My gambeson and new helmet:

As much as I like the look of the German sallet it’s not as comfortable to wear as I’d like. So I ordered a second helmet: this visored barbuta. This helmet is more comfortable as it balances better on my head — it has a chin strap, but it’s not as necessary to have as tight as it is for the sallet. Like the sallet, the visor of this helmet is hinged so it can be raised for better vision and communication. It’s also not quite as thick as the sallet, but still, no blade is going to cut into this helm. It doesn’t feel “bulletproof,” but I don’t at all feel vulnerable in this.

The gambeson I actually ordered through Amazon. I usually wouldn’t trust Amazon sellers for real, protective armor, but I got this gambeson more just for an comfortable layer under armor than for an actual armor piece. It fits well: snug across the chest, a bit more room (to grow 🙂 around my middle. The leather straps are thin, but that’s alright — they’ll be under other metal pieces.

The Old Adventurer