armingCoat.pdf

Constructing a Heavy-List Gambeson

Tips and Techniques

Lady Magdalena von Regensburg

mka Marla Berry

marla@whitemountainarmoury.com

July 16, 2005

An Historic Overview

“Mail is tough but flexible; it resists a cutting sword-stroke but

needs a padded or quilted undergarment as a shock absorber against

a heavy blow.” 1

Maciejowski Bible (circa 1250) show aketons or gambesons. “These

terms seem to have been interchangeable but the weight of evidence

suggests that ‘aketon’ refers to garments worn under the mail while

gambesons were worn over or instead of it...The gambeson is often

referred to in contemporary accounts as being worn by the common

soldiery and, indeed, is part of the equipment required by the Assize

of Arms of 1185 of Edward I of England.” 3

From “Jonathan and his Armor-

bearer Attack the Philistines,”

from the Maciejowski Bible,

circa 1250.

Extant examples from the fourteenth century include the

pourpoint of Charles de Blois (d. 1364) and the late

fourteenth century jupon of Charles VI. Fifteenth century

documents mention arming doublets and padded jacks.

These garments were worn under maille, over maille, under

plate, over plate, or on their own. Some were designed to

encase maille or plate. “Infantry, as laid down in the Assize

of Arms of 1182, often wore one of two types of gambeson.

One type was a sleeveless garment with a stiff collar and

stiffened arm openings; the other was a plain quilted garment

reaching the knee, with full-length sleeves.” Some had

Jupon of Charles VI, late fourteenth

century.

Fabric Choices

“[Late Sassanian] infantry’s Karadia were to be made of coarse silk padded with

cotton as thick as may be stitched.” 5

The English Great Wardrobe Accounts detail the use of linen, cotton wool (2.3 lbs.) silk thread,

and linen thread for the construction of an aketon (1343-4) to be covered with fustian and

enclosing a coat of mail or plate. When wearing a gambeson you are essentially wearing a quilt.

Quilted garments were part of soldiers’ kits in varying forms and

with varying names throughout most of the SCA timeline. As early

as the late Roman/early Byzantine period there is documentation for

quilted or padded coats called Zabai or Kabadia. Illuminations from

padded collars, some dags, some integral mittens and they

were seen quilted in a variety of ways. Their styling often

followed the fashion of the day, especially in the later middle

ages.

Smart fabric choices can help make the garment more comfortable in warm weather.

I recommend that your gambeson be lined in linen. Cotton and

linen are both very absorbent, but linen is also a good heat

conductor aiding in keeping the body cool. I use 100% cotton

batting for the padding.

For the exterior fabric of the gambeson, I favor linen for the same

reason I use it as a lining. Cotton would also be a good choice.

There are some 100% cotton home decorator fabrics that work

well and create some stunning garments. Avoid poly/cotton

blends.

Tomb effigy of Walther von

Hohenklingen (d. 1386)

If using linen, be sure to choose an appropriate weight. A

midweight linen will work fine as a lining material. Try to use a

heavy- or canvas-weight linen for the exterior.

http://www.fabrics-store.com usually has a nice variety of linen at

a fair price—and you can search by weight. Lightweight and

handkerchief weight linen should not be used for your gambeson.

It simply will not hold up like a heavier weight.

Always pre-wash, and if appropriate, dry your fabric. I do not pre-wash my batting, but pre-wash

and dry all linen, cotton, and wools I work with. Remember to wash your completed garment

often! Chemicals in sweat will rot the fabric over time. Washing it regularly will greatly extend

the life of your coat. Hang it dry if you’re worried about shrinkage. Don’t leave your sweaty

gambeson in your armour bag until your next event!

You’ll need anywhere for 3–4 yards each of fabric and lining fabric for your gambeson

depending on width of the fabric and the size of the fighter. A queen-size quilt batting works

well, but you might be able to squeak by with a full.

Patterns

A gambeson pattern need not be

complex. In illuminations, early

gambesons appear to relatively

untailored garments. In fact, you can

start with your favorite tunic pattern

or even a t-tunic pattern. With some

slight adjustments, you will have a

fine working pattern for your

gambeson.

The following page will outline how

to modify a t-tunic pattern to work as a front tying gambeson. For making your pattern, most

fabric stores sell a product called PatternEase. It’s usually stored with the interfacings, and is a

very easy material to work with when creating and adjusting your patterns.

Assault on a castle (fifteenth century).

Always test your pattern first using inexpensive fabric. When testing the fit, there are a few

things to look for:

•

The collar should be snug to the neck without binding to help pad the gorget comfortably;

•

The shoulder seam should be at the shoulder point. If it extends beyond the point it will

constrict overhead arm movement;

•

The armseye (armhole) should be big enough for comfort, but not extend too far beyond

the armpit;

•

The body should fit comfortably without being too large—especially if the garment is to

be worn under maille, lamellar, or plate armour. Too much extra fabric can cause

uncomfortable bunching;

•

Sleeves should cover the wrist bone, but not extend past as it can make it difficult to get

your gauntlets on properly.

If you are wearing any armour underneath your coat, be sure to wear it while testing the fit. Make

any necessary adjustments to your pattern and construct another test out of inexpensive fabric

until the fit seems right. It seems like a bother, but a couple of test garments takes a lot less time

and frustration than completing your quilted coat and finding it doesn’t fit.

Construction

Once you have your finished pattern, it’s time to cut out your fabric and begin quilting. There are

different schools of thought regarding quilting. Some folks quilt their fabric before cutting. I find

the fabric unwieldy when doing this, and I can’t add extra padding over key areas of the pattern.

Some folks construct the body of their garment and lining first, then quilt the garment to the

lining. I don’t care for this approach as the fabric will shrink and misshape a bit when it’s quilted,

and I don’t have the experience to work these changes into my pattern. What I prefer is to

overcut the fabric, lining and batting pieces by about 1 inch on all sides, then quilt each pattern

piece together, recut each piece to the pattern after quilting, and then assemble my pieces into a

finished garment.

Step-by-step, start by overcutting your fabric, lining fabric and one layer of quilt batting for each

pattern piece.

Add a second layer of batting:

•

over the shoulders

•

in the collar (for stiffness)

•

over the hips

•

over the biceps

•

over the forearms (leave one layer in the elbow for mobility)

One layer may not sound like much over the torso, but most fighters are wearing some sort of

rigid protection over their torso, so the extra padding here doesn’t make sense. More padding can

afford more protection, but also makes a stiffer, hotter garment. Find the right balance of

protection and flexibility that works for you.

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