Gambesons from MATULS

[Joshua Santana]

What Joshua said.  It is much easier to deal with if you are more used to it.  I'm considering doing my walks with a hauberk on just to get used to the weight of it again.  I typically wear it around the house for extended periods...or rather, I used to.  I've gotten very lazy these last couple of years.

Correct, the same idea applies for wearing kits for physical conditioning.

It's just maille I wear and it's the wings that flap around that make it uncomfortable to wear, make it feel excessively heavy. For the plate it's borrowed SCA combat plate I got at the medieval club that isnt even mine to begin with, doesnt fit me at all cause I am thinner than average. I need custom plate no matter what.

Yeah I would wear mine more often if I could get it on without assistance. I literally need 2 people to help hold it up so I can squirm my way into it. Still havent figured out how to get it on without assistance.

Have you tried to lay the bottom of the hauberk on the ground first, then grab the hauberk by the end and push head first then shake it around until you feel it on the shoulders then the arms go last?  That should do it. 

Concerning plate armor, yes get custom made but also work out when you can.  That can make the difference.

[Sir James A]

Yeah I would wear mine more often if I could get it on without assistance. I literally need 2 people to help hold it up so I can squirm my way into it. Still havent figured out how to get it on without assistance.

Put a long string through a couple rings on the bottom of the hauberk. When you put it on overhead like a shirt, pull down gently on the strings and it will, most of the time, tug loose any snagging rivets. Then just take out the strings once it's on.

[Sir Brian]

I usually roll and bunch up the bottom half like a regular shirt, put my arms all the way through while bending over at the waist then put my head through the neck opening, stand upright and let gravity do the rest with a few vertical hops to get the maille situated correctly. 

[Ian]

I usually roll and bunch up the bottom half like a regular shirt, put my arms all the way through while bending over at the waist then put my head through the neck opening, stand upright and let gravity do the rest with a few vertical hops to get the maille situated correctly. 

Same for my maille. The jumping around at the end looks pretty goofy, but works!  Once my arms are through, then I put my head through, then jump up and down like an idiot and the body tube falls in to place.

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, I'm having to learn these tricks now too. I'm so used to my butted aluminum, which just slides right on with almost no resistance.

[Sir William]

Aluminum will spoil you, Sir Edward...and I have cause to know as I have a butted aluminum hauberk that is a dream to slide on!  Like the rest, putting on a steel hauberk requires some acrobatics...it would appear our forebears did the same, judging by some of the period artwork I've seen where knights were bent in half as they pulled on hauberks.

Ulrich, you will want to practice putting it on by yourself- keep at it til you can do it by yourself.  Normally, knights had squires to assist with the armoring but we don't, so we must learn to make do.

[Joshua Santana]

Put a long string through a couple rings on the bottom of the hauberk. When you put it on overhead like a shirt, pull down gently on the strings and it will, most of the time, tug loose any snagging rivets. Then just take out the strings once it's on.

I usually roll and bunch up the bottom half like a regular shirt, put my arms all the way through while bending over at the waist then put my head through the neck opening, stand upright and let gravity do the rest with a few vertical hops to get the maille situated correctly.

Same for my maille. The jumping around at the end looks pretty goofy, but works!  Once my arms are through, then I put my head through, then jump up and down like an idiot and the body tube falls in to place.

Same for my maille. The jumping around at the end looks pretty goofy, but works!  Once my arms are through, then I put my head through, then jump up and down like an idiot and the body tube falls in to place.

judging by some of the period artwork I've seen where knights were bent in half as they pulled on hauberks.

Ulrich, you will want to practice putting it on by yourself- keep at it til you can do it by yourself.  Normally, knights had squires to assist with the armoring but we don't, so we must learn to make do.

Practice makes progress or perfect Sir Ulrich.  You will get the hang of it. 

[Sir Ulrich]

Guess I should practice getting my hauberk on and off then, I've only worn it 2 times so it's practically brand new still apart from me removing some of the damaged rings to replace them. I think i'll start that tomorrow cause I am going to a faire this weekend. Only issue is the long hair which can get tangled in it rather easily, though that padded coif I have from MRL works well with keeping the maille off my hair, only issue is it's tan and I dont like my stuff being all dirty from the maille. Guess i'll dye it black afterward.
Do have one question, should I put my coif on first or my hauberk on over the coif? I dont want the thing flapping around so I think putting the coif on first then the hauberk would work.

