http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/ any good were also very expensive, and much too long of a timeframe. With the deadline fast approaching, I took matters into my own hands. Guided by the trusty Armour Archive and with my employer's gracious donation of scrap sheet metal and the use of the shop, the matter was accomplished in a rough trice.
Total time is estimated at 55 hours, 40 of which was spent shaping and riveting the plates. It was with much prayer that these were made. I thank God, father of Jesus the Christ, for the skill He has lent me.]]> en-us Gallery 2 RSS Module, version 1.1.0 Sat, 25 May 2013 14:26:40 -0500 120 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/d/2604-4/Gauntlets.jpg http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/ http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletMotorcycle.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletMotorcycle.jpg.html
Solid stainless steel plate mail gauntlets make sweet motorcycle gloves! However, they are less comfortable than my normal gloves, and harder to don and doff. I'm also told they may a liability in a crash, due to their weight. No test data on that front (fortunately).
Several years after completion, these things are still around. I've done some maintenance on the internal bindings, but overall they have proven quite durable. If you'd like a pair of your own, let me know on my commission page.]]> photo Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:02:11 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletFinished03.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletFinished03.jpg.html
Ideally, I would be weilding a sword at this point. Ideally there would be something to weild a sword at. When a sword and plate gauntlets are combined, the set bonuses require slaughter. That is a risk I can not, in good concience, take.]]> photo Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:49:00 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletFinished02.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletFinished02.jpg.html
At this point I am really glad that the gauntlets are finished. You can see the individual articulation at work here in these useful hand gestures.]]> photo Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:49:00 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletFinished01.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletFinished01.jpg.html
The only picture of the finished gauntlets not on my hands. What can I say...]]> photo Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:49:00 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail01.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail01.jpg.html
The razor eyed observer can espy under the index finger, the leather which holds the whole gauntlet together. These strips were riveted to the plates, and then sewn to the gloves. The aforementioned observer may also note that the leather seems too thick. Next time, I'll use something a bit more flexible, and less cramp inducing.]]> photo Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:49:00 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail02.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail02.jpg.html
Yes that's right! If you make your own plate gauntlets, you too can manually display the number three in both safety and ease!]]> photo Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:49:00 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail03.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail03.jpg.html
This wrist gave me the most trouble of the whole project. In the original design there was only one wrist plate (bah!). Added to the thick leather strips and rivets, plus an under-estimation in the size of the bell (the part at the arm end), the extra plates made the wrist section un-navigable by my hand. Expanding the bell, re-working the wrist plates, and some improvised brass staples seem to have solved the problem.

Or have they?]]> photo Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:49:00 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail04.jpg.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletDetail04.jpg.html
ooo, shiny!
The cupped individual fingers protects against sword blows resulting in mashing. If the plates were only along the back of the fingers (as seen in most cinematic armor), combat would result in the gauntlets becoming armored salsa bags. As it is, the inverted 'U' crossection transfers the energy from the armor straight thru to the hilt, leaving your fingers un-crushed to continue the fight!]]> photo Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:56:15 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletKnuckleplate.JPG.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletKnuckleplate.JPG.html
This is the back side of the knuckle plate. You can see it's pretty beat up already, and I haven't even used it yet! This piece was formed (like much of the gauntlet) mostly with a ball-peen hammer and a chisel on a block of wood.]]> photo Fri, 18 May 2007 01:51:48 -0500 http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletHandplate.JPG.html http://www.peripheralarbor.com/gallery/v/Projects/Gauntlets/GauntletHandplate.JPG.html
Here is the back of the hand plate. This is about what all the pieces looked like untill I buffed them out.]]> photo Fri, 18 May 2007 01:51:48 -0500