it. In theory, if it fits well enough, you should have no problems there, and it can simply be worn when the harness is removed, unlike the belt & braces approach.

As for earlier periods, the doublet as we know it only appears in the 14th C, but I am told that early doublets were known in some accounts as aketons. This is a name that in the early 13th C tended to be applied to a padded garment worn under mail. There MAY be an implication there that the mail chassuers pointed to the aketon in some way. Or there may not. I'd be interested to hear of any experiments on that basis.

hys grace · Post by **hys grace** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:32 pm

HAVE TRIED MANY VARIANTS FOR HARNESS HAVE FOUND THE BEST ONE THAT WORKS FOR ME IS ATTACHED VIA STRAPS OFF THE INSIDE OF ARMING DOUBLET

stephen wootten · Post by **stephen wootten** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:09 pm

have also added a shoulder leather gorgett for hanging my bl**dy heavy italian pauldrons off and as an added bonus it add a bit of light armour at the gap in between the top parts of my back and breast plates.

ive also added holes in the gorget so it stops the leg braces from moving any where apart from where its supposed to be.

and as an added bonus im now laceing my maile skirt to it for quickness and ease of arming up.
steve

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:18 pm

Mike

to hang chasseus you need a stout belt and two leather uner knee belts

we belt chassues to belt and belt onto person other belts tighten under knees takes some of the weight

Your arming doublet will be at Swash debs assures me from her death bed she ahs th N virus so iams tanding too with mop and bucket

stephen wootten · Post by **stephen wootten** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:20 pm

thats soooo descriptive of level of ilness, hope your all better soon.

steve

Colin Middleton · Post by **Colin Middleton** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:38 pm

Best wishes to Debs. Get well soon.

My arming skirt just ties (or in this case belts) round my waist, no fuss at all. I have stitched leather re-inforces to the shoulders of my arming doublet to help stop the pauldrons from pulling them about.

Tod · Post by **Tod** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:19 pm

I've decided that as I wear my pourpoint under my jack I'll point my legs to that that via leather straps. I'll then reenforce my pourpoint if it stretches too much , which I doubt it will. Should I put "blanket" under the legs. Or to put it another way between my hose and the metal?

Fox · Post by **Fox** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:23 pm

Tod wrote:Should I put "blanket" under the legs. Or to put it another way between my hose and the metal?

I don't; I just own a pair of "fighting hose" and expect to patch them regulalry, and replace them every or every other season.

Some people like to go as far as quilted padding underneath, but I don't see the need for it.

Since they weren't made specifically for you, I guess it depends how close a fit they are.

Glorfindle · Post by **Glorfindle** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:31 pm

Fox wrote:
Tod wrote:Should I put "blanket" under the legs. Or to put it another way between my hose and the metal?
I don't; I just own a pair of "fighting hose" and expect to patch them regulalry, and replace them every or every other season.

Same here, the hose don't get too damages anyway from the tin, they just get really grimy (At least that's what I've found) and I know a few people that have countered that by simply painting the insides of there armour.

wulfenganck · Post by **wulfenganck** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:52 am

stephen wootten wrote:braces or arming doublett, found braces was easyist to make, fix and adjust on the fly. but doublett was the aufentic way.

Hi,
I'm really interested in this, could you give me your source for the mentioned authentic way?
Until now I have not yet seen or read a reliable prime source where the leg armour was attached. For the moment I attach the legs to my arming doublet, although I think that attaching them to the pourpoint instead of the arming doublet may be a good solution as well.
I'd be glad to have a reference, thanks in advance!

Colin Middleton · Post by **Colin Middleton** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:36 pm

What's the difference between a pourpoint and an arming doublet. Surely as they're both to hold your hosen up, you should wear one or the other?

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