True story- The SCA has elbow armor rules because back when they didn't Kevin Peregrynne had his shield elbow shattered by a rattan sword that broke and flailed around the edge of his shield and hit him.
The foam padding inserts actually help with insulation and make you warmer. Closed cell foam is an excellent insulator. Calling them plates is misleading because they really aren't rigid enough to have plate-like physical properties. They're just more padding.
I love my AP Light after a few padding mods, I've used it for a couple longsword tourneys already. That's even with an imperfect custom tailored fit: the sleeves came out too short and the torso too tight both of which can restrict movement. The fact that I like it despite those problems speaks to the quality.
How did you modify? I'm looking into purchasing the AP Light for longsword just because it gets so dang hot in the summer and outside is often the only place to practice for me, but I'd like the idea to add as needed.
If a jacket shrinks in the wash, i'ts the makers mistake. There are some fabrics that should be pre-washed before being sewed together. Cotton canvas shrinks 15% after the first wash, I lost a medieval shirt to those blasted water shrinkages. NEVERMORE, WATER. NEVERMORE.
I guess you could stick freezer packs in the pockets. They'd keep you cool and provide some protection. Or perhaps get steel plates and put them in the freezer before a match.
I am using it for some months on longsword sparring. My hint is to use a plastic plastron and add plastic plates over the foam. Another option is replace the foam places in torso for some rubber like shoe sole.
Freedom Fighter Do it! You don't need any of this gear to begin. Wooden simulators are great beginners tools, from dagger to one-handed swords (dussack or singlestick), to staff/spear or poleaxe. Passive protections are related to the level of intensity, very controlled and technical sparring can be done with very little gear. Find your niche - from naked wrestling to jousting on horse in armour - and be merry, you can always expand with time.
Materials scientist here. You are spot on with composite defense (padding plus plate). Composite defenses, if stacked properly against each other, provide more resistance to penetration than the sum of their individual parts.
I use the heavy 800N 'Hussar' jacket (which may be a bit overkill for rapier but I also do longsword and I can't afford two jaclets) and it also has the removable foam plates, aswell as internal vambrace-like hard protection in the forearms.
I think an important aspect to mention about the AP Light jacket is that it is machine washable, unlike the standard AP jacket. Much less of a hassle to keep it fresh and clean...
Not only do I have that jacket, I even got it in that color! Good choice Matt 😁 I got this jacket nearly a year ago and I love it. I added some elbow protectors recently and I would fully reccomend it. The added mobility is a nice feature but you will want to protect your elbows
Gah, You Europeans are so lucky! this time of year! I do Hema in the tropics and it is ALWAYS summer here and wearing jackets outdoors sucks. The only time it's bearable is indoors with air-conditioning or at night!
It's never perfect everywhere but funnily enough here you're most likely to encounter that situation indoors during summer. Most buildings are reasonably well insulated and especially in older facilities you'll probably just have heating/ventilation options (not actual air conditioning and active cooling). Which works fine most of the year, but it's not that great when all you can get to cool things down is hot outside air. It's probably not worth investing in air conditioning for a lot of places, although I wonder how things will be in the future with the ever growing pressure to adopt heat pumps stop burning gas for heating etc. A heat pump if they do their design right can pump heat both ways, out of the ground or into the ground. Once that becomes mandatory/standard I could see air conditioning becoming the norm for a lot of commercial and residential places that now just really have central heating.
I bought one for sidesword and I love most of it.. I dont love the upper part of the foam strip in the front but find every protection around the throat restrictive.. the protection on the lower arms is almost none ..so maybe I also need vambraces .. high guards are more easy than with the normal AP
The neck is a pain, it will eventually break in and start moving easier, look in to poron to replace the plates it flexes better than the cheap foam inserts.
Why don't they put a bunch of breathing holes on the back of the shoulders? It is an area that should be pretty safe, and all the heat will go there anyway.
I really don't understand all the hullabaloo about shoulder pads. I got a custom SPES which feels lighter than the AP I used to wear, and the places that I really want to protect are the forearms, the elbows, and the space right above the elbows. The latter I got hit multiple times in a single fight once, I basically had to pretend for the rest of the fight that I could still throw cuts because my right arm just wasn't willing to extend any more. Similar idea for forearms, I've been hit there with such force that I just couldn't grip the sword any more. Getting hit in the shoulders might hurt, but it won't stop you.
It depends on how skilled both of them are, according to george silver, if two masters of his art of defence duel, they would get tired of it before one would hit the other. But i would say two trained gentleman may double 1-3% of the time depending on many things
If duels were deadly nobody would have them. As I understand often just attend and offer to shake hands would be enough to save face. By the Victorian era would be illegal and mostly done with pistols.
@@CanalTremocos Depends on the duel, if it is the "you didn't like my writing and I'm upset" kind of duel, yeah that is likely the case, if it is the "you have betrayed and defiled my sister you degenerate" kind you better believe it's to the death.
It's what I wear for longsword sans the upper arm protection and it seems to work fine. I wear the PBT plastron which has an extra plastic plate around the stomach which helps.
hi mat have you ever checked out motorcycle under / over amour ,, not much in the way of chest protection but loads of elbow forearm knee shin back etc and probably way cheaper as it's more common moto x stuff would probably work best
@@ARR0WMANC3R i was thinking more along the lines of for impact protection elbows back collar bone etc like the mesh shirts with hard impact protection sown in in key areas for wearing under a jacket in conjunction with a jacket like the one in the video (the same as you would wear it under a bike jacket) or hard shell moto x over armour .over the jacket like mats elbow cup thing as they look pretty similar which is why i asked sorry if it wasn't clear
Good review! Do you find that the cut of the jacket is a bit looser than in the regular AP jacket? Or is it just the general lightness? Im especially interested about it in the forearm parts which are bit of a problem for me with the regular AP jacket.
It might be a good idea to balance out the audio in future jacket-related things (basically flatten it to mono instead of stereo) as it sounds a bit weird on headphones with your head moving in relation to the mic. :P
With regard the tight fit of the jacket. 1. would not the loose fit cool down better , give better circulation of air. 2. would not a loose fit help slow the blade , give a little more protection?
it should do ,, i saw a video by a movie prop co and they use a mixture with a vodka base ( cant remember what all was in it other than vodka and a little mild detergent it may just have been water to dilute it a bit ) and they use it to freshen costumes they can't wash
I actually have video of me being hit right in the shoulder joint in the SCA. Left me unable to use the shoulder for a week. I have also put my mom out of action by hitting her in he sword shoulder. YMMV
Heat is the worst part about armor. The weight doesn't bother me, but fighting all day in the sun with no breeze is maddening. Helmet and torso armor bake you alive and you start to get delirious, can't think straight. It's awful.
@@scholagladiatoriaBut have you tried actually tying the cop onto your elbow? The SPES cup has holes for thread on it and you can tie into the the velcro loop
I wonder if non-Newtonian materials are going to become popular for use in HEMA jackets. They already use it in motorcycle gear and if it can protect you hitting and sliding along asphalts going at least 20 - 30mph it should work for HEMA. It would have the advantage of being more flexible than regular armor and padding and you could probably get away with thinner pieces than you do in motorcycle gear.
Riceball01 Thokk gloves (not the ex-thokk model from neyman) are supposed to use such technology. Unfortunately the development seems to take much longer than expected.
I have a spez and i have replaced the "plates"with poron sheets, which is non newtonian, it now moves bettter and i dont feel the hits at all, so yeah alraedy doing it :)
"Middle-aged englishman complains for 25 minutes about being too hot."
Only 25 minutes though.
The down vote is from Lloyd because you got it in grey not beige.
Elbow protector is a must unless you're just doing small swords or rapier only.
Any hits on the three main point of elbow is incapacitating.
True story- The SCA has elbow armor rules because back when they didn't Kevin Peregrynne had his shield elbow shattered by a rattan sword that broke and flailed around the edge of his shield and hit him.
The foam padding inserts actually help with insulation and make you warmer. Closed cell foam is an excellent insulator. Calling them plates is misleading because they really aren't rigid enough to have plate-like physical properties. They're just more padding.
