"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."
                -- Marcus Aurelius

Author Topic: Suspending a Leg Harness  (Read 52026 times)

Ian

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 2,994
Suspending a Leg Harness
« on: 2014-08-14, 23:43:25 »
Leg Harness suspension should be comfortable!  Since this is sometimes a hard concept to explain I just made a video instead.

The first video explains the principle and theory of comfortable suspension:

 

The second video focuses on historically defensible ways to do it in the late 14th and early 15th century.


« Last Edit: 2015-08-17, 16:27:31 by Ian »
My YouTube Channel - Knyght Errant
My Pinterest

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

Sir Ulrich

  • Squire of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,177
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #1 on: 2014-08-15, 03:08:20 »
Looks like I may have to try the waist belt idea for my chausses though that will require some crafting. Good video though, now I realize you don't have to lace the pourpoint ALL the way up now, that will make things a lot easier for my chausses now.

Sir Rodney

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,118
  • Inquit Corvus
    • The Mercenary Company Nevermore
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #2 on: 2014-08-15, 03:57:55 »
Thanks for posting the informative video.  A short vid is worth a thousand (or more) words.

I learned three main points (pun intended):

I don’t have to spiral lace my pourpoint all the way up.   :)
You’re much thinner than I.   ;)
I need to get off my butt and make a properly patterned arming coat that looks & performs half as well as yours!    :o
"Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." - Roger the Shrubber

Ian

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 2,994
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #3 on: 2014-08-15, 11:59:40 »
For a full arming doublet you should lace it all the way up.  I just didn't bother to lace that vest up in the video to further emphasize the point that it's not actively contributing to the suspension of the legs if and only if the garment fits tight enough at the waist and hips. 

Theoretically, if you wear one of those vests, you can literally cut the shoulder seams completely and it should still function 100%.  The shoulders don't do anything, but I guess it would look weird if you just had a little mini-corset on to suspend your legs :)  The upper half of a full arming doublet does serve a purpose though and needs to be laced.
My YouTube Channel - Knyght Errant
My Pinterest

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

Sir Patrick

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,647
  • Nex pro inhonesto, Deus pro totus.
    • The Order of the Marshal
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #4 on: 2014-08-15, 12:59:38 »
Great vid!  Thanks for sharing!
Gules, a chevron argent between three cinquefoils ermine.
"Better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand as a lamb."
Knight, Order of the Marshal

Sir Edward

  • Forum Admin
  • Commander of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 9,340
  • Verum et Honorem.
    • ed.toton.org
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #5 on: 2014-08-15, 13:31:08 »

I have this scheduled to go up on the Order's FB page at noon.
Sir Ed T. Toton III
Knight Commander, Order of the Marshal

( Personal Site | My Facebook )

Sir Wolf

  • He Who is Not to be Named
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,389
  • i have too many hats
    • man e faces
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #6 on: 2014-08-15, 21:12:10 »
i got bored. no boobies in this video ;)

Ian

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 2,994
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #7 on: 2014-08-15, 23:16:05 »
i got bored. no boobies in this video ;)

Maybe I could get a goat to run around in the background of my next video
My YouTube Channel - Knyght Errant
My Pinterest

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

Sir Wolf

  • He Who is Not to be Named
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,389
  • i have too many hats
    • man e faces
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #8 on: 2014-08-16, 00:37:52 »
you had me at goat

Lord Dane

  • The Hound, Hunter, and Hammer of Justice
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,900
  • Selflessness, Service, Justice.
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #9 on: 2014-08-16, 14:27:45 »
Very helpful, Sir Ian. :) Now I just need someone to help get dressed day in & out. LOL
Maybe I'll start a new program ... squire-4-hire.com.
"Fides, Honos, Prudentia, Sapiencia" (Faith, Honor, Prudence, Wisdom)
"Fiat justitia ruat caelum" (Let justice be done)

Don Jorge

  • Learning is living...
  • Yeoman of the Order
  • Forum Follower
  • **
  • Posts: 480
  • He who fears death is already dead...
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #10 on: 2014-08-16, 21:17:40 »
i got bored. no boobies in this video ;)
+1

Sir Rodney

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,118
  • Inquit Corvus
    • The Mercenary Company Nevermore
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #11 on: 2014-08-18, 02:53:27 »
i got bored. no boobies in this video ;)

The sad fact of the matter is that I read this post as "I got bored, no newbies in this video".   :-[
"Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." - Roger the Shrubber

Sir Douglas

  • Artificer of Stuff and Things
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 815
  • In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram.
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #12 on: 2014-08-18, 03:15:47 »
i got bored. no boobies in this video ;)
Here's a really nice pair I found just for you! ;)






So on a more serious note: Ian, have you found that spiral lacing makes a difference? I know that was the period method, so the point is probably moot, but I was wondering if there were any advantages to spiral lacing over something like a modern cross lacing.
Per pale azure and argent, an eagle displayed per pale argent and sable, armed and langued or.

So a Norman, a Saxon, and a Viking walk into England....

Eva de Carduus Weald

  • Forum Member
  • **
  • Posts: 86
  • In service and honor
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #13 on: 2014-08-18, 14:00:16 »
How do you spiral lace? (insert newb post)

Ian

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 2,994
Re: Suspending a Leg Harness
« Reply #14 on: 2014-08-18, 14:06:55 »
So on a more serious note: Ian, have you found that spiral lacing makes a difference? I know that was the period method, so the point is probably moot, but I was wondering if there were any advantages to spiral lacing over something like a modern cross lacing.

Doug, I find that spiral lacing is easier, because it just requires one lace.  Or if you do cross lace with one really long lace, you don't have to worry about making sure anything's even when spiral lacing.  I also find that spiral lacing allows me to achieve the desired fit and tightness at each section of the garment.  I'm a little more in control of tightness when compared to cross lacing, which is just evenly tight the whole way.  It also may be a figment of my imagination but I don't  notice spiral laced garments backing off over time.  And finally, and possibly most importantly in this endeavor is that it is of course the historically correct way to do it.  Virtually all examples of front closing garments on effigies and in artwork are spiral laced.  There are a few exceptions, but they're exceedingly rare.

How do you spiral lace? (insert newb post)

Eva, spiral lacing requires that the lacing eyelets be sewn in an offset pattern.  So unlike modern lacing where the opposing eyelets are directly across from each other, eyelets on a garment intended for spiral lacing are staggered.  It is the appropriate lacing method for most historical garments up to the 18th century.  The first and last eyelets are little different (there doubled up), you can see the difference here (this is in order to start the proper pattern).  The reason for the half-spaced eyelets on the first and last set is to ensure you can start the spiral pattern and at the same time keep the garment from shifting and making the edges unaligned:



And here's the accompanying tutorial on the proper method of hole placement and how to lace the garment:
http://www.festiveattyre.com/p/the-zen-of-spiral-lacing.html
« Last Edit: 2014-08-18, 14:11:32 by Ian »
My YouTube Channel - Knyght Errant
My Pinterest

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum