Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Greg wrote:

Elwindil wrote:I've not worn turnshoes before, how are they for fighting in? would you want something different if you were going to have to eventually confront your foes?

Armed combat involving the sword and many other weapons involves very fluid footwork, with the feet never really coming off the ground, but instead sliding or "shifting" as the blade moves and combatants interact. Turnshoes are actually superbly designed for this very purpose...SCA'ers that you see running the field in full armor and cleats are after very different goals and using very different means than a period fighter whose intent is to kill or be killed.

Let us also consider the terrain a ranger would find themselves engaged in. Likely it would not allow for as fluid of footwork as you would get in a more climate controlled training space. But to that end also for those in doubt it is also crucial to be able feel what is under foot in those critical moments. Something you cannot do in a heavier sole.

Looking at form and function I guess it is important to remember that Roman’s used hobnails in a military sense rather than a woodland one because they fought locked in a formation and needed the extra footing to push forward or hold fast in a position.

I think something better fitted will solve many of my issues. I guess it’s time to learn how to make them...

well, if you're looking at making and don't want to hand stitch everything, I did find a hand crank cobbler's sewing machine on amazon for reasonable money that I can post a link to, I was looking at getting it for t he making of my own boots.

I've been flirting with tweaking my design and making a new pair. If I do, there'll be a build-along in Edge if the Wild.

sweet. sorry about the mini derail there...we now return you to your regularly scheduled thready goodness.

I did a little study on kit blending in the woods this morning. I stood facing the camera behind zero cover at a few different distances, to see how things like the sword blade and surcote edging, etc really do stand out. We've got two distances represented here: one that we might call an 'Engagement/Closing for combat' distance, and one that we might call a 'Hidden/Observing' range.

This was taken with a little fog present, and during an active and steady rain. The somewhat blurry results I fancy might serve as examples of how much detail passing eyes that aren't expecting to see a person among the trees might still pick up.




Obviously, and as expected, the blade sticks out, though it was intentionally held flat-to-the-front. I'm pleasantly surprised that the surcote seems to feel much like the lines provided by surrounding trees.

I think my lasdhir might be cruising for a light dunking, though.

Greg wrote:I think my lasdhir might be cruising for a light dunking, though.

Cool study! I geek out hardcore over these kinda things.

Other than the sword the lasdhir and your off hand are actually what drew my eye the most. Have you ever considered adding any type of gloves or gauntlets to your kit? I have a knitted fingerless pair that I use quite a bit this time of year and my leather ones much of the rest of the time.

Though I suspect if you are in “closing for combat range” concealment is likely no longer an issue.

I honestly think that if you were casually leaning against the trees to your right and my vision had not been funneled by the open gap between the trees that I wouldn’t have seen you at a glance.

Nice one Your surcote edging is dark enough not to stand out and light enough to break up your silhouette, adding to the concealment effect, it works well

Gloves are something I struggle with. I have some oatmeal colored fingerless knit gloves from townsends that I like, but it wasn't cold enough for them today. In warmer weather, I've been thinking about making up something leather to shoot off of. Might help with this issue a bit...just can't decide how I want to approach that.

My struggle for the longest time was that in my opinion the fingerless leather gloves came off as too much of a movie costume rip off with the difference being that Viggo only had one glove. But then again the same could
Be said of my bed roll and short bow/quiver set up. Like the gloves though I wouldn’t use them if they did not work and still capture a certain vibe. For me the fingerless leather gloves help my hands avoid brambles as I’m pushing through the undergrowth, are handy when doing sword work or really any labor intensive camp task, shooting as you mentioned, and above all else help hide my hands as I appear to be impervious to tanning lol. Plus they leave my fingers free and dexterous.

I agree with Ursus that your hand was one of the things that caught my eye, and also that while fingerless leather gloves feel very movie/LARP fashion, they might serve a purpose in this situation. Hmmm...

As an aside, my wife said to tell you that she really enjoyed the composition of the "engaging distance" photo, just from an artistic perspective

Thank you Greg! That's a great comparison. That cloak color is perfect for those conditions!

I do think fingerless gloves are defensible, and they're certainly practical!
I wonder about the historicity - though I seem to recall Greg you found fingerless mitts at some point, yes?

Elleth wrote:I wonder about the historicity - though I seem to recall Greg you found fingerless mitts at some point, yes?

Yes ma'am.

Funny you should say that, Taurinor...we were ourselves remarking on how artsy the further-off one looked when zoomed and cropped. Instant watercolor...or perhaps instant serial killer.

Im unable to translate the page but I did find this while browsing the Digitalt Museum website. I’m unsure the date it is attached to.

Perhaps someone can translate?

https://dms-cf-04.dimu.org/image/012s84 ... ension=max

Interesting - do you have a link to the original museum page? I can't find it.
From the style I'd not guess it's older than the 17th century, but I could easily be wrong. Neat!

Oops wrong link attached to the original post. Here’s is the correct one.

I should have assumed it would be to good to be true. And looking at it now the shape of the cuff looks more modern and the stitching possibly done by early machine. Somehow following a lead that Romans and Greeks used several forms of fingerless glove led me to this image. Dangerous and dark are the trackless trails of the internet.

https://digitaltmuseum.se/011023662668/handske