I love my AP Light after a few padding mods, I've used it for a couple longsword tourneys already. That's even with an imperfect custom tailored fit: the sleeves came out too short and the torso too tight both of which can restrict movement. The fact that I like it despite those problems speaks to the quality.
How did you modify? I'm looking into purchasing the AP Light for longsword just because it gets so dang hot in the summer and outside is often the only place to practice for me, but I'd like the idea to add as needed.
If a jacket shrinks in the wash, i'ts the makers mistake. There are some fabrics that should be pre-washed before being sewed together. Cotton canvas shrinks 15% after the first wash, I lost a medieval shirt to those blasted water shrinkages. NEVERMORE, WATER. NEVERMORE.
why didnt you use your head and do a cold water wash and tumble dry it?
@@cameronalexander5195 it WAS cold water, man!
I guess you could stick freezer packs in the pockets. They'd keep you cool and provide some protection. Or perhaps get steel plates and put them in the freezer before a match.
I am using it for some months on longsword sparring. My hint is to use a plastic plastron and add plastic plates over the foam. Another option is replace the foam places in torso for some rubber like shoe sole.
I really want to get into HEMA someday. Seems really cool and a real hands on experience of history.
Freedom Fighter Do it! You don't need any of this gear to begin. Wooden simulators are great beginners tools, from dagger to one-handed swords (dussack or singlestick), to staff/spear or poleaxe. Passive protections are related to the level of intensity, very controlled and technical sparring can be done with very little gear. Find your niche - from naked wrestling to jousting on horse in armour - and be merry, you can always expand with time.
Materials scientist here. You are spot on with composite defense (padding plus plate). Composite defenses, if stacked properly against each other, provide more resistance to penetration than the sum of their individual parts.
I use the heavy 800N 'Hussar' jacket (which may be a bit overkill for rapier but I also do longsword and I can't afford two jaclets) and it also has the removable foam plates, aswell as internal vambrace-like hard protection in the forearms.
Homo eructus how is the hussar without inserts? Would you compare it to a regular AP or a lighter jacket?
@@zerozerosud I use it with all the inserts, but I'd say without them It's still heavier than the 350N AP.
I think an important aspect to mention about the AP Light jacket is that it is machine washable, unlike the standard AP jacket. Much less of a hassle to keep it fresh and clean...
Not only do I have that jacket, I even got it in that color! Good choice Matt 😁 I got this jacket nearly a year ago and I love it. I added some elbow protectors recently and I would fully reccomend it. The added mobility is a nice feature but you will want to protect your elbows
Gah, You Europeans are so lucky! this time of year! I do Hema in the tropics and it is ALWAYS summer here and wearing jackets outdoors sucks. The only time it's bearable is indoors with air-conditioning or at night!
It's never perfect everywhere but funnily enough here you're most likely to encounter that situation indoors during summer. Most buildings are reasonably well insulated and especially in older facilities you'll probably just have heating/ventilation options (not actual air conditioning and active cooling).
Which works fine most of the year, but it's not that great when all you can get to cool things down is hot outside air. It's probably not worth investing in air conditioning for a lot of places, although I wonder how things will be in the future with the ever growing pressure to adopt heat pumps stop burning gas for heating etc. A heat pump if they do their design right can pump heat both ways, out of the ground or into the ground. Once that becomes mandatory/standard I could see air conditioning becoming the norm for a lot of commercial and residential places that now just really have central heating.
I bought one for sidesword and I love most of it.. I dont love the upper part of the foam strip in the front but find every protection around the throat restrictive.. the protection on the lower arms is almost none ..so maybe I also need vambraces .. high guards are more easy than with the normal AP
The neck is a pain, it will eventually break in and start moving easier, look in to poron to replace the plates it flexes better than the cheap foam inserts.
@@TonyLamb not shure what to look for in the netherlands ..polyuritane ? poron seems to be a brandname
@@marcuszc3172 www.amazon.co.uk/XRD-Yellow-Poron-Sheet-Non-abraded/dp/B0789W8XJJ/ref=pd_sbs_309_3/258-5309584-2534757?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0789W8XJJ&pd_rd_r=201d1355-2cc0-11e9-873e-89a095b53bef&pd_rd_w=nWQZU&pd_rd_wg=mFg3e&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=SJTGH1RHKN8NCHFV66HK&refRID=SJTGH1RHKN8NCHFV66HK
Why don't they put a bunch of breathing holes on the back of the shoulders? It is an area that should be pretty safe, and all the heat will go there anyway.
