Medieval Gauntlets

A gauntlet is a type of glove that is often used in combat. It is designed to be a defensive type of gear that protects the hands, wrists, and forearms during hand-to-hand combat. They are often constructed with hardened leather and metal plates, like gauge steel and other types of alloys.

A glove is a piece of clothing that covers the hands and fingers for protection against extreme weather or utility. Gloves usually have separate sheaths for the fingers and the thumb. A gauntlet is a type of glove that is specifically a protective guard for the hands and wrists. Gauntlets were usually worn by knights and other types of soldiers in combat.

Medieval gauntlets were used as part of a knight’s or soldier’s protective armor. In the Middle Ages, the hands and wrists were considered high injury risks because weapons mostly used by close-combat soldiers at that time were swords, maces, and axes. When the hands or arms of soldiers get injured to the point where they can no longer wield their weapons, they usually end up in one of two scenarios: death or permanent mutilation.

Glove armor and hand protection was slowly prioritized in the middle of the medieval period. Early gauntlets were made of thick leather, as it offered a bit of feeble protection that allowed flexibility to hold weapons tight. The incorporation of chain mail also introduced the addition of mail gauntlets and then later evolved to using metal plates that were sewn over leather and fastened with leather strings.