Football pants

[dennis grace]

>Yeah, figured I'd just sew more pockets and put plates where they're
>lacking. I just don't know the layout of an average pair of football pants
>-- pads only on the upper thighs? Pads front & back? Shins? Are their
>different pad layouts for various football positions? (do I want linebacker
>pants, etc?) As you can probably gather, I can't remember the last time I
>watched a football game ...

The only problem with this pants-of-plates variant on the old Wisby coat is
the same problem that occurs in some splint legs.  If the splints are too
far apart, you get shmack marks between the splints.  If they're too close
together and the material holding the splints is too soft (like, oh, say,
football pants) a blow landing across any two splints will leave hell's own
armor bite.
>
>>You just need to make sure your knee wings are fluted in a way that wraps
>>close to your leg.
>
>Hmm, here's another point for discussion -- How small of a knee wing can you
>safely get away with? I'd like to minimize my knee wings & wrap the edges w.
>tubing so they won't cut thru my bracae.

Hmmmm.  I like the tubing idea, but it might add a bit of bulk to the wing.
You might consider having a reputable and skilled armorer make a pair of
deeply fluted wings (I would think 3" would be sufficient to keep
accidentally low blows from engaging the backs of your knees) and roll the
edges.  Bracae of a stout cloth like trigger or sailcloth, reinforced with
an extra layer around the outside of each knee (to accomodate the wings) and
over the patella (to accomodate occasionally fighting from your knees),
should hold up fairly well.

Yours in eService

Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace
Dennis G. Grace
Assistant Instructor
Postmodern Medievalist
Division of Rhetoric and Composition
University of Texas
___________________

Baro, metetz en guatge                    |  Lords, pawn your castles,
Chastels e vilas e ciutatz                |  your towns and cities.
Enanz qu'usquecs no'us guerreiatz         |  Before you're beat to the draw,
                                                    draw your swords.

                   -- Bertran de Born (a really fun Viscount)