I agree with everything you say. I'm new to HEMA but have almost 20 years of SCA heavy armoured fighting under my belt. Ascetically I hate jackets that are waist length. I prefer 3/4 jackets. Safety. I've been looking for HEMA jacket that covers my kidneys, waist and hips when my arms are raised, such as von tag or och. Thanks for this review.
Love your work! We ran with your previous idea using the apron and landscape edging! We’ve sewn together a harness and a tabard that are both completely plated the same way you did your apron. We’ve dubbed them our poor man brigandine. A light rapier jacket or mail under solves the armpit issues and these things have completely replaced our SPES gambesons!
ventilation for the pits is something missing from most fencing gambesons and would be a great addition as that a major source of heat and sweat. Nothing major is needed as protection there is super important due to major blood vessels but a few meshed hole rivets or covered slits would do the trick as the arms movent would pump air thru tho i'm not sure how or if it negatively would impact protection. I also feel that the focus is to high on soft armor i guess there is a stigma for hard armor as it invokes LARP/reenactment vibes but the focus on drawing from Olympic fencing is holding the sport back as nothing beats plate for distributing blunt force over a wide area so as light padding as possible with plate is the best wight to protection ratio you are gonna get without heatstroke. There is a reason it was used and with modern composites the wight can be brought down even further. Helmets are another point as olympic fencing masks are way to focused in frontal protection and vision with very little in the way of concussive force protection so the design itself lacks the design elements required for free form fighting with heavy weapons with strikes from odd angles. You can work around it and ad covers and padding but it puts you in the same spot as the gambeson of turning into a heat box. Without the gear to match the fighting you risk the fighting being shaped and limited by the gear.
Best I've seen so far for my needs, though wish they would extend the plastic strips around the forearms as well - all my hits that hurt are either top of forearm or ribs.
Well based on your design, the cat, the beer and the garden; you have sold me. Getting clarity from Superior Fencing now for what "measurement A" should be, as their guide doesn't really reflect this design. Consider doing a follow-up with the production model? Love from down under where hopefully I won't perish in the hotter months wearing this :). I'll tell you how it goes in Queensland once I have it.
Thoughts on mitigating thrust risk of penetrating between the plastic-slat protected bits? (It isnt me just being picky; ofc penetration of made-safe steel tips can and does happen e.g. competitive high-force tournament bouts) ... .but gotta say overall an excellent development, thanks for pushing this. (I especially like the skirt bit, nice silhouette).
Hello, I recently started HEMA and have been looking at various HEMA jackets. I found two that I find particularly appealing: the DMZ Silverback jacket and the Supfen Claymore jacket. Since you have experience with both, which one would you recommend? Thank you in advance.
i've been doing longsword HEMA for nearly 8 years now, and competing, and I don't understand this notion of being covered in armor. Over time, i keep getting lighter and lighter with my jackets. I don't even wear forearms anymore - just the long glove cuff, because they used to interfere with my wrist movement. I'd say 95% of the times that I get hit is on the head or hands - and the hand ones are Overwhelmingly on my right thumb / index finger area. Yeah I get hit everywhere else but hardly ever, and I can only recall getting hit in the knee 1 time and it was very light. I understand the puncture resistance bit, but hard armor? not for blossfechten
It would be unwise to assume all other practitioners only get hit in the same places as you, or would suffer the same levels ofcphysical discomfort or injuries that you have. Cracked bones or severe bruising will affect life outside of your martial art, sometimes disastrously so. Better to have protection and not need it, than need it, but not have it.
I wonder if it'd be a good base for harness fencing. Trying to do a Gallowglass or Highland sort of kit so need something strong to go with the mail that was the major armor of the highlanders.
I always wondered if anyone has considered using SAPI plates as a basis for HEMA armor. That way you could remove the plates and wash the garment directly.
.....seems great unless they fail, SAPI distribute force via shattering, can't really be repaired and broken bit might puncture clothing. Though high rating plates would probably not ever break, given then rated to stop battle rifle rounds.
SAPI plates are relatively heavy and only cover small, vital areas. Perhaps some Ali express plates would work and be light enough to protect the sternum, but what about all of the rest? I still have plates from my time in, and you can feel the difference when you load them in to a plate carrier.