[Sir Edward]

For the hair, I find it helps to always put on the padded arming cap (and fold my hair under to it's all contained) before putting on the mail, even if I plan to let my hair down afterward. From a fellow long-haired guy, I highly recommend this.

You can wear the coif either way, over or under the hauberk. Both are period. A lot of knights would wear it under for exactly that reason, to keep it from flapping. If you look early enough in the period, the coifs were often built into the hauberk anyway, and wearing it under the hauberk can simulate this. So it's entirely up to you. But I'm finding that wearing it over the hauberk but under the surcoat pretty much does the same thing.

[Sir Wolf]

put on your arming cap and put on your coif first. it will hid the mantle and look like the hauberk is attached to the coif.

[Joshua Santana]

put on your arming cap and put on your coif first. it will hid the mantle and look like the hauberk is attached to the coif.

For the hair, I find it helps to always put on the padded arming cap (and fold my hair under to it's all contained) before putting on the mail, even if I plan to let my hair down afterward. From a fellow long-haired guy, I highly recommend this.

Keep the hair out of the mail is the point here.  I also want to mention that an arming cap also helps with the helmet fitting especially dealing with liners.

[Sir William]

You can wear the coif either way, over or under the hauberk. Both are period. A lot of knights would wear it under for exactly that reason, to keep it from flapping. If you look early enough in the period, the coifs were often built into the hauberk anyway, and wearing it under the hauberk can simulate this. So it's entirely up to you. But I'm finding that wearing it over the hauberk but under the surcoat pretty much does the same thing.

For my riveted hauberk, I have a butted coif- I typically wear the coif over top of the hauberk but under the surcoat - for my Templar impression this works well as they wore hauberks w/integrated coifs for the most part.  Now that I have that setup in butted aluminum, I'm most likely going to get rid of the butted steel coif and end up with a riveted one to match the hauberk eventually.  If you have long hair, tie it up in your arming cap first, then pull the hauberk on- it'll slide a lot smoother over your head- and believe it or not, a knight's arming cap would've gotten a lot dirtier, from sweat and blood while on campaign as well as pulling oiled steel off and on repeatedly.

I used to wear the same gear to every Faire for a whole season...I stopped doing it because I don't particularly like smelling gamey as the season wore on.  lol

[Joshua Santana]

For my riveted hauberk, I have a butted coif- I typically wear the coif over top of the hauberk but under the surcoat - for my Templar impression this works well as they wore hauberks w/integrated coifs for the most part.  Now that I have that setup in butted aluminum, I'm most likely going to get rid of the butted steel coif and end up with a riveted one to match the hauberk eventually.  If you have long hair, tie it up in your arming cap first, then pull the hauberk on- it'll slide a lot smoother over your head- and believe it or not, a knight's arming cap would've gotten a lot dirtier, from sweat and blood while on campaign as well as pulling oiled steel off and on repeatedly.

Yep, keep these points in mind Sir Ulrich, they will help you.

[Sir Ulrich]

Only problem is my coif and hauberk dont match so it would look a bit odd. but I still am wearing it under the hauberk as I have no surcoat that fits me at the moment. Need to resize the templar one I currently have but I have been unable to find a tailor for it. Going to that faire this weekend so it's a bit too late to resize it right now, but the weather is supposed to be good for the medieval faire so it doesnt matter really. Prolly gonna wear my hauberk with my new shield a coif and kettle helm. Hopefully the coif will fit under the kettle helm. I'll take some pics when I go it down tomorrow.

[Joshua Santana]

Only problem is my coif and hauberk dont match so it would look a bit odd. but I still am wearing it under the hauberk as I have no surcoat that fits me at the moment. Need to resize the templar one I currently have but I have been unable to find a tailor for it. Going to that faire this weekend so it's a bit too late to resize it right now, but the weather is supposed to be good for the medieval faire so it doesnt matter really. Prolly gonna wear my hauberk with my new shield a coif and kettle helm. Hopefully the coif will fit under the kettle helm. I'll take some pics when I go it down tomorrow.

That is good, good luck and make sure that the coif, arming cap, helm and surcoat fit.