Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Fencers sleeves

The subject came up this weekend, "How does a fencer gain full range of motion, without restrictions or binding?" 
My first suggestion is to make the arms eye as small as possible and shift it slightly forward, giving more fabric on the back. Making sure that the shoulder ends at the point of the shoulder will also give a more full range of motion.
The shirt underneath can also cause binding, especially if the sleeve is "extra billowy" or has a large arms eye.
Lastly the modification to the sleeve cut will give just a couple of inches when reaching forward for a lunge or long point.



Monday, August 11, 2014

Finally finishing the Leine experiment.

Here is the layout that I came up with and the basic construction method.  Edges can be rounded and scraps used elsewhere.  This design fits snugly through the body, and hangs to the right length and allows for complete freedom of movement.  I highly recommend it as an exercise in square cut constructionget some register tape and cut it into 27 inch long stripes (10 inches paper = 1 yard real world) and then have them make leines from 20 inch wide, assuming a 5'8" person. It was quite fun. This is all that I had left from the 9 yards, and I managed to use some of that in the underarm gussets in the next version. Below is a pic of how it hangs, and I am not a small guy. So lots of fabric if cut using mostly rectangles.
This is the part that I think will cause the most controversy. I have a Hypothesis about how they closed their sleeves.  Allow me to begin by saying that All we have is drawings and a painting or two from the period, no extant examples remain as far as I have been able to determine. 
When I looked at the images, I eventually noticed what I think is a pattern.  When the sleeves of the leine are hanging the sleeves of the ionar are as well.  when the sleeves of the ionar are being worn then the sleeves seem to hang in a bunting like fashion.  So my hypothesis is that the Sleeves of the Leine would unsupported hang at the side reminiscent of a Houppelaunde from earlier centuries, but when held up they were fastened to the wrist by the sleeve of the ionar.  Again I have only a pattern recognition and little other supporting evidence, but this seems to work.  I would welcome thoughts on the matter and be delighted by counter evidence.