New Gambeson maybe?

[Sir Ulrich]

Well I kinda have a problem, I found out the maille hauberk I ordered is 40 inches long, which goes down to my knees, not much of a problem really except for the fact my gambeson only goes down 30 inches, and considering I'm ordering quality chausses and braies from historical enterprises, which I plan to keep my maille oiled to prevent it from rusting. Problem is I don't want to get my clothing (apart from the gambeson) dirty with the oil from the maille. Should I just add leg flaps to my maille? Or order padded chausses to supplant my shorter gambeson's lack of leg flaps. Or just buy a new gambeson WITH leg flaps. What do you guys think? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

[Thorsteinn]

Go for the full ubangie! Get a new gambeseon. It'll be a good excuse for a new piece of kit.

[Sir Ulrich]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Though my chest size is a bit on the small size (34 inch) But I think I could suffice with a 40 inch chest gambeson. I was considering the GDFB ones till I saw a thread on the armor archive that said they have a strange odor. Don't want to stink when I go to a faire. Whats most important to me is that if its black and works. Don't like white all too much due to it showing dirt much easier than black.

[Sir Brian]

Sorry Sir Ulrich but that one sentence:
“Don't want to stink when I go to a faire” nearly had me choking on my morning coffee! Wearing a gambeson under armor during warm summer months is the epitome of “stink”! 

Does your Hauberk have a slit in the front and back? If not then with it being so long you might want add them just so you can sit comfortably or shorten it to be more like a haubergeon. As for gambesons the ones that KOA is offering now seem very reasonable and stylish although I would probably change out the big cloth buttons on the sleeves because of my vambraces. 
http://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AB3252&name=Archer+Gambeson+%2D+Black

[Sir Wolf]

you really need to stop worrying about getting dirty. hehe you really wont die hehehe. I've worn mild steel mail now for 15 years and haven't gotten that dirty. my arming coat gets it but that's about it. and if you do get dirt, things wash or you have a set of arming clothes and a set of pretty clothes.

what about just adding on to your existing gambeson? have you tried the current gamb and hauberk together? how doe sit look? if the hauberk goes to the knees you will need a front and rear split so how does that look? cause if you have a split in the hauberk you prob will need a split in the gamb if it's that long.
PICTURES MAN PICTURES! hehehhe

[Sir Ulrich]

Thats how long my gambeson is as you can see it lacks thigh flaps (which I could add maybe? Just need fabric to do it). The maille I ordered was Icefalcon stuff so it has the split in the middle from what I know.
This is the thread where I read that they stunk (and no not a little bit of BO or whatever, like rotting FLESH stink due to decomposing leather) http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=131833&
I actually saw this place http://www.forgeofsvan.com/en/vmchk/Gambesons/View-all-products.html that sells gambesons as well as padded chausses. Been considering it but maybe I'll do that afterward, they come in my colors too (red and black). Can't seem to find any american based companies that offer padded causses in my size ><

[Sir Wolf]

do what i did. the GDFB padded chausis were too large for me too. i cut off the leather back parts and sewed them together so they fit.

[Sir Matthew]

I think I would go with padded chausses myself. In the end, it's your kit so go with what is most comfortable for you and what you can afford. I prefer to have seperate armor clothing that I don't mind getting dirty and then my "courtly" or gentleman's clothing that I want to keep nice and clean. Most of my reenacting kit is rarely washed to get that worn in CPH look that the unit I do most of my work with likes. It also makes me feel more "authentic", but my wife tells me I'm odd like that 

[Sir James A]

I agree with padded chausses. Is shortening the hauberk to gambeson length an option? A better question might be is there a specific period you're shooting for, and would a hauberk or haubergeon be more suitable? Shortening the mail is easy, and takes all of 5 minutes to clip a line of rings off. Then, you have leftover patches if you want to make mail sabatons or something, too.

[Sir William]

Sir Ulrich, I know what you mean.  I ended up trimming my current hauberk and adding my own split at the front and back- trimmed the sleeves and the bottom hem, as it were.  Made a huge difference and shed some of the weight.  As for the dirt and stink well, it would be period-accurate...just putting that out there. 

I make it a point not to wash my arming clothes or surcoats until after Faire season's over...as time goes on I get the look (and smell) of a knight on campaign, with each successive showing I'm more 'authentic'.  Heh.

[Sir Ulrich]

I could shorten the hauberk, Only reason I got a hauberk instead of a haubergeon was I wanted long sleeves and tailoring sleeves to taper is a pain. Thats the problem with American sold maille, plenty of European outfitters give more options and in America we don't get much of a choice. I saw long sleeved maille sold without thigh flaps on this one German site. In any case I'm going for padded chausses, just need to find someone who can tailor them to fit me.

[Sir William]

If you need a tailor for fitment, I suggest going to your local dry cleaners...they usually have a seamstress on the premises (the better ones do) - bring in the chausses and have a trial fitting there so they can make their marks for alteration- I don't think it'll cost too much, either.

As for trimming the hauberk, I wouldn't- unless it is just too uncomfortable at its present length.  You can also create your own split - I laid my hauberk flat and just snipped the rings front side and backside while flat.  That way the split is directly centered when you're wearing the maille.  Just an idea.

[Sir Ulrich]

Yeah I may do that, find a tailor and tailor both my surcoat and the padded chausses I get. Once I get more money that is...

The hauberk I have I think is already split, so that shouldn't be much of a problem. I'll know that once it arrives, which I been waiting for months already >_> I'm more concerned about the thigh flaps being too long, of course that could easily be solved and I'll recycle the maille that I cut off to make my maille sabatons, which I plan to wear over my boots, once I have the money I am going to buy these http://www.merctailor.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=48 instead of chausses because I am doing the late 13th century early 14th century, but I think knee cops are more important. I got hit in the knee with a fake mace which really hurt more than anything, but I think the GDFB  padded chausses have a knee cops included, if thats sufficient enough I don't know but it's what I need. I'd get the metal ones just cause I'd rather have metal armor instead of leather.