Miscellaneous > The Market Square

Wisby Gauntlets from SPQR

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Sir Brian:
UPDATE:
These were a bit cruder than expected, which wouldn’t be so bad if the overall quality was better but it really wasn’t.
When I received it the left gauntlet’s buckle strap had come off in shipping and there was some advanced rust formed on several of the fingers on both gauntlets. The edge of the cuff plates haven’t been finished off and are generally a hazard, also the leather of the cuffs were seriously thicker than necessary and needlessly compromises the mobility of the wrists. The attached gloves were woefully thin and oddly made for fitting only someone with short and stubby fingers.

After a single use the palm strap broke on the left gauntlet and I noticed the leather backing of the metacarpal plate is now split near the edge of the plate.

So essentially I may have saved a couple hundred bucks but I’ll have to spend a few weeks salvaging these ‘gauntlets by keeping the fingers and stitching them directly onto the new medium weight deerskin falconry gauntlets. I’ll probably do the same with the thumb and metacarpal plates and then combine it with my renfaire leather half-gauntlets instead of keeping the original cuff.

In hindsight I would have probably saved myself a lot of extra work if I just purchased a kit from the beginning but my misfortune can at least forewarn the next buyer. :(

Ian:
I'm very sorry it turned out that way.  What a shame.  They looked so promising in the photos!  Before the whole situation with Brian Price blew up I had ordered a pair of his hourglass gauntlets and very much feel the way you're feeling right now when I actually got them in my hand.  In the future, I would either get a kit for those Wisbys or go custom and you won't regret it.

Sir Wolf:
man that sucks. bring them to the ren faire in md and i'll take a look (or take pics!!!!! or said probelm areas) and i'll see if i can fix them for you if i have the material at no charge.

Allan Senefelder:
Brian, I don't know how involved you want to get in the rehab, but detaching the cuffs ( and keeping the wrist plates in sequence ) would provide you with a template to use/sketch for a thinner leather replacement complete with the necessary hole locations for plate attachment and reattachment of the cuffs to the articulating potion of the hand/glove.

Sir Brian:

--- Quote from: Sir Wolf on 2013-09-19, 16:27:51 ---man that sucks. bring them to the ren faire in md and i'll take a look (or take pics!!!!! or said probelm areas) and i'll see if i can fix them for you if i have the material at no charge.
--- End quote ---

That is very kind of you Sir Wolf but I couldn’t deny myself the joy and challenge of making some effective alterations. Still if I totally hose it up I might take you up on that offer but be warned I already invested in a stitching awl and synthetic sinew last night! ;)


--- Quote from: Allan Senefelder on 2013-09-19, 17:17:39 ---Brian, I don't know how involved you want to get in the rehab, but detaching the cuffs ( and keeping the wrist plates in sequence ) would provide you with a template to use/sketch for a thinner leather replacement complete with the necessary hole locations for plate attachment and reattachment of the cuffs to the articulating potion of the hand/glove.

--- End quote ---

Thanks Allan! I considered that but one aspect I learned about Wisby style gauntlets in the short time I fought with them is that particular style of cuff is REALLY restrictive on wrist movement and thus impedes proper handling of a longsword as Sir Edward can attest when we discussed it last Sunday. It also explains why the bell cuff became predominant. – So all in all it is kind of a cool history lesson except instead of paying for a $600.00 history course book I never use I spent $400 on a historical ‘dead-end’ I MIGHT be able to bastardize and get some use out of! ;)

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