I really don't understand all the hullabaloo about shoulder pads. I got a custom SPES which feels lighter than the AP I used to wear, and the places that I really want to protect are the forearms, the elbows, and the space right above the elbows. The latter I got hit multiple times in a single fight once, I basically had to pretend for the rest of the fight that I could still throw cuts because my right arm just wasn't willing to extend any more. Similar idea for forearms, I've been hit there with such force that I just couldn't grip the sword any more. Getting hit in the shoulders might hurt, but it won't stop you.
If two people entered a serious swordfight. Lets say in the Victorian era how likely would it be that both, one of the two or none of them survives?
It depends on how skilled both of them are, according to george silver, if two masters of his art of defence duel, they would get tired of it before one would hit the other.
But i would say two trained gentleman may double 1-3% of the time depending on many things
If duels were deadly nobody would have them. As I understand often just attend and offer to shake hands would be enough to save face. By the Victorian era would be illegal and mostly done with pistols.
@@CanalTremocos I d like to add that in certain contexts duels were to the death, like medieval japan
@@CanalTremocos Depends on the duel, if it is the "you didn't like my writing and I'm upset" kind of duel, yeah that is likely the case, if it is the "you have betrayed and defiled my sister you degenerate" kind you better believe it's to the death.
Your scenario would occur every time 100%
Mate I'm so glad you mentioned your body heat, Im exactly the same.... Just a hot mess lol what would you ultimately recommend.
Is it good enough for longsword or sabre only?
Dimitri Zaitsew I compete in one for longsword :)
What's the blue jacket you are wearing? I like it.
Somebody needs to design a jacket with pockets inside where you can insert Otter Pops. You'd stay cool, have extra padding, and a snack.
You sir are a genius
Matt where did the bavarian officer's sabre go that you unboxed a while ago?
It's sitting here in my collection. I've tried to find out more about it, but have failed to find another like it.
@@scholagladiatoria I am relieved. And I thought you sold it. xD
If you were wearing lower-, elbow- and upper arm protection, a plastron and gorget, would this jacket be suitable for longsword?
My buddy is wearing this without the upper arm and plastron, I stab him regularly with a longsword and he seems to be fine.
I saw in another review that yous needgood protection for your 'sleutelbeenderen' and than its ok
@@marcuszc3172 yes, i thought so
i use one for sidesword and think its great for that (Im a noob though)
It's what I wear for longsword sans the upper arm protection and it seems to work fine. I wear the PBT plastron which has an extra plastic plate around the stomach which helps.
Lindybeige has definitely started to gain adepts about the beige colour. :)
hi mat have you ever checked out motorcycle under / over amour ,, not much in the way of chest protection but loads of elbow forearm knee shin back etc and probably way cheaper as it's more common moto x stuff would probably work best
blacksnow150 the arm mobility isn't nearly good enough on those jackets. Also they don't have newton rated piercing protection.
@@ARR0WMANC3R i was thinking more along the lines of for impact protection elbows back collar bone etc
like the mesh shirts with hard impact protection sown in in key areas for wearing under a jacket in conjunction with a jacket like the one in the video (the same as you would wear it under a bike jacket)
or hard shell moto x over armour .over the jacket like mats elbow cup thing as they look pretty similar which is why i asked sorry if it wasn't clear
what jacket are you wearing in the video?
Umm.... The SPES AP Light. Is this a trick question? :-)
Perhaps the normal coat you are wearing before the Spes one.
Superdry, of course.
scholagladiatoria lol no not the SPES AP light, I'm talking about the coat you wore before. Of course it's superdry. Why did I even ask.
NICE REVIEW AND ITS GREAT THAT YOU CAN PUT ANYTHING INSIDE THE POCKET
I bet the excess arm fabric is to account for the bulky shoulder plates
Good review! Do you find that the cut of the jacket is a bit looser than in the regular AP jacket? Or is it just the general lightness? Im especially interested about it in the forearm parts which are bit of a problem for me with the regular AP jacket.
