Thick Leather Armor

Okay, so basically I am looking to buy a nice set of thick leather armor (10oz I believe is think enough for 2 point armor). I'd want something that would cover the torso, shoulders, and upper leg regions. It would need to be quiet and black.

Any suggestions of people to talk to or reasonable sites to look at would be great. I know something like this won't be cheep and I want something that's going to last several seasons. Thanks for any help! :)

incidentally, would the following pieces of armor provide enough coverage to get points for the upper leg?

http://www.schmitthenner.com/images/SCH3048c.jpg

http://www.schmitthenner.com/IMG_2693a.jpg
 
I've mostly avoided heavy leather for armor due to the cost constraints, since well-made leather tends to go for as much as basic plate. Let me roll my armoring bookmarks for treasure, and see if I can come up with anything.
 
I'm looking at something like the following, with the molded pauldrons, its about $305 total ($80 for the pauldrons + the chest).

http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/Ov ... -5010.html

is this a fair price or over priced? The aesthetic difference between heavy leather and metal are what I care about for my character.
 
From what I have found on the internet (including Ebay) it's a fair price but I wouldn't pay it. That's about $100 worth of leather, $20 worth of hardware, $10 worth of dye and 5-10 hours of work. The molded pauldrons are a bit trickey if you've never done any leather shaping before but the rest of it is rather simple.

Of course, I've been making armor for over 15 years. ;)
 
Dreamingfurther said:
Okay, so basically I am looking to buy a nice set of thick leather armor (10oz I believe is think enough for 2 point armor). I'd want something that would cover the torso, shoulders, and upper leg regions. It would need to be quiet and black.

Any suggestions of people to talk to or reasonable sites to look at would be great. I know something like this won't be cheep and I want something that's going to last several seasons. Thanks for any help! :)

incidentally, would the following pieces of armor provide enough coverage to get points for the upper leg?

http://www.schmitthenner.com/images/SCH3048c.jpg

http://www.schmitthenner.com/IMG_2693a.jpg

Depends on how much of your leg the tassets cover. I can't answer that without seeing it on you (or at least on model).
 
The problem with tassets is that they are not meant to be a main armor, they were added to breastplates (I've never seen period tassets on a belt as is common nowadays) to fill the gap between the breastplate and the cuisse (thigh armor). Most armor that had tassets also had faulds, which replaced the chain "skirt" (or shirt) that usually covered the area below the breastplate to the top of the thigh. Tassets also flop around a lot. I personally find them very annoying.

If you want full thigh coverage, you would probably be better off getting actual cuisses. Or if you are not wearing lower leg armor, a nice pair of greaves are much less annoying and can look very cool. They're also probably less expensive than cuisses and more comfortable, as your shins don't move and flex as much as your thighs.

Keep in mind when buying/making armor that basing it on historical armor can make it more practical and comfortable. It was worn by professional soldiers who were in their armor for hours, days and weeks at a time and so developed stuff that worked well. Fantasy armor you see in movies wasn't meant for long periods of use, it was meant to look nice on screen. Armor in paintings and illustrations is even worse, as it doesn't have to follow any laws of physics or human motion.

Another issue is that they worked out in their armor all the time and got used to wearing it. Just wearing armor one or two weekends a month doesn't really get you in "armor shape". This also has to be kept in mind when buying/making armor. And you don't have to worry about this yet Dave, but getting older takes its toll too. I've taken to wearing less armor as the years go by.

Scott
 
Looking at their website, you may want to see if they could make their ranger chausses with no knee cops, as the protection value will be the same with or without them.

Scott
 
I personally like the cops for those unexpected fast dives, but then I don't exactly have the best knees ever given to man. :)
 
Wraith said:
I personally like the cops for those unexpected fast dives, but then I don't exactly have the best knees ever given to man. :)

That's a good point. And leather cops will likely be pretty light. You might want to put some padding in the cops if you plan on kneeling on them a lot.

Scott
 
Thanks for the advice! Yea I like the ranger chausses, but the knee caps are annoying so that's a good idea. I was thinking about those over grieves just because I haven't had the best luck with grieves staying where I want them, and running to issues with boots. But either way they are probably a better idea than the tassets.
 
Does anyone else have a comment on Cuisses vs. Grieves when picking to use one or the other? I'm wondering which is easier to move fast in and just wear around all the time. Thanks!
 
I'll chime in as another person who's started wearing less armor as he got older.

Grieves > Cuisse - period.

In 16+ years, I can count the times I've run into a brand/table/post/etc at thigh level on one hand. One hand that's been through a woodchipper.
I have run into things and banged my shins at least a dozen times. Probably more.
 
Greaves tend to be less of a hassle since all you have to do is strap them to your lower leg like a boot. Cuisses require to be attached to a belt around your waist. If the cuisse is made to fit your body, neither one has any real advantage over movement but if you're buying 'off the rack', a cuisse that is just an inch too long or too wide can cause some armor biting to happen - and sometimes in the most sensitive of places. :)

However,a greave usually only covers 1/2 of the lower leg (the front half) and, if technically looked at, covers even less than that (doesn't cover the sides of the leg either). Meanwhile a cuisse covers just about the entire upper leg due to the wrap around.
 
Flyaway Bird said:
I bet you Mike (Drenten) could make those or something similar. I'd drop him a line.

Mike made me my armor in about 2 weeks, and it came out great. Dont know if you ever saw my armor, but im sure uve seen his and he does most of his own work. I highly recommend you get in contact with him. Im sure it be easier than the ebay hunt...
 
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