These are really interesting. I've never heard of them before.

Jakob Elbæk E. Pedersen wrote:

A soldier wearing a tight padded jack with jack-chains can be seen on the Reliquary of St. Ursula by Hans Memling; http://www.wga.hu/art/m/memling/4ursula/36ursu06.jpg c. 1489. For more info see, Medieval Military Costume - Recreated in Colour Photographs by Gerry Embleton, p. 64-65. As far as I am concerned no original examples of jack-chains exist today. But there may have been found fragments, which has not yet been recognised as such. /Jakob

On a related issue, the soldier in that picture who has the jackchains (is this the authentic name for them BTW?) seems to be wearing his gambeson/padded jack over a mail shirt. What are the advantages of wearing the gambeson over rather than under mail?

heres teh thing.

in the 15th cen, later (war of the roses) the gambison changed to a tight fighting arming jacket. armour was then tied to it etc. one could wear a mail shirt over it and a jack (many layered garment, i mean like 20-30 layers of linen) a mail shirt was not always worn with a jack.

a jack was made to slow down arrows. via it is the greandfather to the kevlar vest. there have only been 1-4 found and prof cant deside if they are indeed jacks or arming jackets etc.

a lot of illustraters make it seem as though the mail is a full shirt. and sometimes it is in period paintings and sometimes its not. mails voiders (under arms or jsut shoulders), standards (neck) and a mail skirt or shorts are worn and are pointed to teh arming jacket. covering the essncal areas

and as far as i know, jack chains are called jack chains. no real reference off hand for another name

I could imagine these miniscule pieces of armour would provide some descent protection at a very low cost. You have to figure, if you are using a pole arm such as a glaive, partizan halberd etc... your arms are probably going to be a high priority target especially if you engage someone else with a pole arm. However Plate armor is VERY expensive. So the adage of these simple low cost metal bands would not only prevent cuts, but effectively stop an enemy's blow from breaking your arm.

right :)

also when looking at 15thc paitnings (WOTR) just look at how many people do not have their legs armoured. usually only mounted guys.

so teh jack chains stop the brakeage of arms while teh jack stops the slicing of skin

Also in
Medieval Military Costume - Recreated in Colour Photographs by Gerry Embleton

I noticed that on the color plate on page 89, there is a small copy of a Landsknecht woodcut from 1515 that illustrates jackchains being worn over a puff and slash doublet. It has interesting clam shell shaped elbow cops too.

Hey guys,
Here's a pic of one of the displays at the Frazier Historic Arms Museum. I believe it's the Towton tableau.

---

 Attachment: 32.91 KB

Here is an image from a book I recently picked up. It is the effigy of the Margrave Rudolph IV of Baden-Durlach in Lichtental, Germany who died in 1348. Note the clear presence of splints on his arms over his mail, similar to jackchains . I found this interesting as it is at least a century before what I would have though of as normal for the use of jackchains.

---

 Attachment: 105.88 KB

Margrave Rudolph IV

intriguing and exciting! This is the first I've seen of "jack chains" (I use the term loosely as they are more accurately splints, I think) in their developed form on anything other than 15th century men at arms. Hardened leather would seem more plausable considering the date, but I don't know. . . have to study the picture more. Mark, what book have you got if you don't mind my asking.

Thanks again for the pic!

The book is "The Knight Triumphant: The High Middle Ages, 1314 - 1485" by Stephen Turnbull.

http://www.myArmoury.com/books/item.php?ASIN=0304359718

I don't know if I'd call those true jack-chains. That effigy is from the late end of splinted armour, which I think is a better term. Whether jack-chains are an outgrowth of splinted armour like that or not, though, is an intriguing question. :)

I have a very small file on these 'Jack Chains' as reference is quite scarce. Until I saw the Knights effergy illustration, I thought that they were only worn by men-at-arms as an economical form of defence, and then in the 15th Cent. Itis very interresting to see this earlier type and worn by a Knight as well. If anyone has other reference of these or similar, it would be greatly appreciated !

---

 Attachment: 54.83 KB



 Attachment: 17.72 KB

If I am correct the first picture in the topic is the example of Tomasz Samula's work...I had a pleasure to have a close look when I was in his workplace...Very nice piece for a light infantryman :cool:

a close up of the painting

---

 Attachment: 24.03 KB

I wanted to revive this topic for a few reasons:

-I still think this is a fascinating topic
-I'm thinking about making a set of chains as a good introductory armouring project
-I just noticed that Patrick Thaden has discounted a set of very nice jack chains--just $75! Maybe it's worth it to him, but that would probably work out to significantly less than minimum wage for me. Seems like a great bargain.

http://www.thadenarmory.com/sell/specials/specials.htm

---

 Attachment: 65.94 KB

Craig,

They seems to be pure protection items. They are often listed in inventories and purchase with munition like suits, sallets, arms splints, breastplates in the same orders. The middle ground between these and full arms seems to win out in the early 16th with the splint arms which basically are couters of very simple nature with a two-three inch wide plate that is rectangular for the upper arm and somewhat rectangular piece that is longer for the lower arm. I do not know how long the chain variety holds on as it could be called splints instead in the 16th.

Very nice looking reproductions. I'd love to go visit the Frazier. Though the Royal Armoury is actually closer...

RPM