Eskoronimus definitely looser in general, I also find the forearm often too tight
@@bigtreecombatacademy2927 Awesome, thanks for the reply. Its good to hear especially because i already went and ordered one.
Matt, when ordering hema jacket, is it okay if it is a bit too large or will that cause a safety issue in its protection? Curious.
Don't worry, Matt. That jacket doesn't make you look like Ernst Blofeld at all, I promise.
It might be a good idea to balance out the audio in future jacket-related things (basically flatten it to mono instead of stereo) as it sounds a bit weird on headphones with your head moving in relation to the mic. :P
Modern Gambeson.
I can't find the answer elsewhere, it is legal to grapple the blade in Olympic foil fencing?
no.
I'm not a tailor but I guess having a portion of your back uncovered wouldn't work very well? x)
With regard the tight fit of the jacket.
1. would not the loose fit cool down better , give better circulation of air.
2. would not a loose fit help slow the blade , give a little more protection?
Loose fit means that all the weight is carried by your shoulders
I've been hit on the elbow, and even a light tab on the tip of the elbow, hurt like hell.
Hey matt, I just recently watched your video about smelly fencing masks getting a vodka treatment. Did you try doing that? Was it succesful?
it should do ,, i saw a video by a movie prop co and they use a mixture with a vodka base ( cant remember what all was in it other than vodka and a little mild detergent it may just have been water to dilute it a bit ) and they use it to freshen costumes they can't wash
I actually have video of me being hit right in the shoulder joint in the SCA. Left me unable to use the shoulder for a week. I have also put my mom out of action by hitting her in he sword shoulder. YMMV
Heat is the worst part about armor. The weight doesn't bother me, but fighting all day in the sun with no breeze is maddening. Helmet and torso armor bake you alive and you start to get delirious, can't think straight. It's awful.
There's no review on RUclips for the JF jacket
I don't personally know anybody using one I'm afraid. I am aware that some people love them though.
Can you use it for escrima stick fighting
Matt has his Elbow protectors on upside down xD no wonder it feels too high
I have tried them both ways around and this way feel more correct on me.
@@scholagladiatoriaBut have you tried actually tying the cop onto your elbow? The SPES cup has holes for thread on it and you can tie into the the velcro loop
I wonder if non-Newtonian materials are going to become popular for use in HEMA jackets. They already use it in motorcycle gear and if it can protect you hitting and sliding along asphalts going at least 20 - 30mph it should work for HEMA. It would have the advantage of being more flexible than regular armor and padding and you could probably get away with thinner pieces than you do in motorcycle gear.
Riceball01 Thokk gloves (not the ex-thokk model from neyman) are supposed to use such technology. Unfortunately the development seems to take much longer than expected.
I have a spez and i have replaced the "plates"with poron sheets, which is non newtonian, it now moves bettter and i dont feel the hits at all, so yeah alraedy doing it :)
Anyone know where to order their jackets from in the US? Or is it best to order them from their website?
Their website, or Purpleheart Armory
is the spes jacket ok for rapier and sabre ?
More than adquate. Which one did you end up getting?
@@mrzero648 the officer
How lighter than a regular AP is it?
2,5 - 3,5 kg ---> 1,6-1,9 kg :)
I was wondering more about "protection heaviness" than actual weight, but this gives me an indicative idea, thank you.
Can't you just use a hauberk? Shrinking wouldn't be a problem ;)
Mail does not absorb blunt impacts... you have to wear a padded jacket under it for that. A padded jacket rather like these padded jackets.
That appears to be a good outdoorsman's jacket
Future video: 0:28
Every time he says "ok" respond with "ok" yourself.
I don't like getting too hot either. I melt.
Count Orlok. Google it
We must secure the existence of our people...
Humans?
@@scholagladiatoria You prefer the comforting lie. Noted.
Humans aren't real?
If by "our people" you mean racists like you, then no. I hope your people fade away as soon as possible. Have a shitty day!
@@fq3530 I think we hope in vain.