Thigh Armor

[Juggernaut]

How hard would it be to make upper leg / * / crotch armor that bound to the legs, rather than hung from the waist? I don't like the idea of swinging armor. I want something that will strap in tight and not move around when I am moving.

I also picture a thick armored belt with a large circular low hanging piece of leather attached in the front, that has a metal decorative disc or something riveted to it, to cover the balls. This would cover the area from beneath the torso armor, but above the thigh plates. This is not easy to describe.

Idea #1:
What if your fighting pants were unarmored from the knee down, so you could get them in your boots and wrap your greaves around them, but the upper area had leather plates riveted to them? You could never wash them I guess and the rivets would scrape your legs. What if the upper area was some sort of "pair of armored shorts" that you strapped on and could take off?


Idea #2 This seems very doable in armor grade leather. Main straps are around the thighs with smaller straps that hook to the belt to keep it from slipping.


This is what I don't want the * part to look like.


Idea #2 cont.I like this because it has separate plates for the upper hip area. Lots of open spots though.


Maybe go this route for the * coverage or to fill in spots where large plates won't let you move very well.


A Belt like this, but without the hanging **** under the cool rams head crotch protector buckle thing


I'm throwing some pictures up because I see pieces of how it could come together and I am having trouble explaining what I am thinking.

Thoughts?

[Slagar]

Thigh armor like you're describing is very common in the SCA. My legs are just like that, in plastic. I've seen steel and boiled leather versions of the same. If you google around, and maybe hunt through the patterns section of the Armor Archive, you'll probably find patterns to make exactly thigh armor like what you're after.

As for belt stuff, the term for armor hanging the way you're describing is a 'tasset'. Google around, see what comes up. I can't think of how to do crotch-only tassets that wouldn't look goofy, but I'm sure someone else already has.

[Lione]

http://www.armourarchive.org/patterns/l ... hC_sinric/
This is similar to what Slagar mentioned for SCA armor. Obviously metal knees are a no go for Bel but this same patter could be redone in leather.

A simpler way would be to make it out of splint, so a piece of cloth or thinner leather with hardened leather strips on it, this would be so it can form to your leg better.

Also something to note is that it will still probably need to have a belt feature or else it will fall down.

[Arrakis]

You're talking about plate cuisses for the thighs and a codpiece for the groin. Look at historical armor; lurk the Armor Archive. You will find things to suit your needs.

[Juggernaut]

I understand what thigh armor and codpiece belts are. What interests me is a belegarth adaptation that takes into consideration coverage, mobility, style...etc. Basically, I was hoping a smith would pipe up and say, " yeah, I've made those. Here are the pros, cons, costs, things to consider...etc."

[Sieglatan]

I made a set of those for Dyre after seeing the Kurgan wearing it in his fight with Ramirez-





I made them brig-style, but too narrowly- for them to work, your thigh has to be free to slide up and down in them- otherwise, they bunch up and suck.