O.k.  here's my second project, and this is also my first solo-venture at armour making of any kind.  This is a splinted vambrace (I have two) to go with the fourteenth century look that I'm trying to cultivate. 

Specifications:

•     3.5 ounce pigskin suede
•     18 ga mild steel splints
•     1" solid brass buckles
•     3/16" brass round head rivets

Here's a picture of it on the ugly carpet at my parent's house.

Update:

I have since taken these vambraces apart due to rust.  I was stupid enough to not wax them right after tournament, and they developed slight amounts of surface rust.  I then removed said rust and was somehow STILL stupid enough to not wax them immediately.  Two days later in a humid apartment they were veritably covered in rust.  I drilled out the rivets (which took approximately half the construction time) and re-sanded the plates to a 400 grit finish.  I will soon buff them and put them back together, this time with 6 ounce vegetable-tanned leather that I have lying around. This goes with the Wisby COP agreement with myself to not use pigskin suede.   I will also use smaller buckles (they can get caught on things) and on the rectangular plate that sits on the bottom of your arm, I will be using flat-head rivets.  The reason for this is that the round heads beat the hell out of your thumb (opposite hand) when fighting longsword.  The round heads there also did not allow the buckles to sit flat on the plate.  It's amazing what a little retro-fitting will do for your experiences.  I used to follow the rule of "if you put it together you should know how to take it apart."  Apparently this is once again true.  *sigh*

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