I'll start with a question about elbows. I have been playing around with a german style 15C couter/elbow cop project. I have raised the thing into a fairly reasonable form -- similar to the couter pictured on the cover of Paddock's "Arms and Armour of a Medeival Knight." My question is how these free floating couters were typically strapped to an arm.

I am much more familiar with Italian harness than German, but I will give it a shot. I believe with this form of couter, there are a pair of associated points in the outside of the elbow, but also there would be a strap to secure it where the elbow bends. It is my understanding that the upper cannons are not attached to the couter directly, wich is supposed to give the arm a higher degree of flexibility than it tends to have with an Italian harness. An arming doublet should relieve any buckle problems you are experiencing.

I could be dead wrong, and I will deffer my opinion to Jeff when he gets a chance to read this if he is in disagreement. If we had a surviving german arming doublet of mid 15th c. date with points intact, it would answer many questions. Unfortunately no such garment survives pre 16th c.

Thank you for your reply. I suspect that you are right about the strap. Most of the original couters that I've seen in person or in a phote seem to have the strap across the inside bend of the elbow -- though I wonder to what extent the holes to mount those straps were added by later restorations or display efforts for that armour.

I believe the terminology is - points: a lace that passes through a pair of holes in a garment so that each end protruded equidistant from the garment. When I use pair of points, that means two sets of laces - I would refer you to David Edge & John Miles Paddock's work "Arms & Armour of the Medieval Knight. On pg 116 there is the funeral effigy of Sir Robert Harcourt KG who died in 1471. He is wearing what I see as a typicaly English harness - made in Flanders to the English tast (note how high the tassets are set on the faulds). If you look at his couters, yopu will see a two sets on points securing them , one above and one below the bend of the arm. That is what I m=ean by a pair of points. On some effigies, onl;y one set of points secures the couters - se pg 114 same book.

For a good Medieval answer to the second question - "As many as God wants, in his infinite wisdom and Mercy!" It is my modern answer too.

I can't address the couter question as I'm not an armourer, but I would caution you to beware this assumption regarding the arming coat.

In my world Slack = bulk = poor patterning.

If someone's told you the sleeve has to be loose to allow your arm to bend, or that the sleeve can't be stitched into the armhole or you won't be able to lift your arm, you're talking to someone that doesn't know how to pattern a sleeve, *NOT* someone who knows what they're talking about.

A proper arming coat sleeve pattern will fit tight on the arm with no excess slack to mess with the fit of the arm harness. A proper sleeve pattern will also allow you free range of motion in the shoulder *without* needing to be left open under the armpit.

But I think this is another thread....

Gwen