Thinking of buying this combination.

[Sir Brian]

I am seriously considering on getting this combination gorget, pauldrons, and Besagews.
http://www.medieval-fightclub.com/images/neck-and-shoulders.jpg
This looks like a pretty sweet deal...even though it's coming all the way from the land
down under! 

The only thing is I'm not sure of the validity of gorgets for the mid-14th century
- the timeframe for my kit -
Also according to one dubious reference, besagews had stopped being used by 1350. 
http://www.chronique.com/Library/Glossaries/glossary-AA/arms_b.htm

What do you all think?

[Sir Wolf]

it is nice. but period it is not. at least for 12th/13th/14th and even 15th. the gorget looks somewhat 16th, but its missing the neck. the spaulders look nothing like I've seen before.

[Sir Brian]

Ah well than I'm glad I posted this question before buying. 
I would like to add some more bits to my kit and I've been thinking of a gorget but I
only found IIRC a short reference about the king of France purchasing some 3000 gorgets
for a war in the early 1300's in the book Medieval Warfare: A History, so I'm not
even sure when precisely a gorget was used.

If gorgets were used in my kit's timeline, would they more likely to be a leather or
Brigandine type? Something like these perhaps?
http://www.fantasy-armor.com/cat.php?cat=4
http://www.albion-swords.com/armor/mercenary/gorget-14thc.htm

[Sir Wolf]

not sure so i asked on the armour archive. i should have some info in a day or so for u

[Sir Brian]

Thanks! Very kind of you! 

EDIT:

I did some additional searching and found this:
http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=8147&highlight=gorget

The OP of the thread listed several examples of gorgets but I can only assume they
were not as finished plate like in the 15th century.

[Sir Edward]

I think a lot of it will have to do with what part of the century you eventually want to stick to, and perhaps even the region of Europe as well. The 14th C saw a lot of change, transitioning out of the mail + great/sugarloaf helm and into plate armor. I look forward to seeing what Wolf turns up.

The plate gorget+pauldrons set you pointed out looks similar in style to some of the stuff made by "Highland Anvil" (or something like that), who is an armorer who showed up as a temporary vendor for one or two weekends at MDRF for the last season or two. His stuff is not very authentic, but pretty affordable. Lightweight too... something like 20 gauge.

[Sir Wolf]

ok. so far i've gotten a few answers.  i have seen padded cloth that looks like the top of a aketon (what you wear under armour, what most of us thought was a gambeson). there is also 2 images i have. one from Spain and one from Italy. The one from Italy has a brig mantle (base) like these: http://www.windrosearmoury.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_7&products_id=69 and http://www.windrosearmoury.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_7&products_id=228 but a different collar. the collar is a metal one that sticks up as high as the jaw line. it fully incompasses the neck area.  The Spanish verson you can only see the metal neck area not the mantle part.

so i would say a brig gorget like the ones posted should be ok for the early 14thc (1314s etc) and the way it looks it is worn over the mail coif and you can not see the coif's mantle due to it is under a coat of plates.

so many variations during this time frame. i love history ehhehe

[Sir Brian]

Thank you Sir Wolf! I pretty much decided on going for a 1320~1360 timeframe. Depending
on which helm I wear. I decided to go with this gorget.
http://www.albion-swords.com/armor/mercenary/gorget-14thc.htm

which I think is right in that time frame I'm shooting for...besides I just HAVE to
have the matching greaves and bracers! 

Thanks for all the help!
 

[Sir Edward]

Excellent choice! I've heard good things about Mercenary's Tailor... and heck, they're with Albion.

[Sir Wolf]

don't forget then, you need one of these :  http://www.hoashantverk.se/hantverk/hoas_rustningar/index.html

[Sir Brian]

Although that would certainly be authentic for the timeframe of my kit, I sure wouldn't want to
walk around the renfairs with all that extra weight! 

[Sir Edward]

I'd love to get one with aluminum plates... or relatively thin steel so it's not too heavy.

Someday.

[Sir Wolf]

hehehe hey ed, when ya coming up? hehehhe

i have some thin metal and alum the thin metal is galvinized so it won't rust too. hehehehe

got the patterns of a couple of different styles already done up too.

Sir Brian if theres something you like that you can't find out there or in a light enough guage etc, let me know ok? maybe we can work something out.

[Sir Brian]

That’s very kind of you to offer Sir Wolf. I may eventually decide to make that addition to my kit, but I
was considering of perhaps sewing the brigandine directly to the inside of my surcoat. There is
a picture of a sleeping German knight in one of my books that plainly shows the outlines of small
plates which are apparently sewed directly to the inside of his surcoat. Of course I don't think
I have the courage to mess with my new and expensive surcoat, maybe I will have to experiment
with on my older surcoat, No worries on the plates though…I work in a ship yard so I have LOTS
of resources at my disposal!

Do you have a link to a fairly simple pattern by chance?

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, I guess we need to get together and do some armor work. Heh   I guess it wouldn't be hard, with the right pattern for the plates... then just a smaller inner-surcoat that they get stitched into, right?