[CONAN] Bracers

[Supplement Four]

What, really, is the practical use of bracers? I know that a leather bracer protects an archer's arm from the snap of the bow string. But, why do warriors wear bracers, especially leather bracers?

To keep the sweat off their hands? If so, then why metal bracers?

To protect their wrists in melee? If so, then why leather bracers (doesn't seem like much protection)?

 

[Kasimir]

Depending on what you mean by bracer and how much of the arm they covered.

If they just covered the wrist, the answer is warriors generally didn’t use them. Those are for the most part fiction.

Generally a bracer to me implies training equipment, something you might use for fencing practise. In this case training equipment is supposed to protect both partners, so in the case of fencing leather would be sufficient to cushion hits from a training weapon to your relatively exposed arm but would not risk hurting your partner if you tried to grapple.

The kind of thing really used in battle were called vambraces and they covered the entire forearm. These were more often made of metal, but there were ways to make leather more protective – harden it with hot water (cuir bouilli) or reinforce it with metal strips often riveted onto the leather (like a brigandine coat from the Conan rulebook).

They were also pretty uncommon overall. For much of the medieval period quilted or mail armour with sleeves was preferable.

I hope that helps!

 

[Supplement Four]

If they just covered the wrist, the answer is warriors generally didn’t use them. Those are for the most part fiction.

Just like fantasy art shows many helms with horns, many fantasy picks show warriors with something on their wrists. It's hard to find a Conan pic without the Barbarian wearing some form of bracer.

 

[Kasimir]

Just like fantasy art shows many helms with horns, many fantasy picks show warriors with something on their wrists. It's hard to find a Conan pic without the Barbarian wearing some form of bracer.

Exactly. In fantasy artwork and movies like Gladiator those leather wristbands do help emphasise the muscular arms of our very manly heroes. I have been told dark colours are slimming, so if you put a dark wristband on a light-skinned hero it makes his wrist look slimmer and the rest of his arm bigger by comparison.

Conan is a fashion slave. :wink: