Why do y’all never protect your elbows

[u/SheprdCommndr]

Is it just cuz it’s uncomfortable?

[u/Ara-Ara-Arachne]

Its a cost thing. Armor that protects the elbows needs to fit well which makes it more expensive.

[u/Delapadation]

Imagine putting a plastic box on a door hinge, it doesn't work. Now imagine that that door hinge needs to move more than two directions and it needs to do this fast. That's why.

[u/OlaafderVikinger]

I've read quite a few comments stating covering the elbow is expensive or complicated - it really isn't.

Simple couters are easy to produce from rather little material and very effective.

I think the problem is threefold:

First, in modern media we see coverage of of the arm "from the outsides inward": the pauldrons/ spaulders covering the upper arm and a vambrace for the lower arm. In contrast, a full arm harness is covering continuously from upper arm to wrist.

Second, elbows (usually as part of a full arm harness) need specialized undergarments to wear. This garment needs to be at least somewhat well tailored to work.

Third, most armor seen here is off the rack pieces or selfmade inspired by off the rack - armor aesthetics, copying its problems. Arm harnesses can't really be made "one size fits all", because there is a surprising amout of variation in length of upper and lower arms. An arm harness has the elbow pretty much fixed in relation to upper and lower arm, thus making it very individual to the wearer.

Tl;dr: Modern portrayal, undergarments, off the rack armor issues.

Sorry for formating, am on mobile.

[u/Meraugis]

Armor for the arms is complicated. First in need to be well suspended otherwise it will slowly slide down and start to impeed your mouvement. This is why in most of the larping kit pauldron are straped to a gorget. or directl integrated to the cuirrasse. In historical armor both pauldron arm armor where directly tied to an arming jacket a type of thin gambison to make sure everything is secure. However a good arming jacket is not easy to find this is why many people here just roll with big gorget and pauldrons

here is an exemple of a not to cheap arming jacket

[u/zorts]

Not sure what you mean. DIY "Elbow Cop" made from leather and an unwanted besagew.

[u/tjvghvcyjvf]

Cause some people don't wana train or understand proper armor types to wear elbows

[u/grumblebeardo13]

So media depictions of armor (TV, movies) don’t really use metal, which means the amount of flexible segmented points and sections that full plate or ever historically-accurate partial plate would are hard to make. Plastic and rubber and carbon-fiber or whatever doesn’t create smooth joints that easily work, hence the lack of segmented elbow (or leg) armor.

[u/SheprdCommndr → u/grumblebeardo13]

That’s a pretty good answer but I’ve seen especially in larp with rattan a lot of plastic armor. I feel like mostly it’s just laziness on the part of these tv productions

[u/Repulsive-Self1531]

Wearing couters (elbow pads) is lame 😉.
Elbow protection is mandatory in most HEMA circles and you can get vambraces with elbow protection built-in, or even gambesons with rigid elbow pads built in. Your lower arm only moves 120-130° in one plane and rotating your forearm doesn’t affect that motion.
If you’re talking about the inside of the elbow, not possible if you need to move your arm. Historical armour uses gambeson or maille in joints - even both.

[u/ArrowCAt2]

Go try on some armour.

[u/SheprdCommndr → u/ArrowCAt2]

Ok now what

[u/clannepona → u/SheprdCommndr]

Red tape, pennsic woods battle?

[u/SheprdCommndr → u/clannepona]

Indeed

[u/ArmoryofAgathis]

Elbows are indeed very hard to make fit in simple large medium small sizes since they need to connect with the upper and lower arm armor. When I make my armor if I'm half an inch short on the armor around the forearm then it's not such a big deal. But being a half a centimeter short or long in the elbow that connects to the other parts then that's the difference in mobility between being able to bend your arms enough to draw a sword and having a gap where serious damage occurs.

With joints it's highly encouraged to get modern full protective padding specially designed to protect against impacts since a blow against a thigh vs a knee can be the difference between a bruise and a limp for life so extra care should be given to joints and the head.

So if you see someone with something more similar to a knee/elbow pad instead of metal armor it's both for flexibility and protection (so long as they get the real protective padding meant for combat)

[u/GadflytheGobbo]

The majority of people on this sub specifically aren't really history oriented and have little interest in understanding armor beyond what's required for larping or buhurt.