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The Dorsett House, Inc.

2008

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About our Armour

I want  to thank you for considering our leather armour.  In my opinion it is the best on the market.  And, if you run into any of our customers, I think they will agree.  I wear the very designs on our website to fairs and know what works and what hurts over a full day in the suit.  I have taken that knowledge and have designed our suits to be highly durable, comfortable and affordable.

The average turn-around time for a full suit is about 10 business days.  This is an average so if you are in a tight spot don't hesitate to call.  We pride ourselves on helping out our customers

The Couter (elbow cover), Pauldron (articulated shoulder), Besegew (underarm cover), Tasset (between Cuirass and Chause), and Chause knees are all 18/19 oz veg. tanned leather which is wet formed into shape.  The weight and the firm nature of the veg. tan will keep the shape for years to come.  

The balance of the suit is made from a 14/15 oz. veg. tanned leather.  These areas are the: upper Chause, Greaves, Cuirass, Gauntlets, and Belt.  We go with the lighter leather in areas were there is more need for movement.  

The Pauldron connects to an O-ring on the shoulder of the cuirass and is adjustable forward or backward without affecting the adjustment of the cuirass which also adjusts at the shoulder.  The Chause is connected to an 8" strap on the bottom of the cuirass and is adjustable up and down as well as forward or backward.  The greaves are not part of the Chause letting your knee bend more fully.

Since we all can't afford squires I have designed the armour to be easy to get on and off.  All of the cuirasses close on the back with a 1" strap so you don't have to juggle everything while trying to put on the curiass.  Also, all the suits are interchangeable with each other.

The Cuirass has an adjustment at the shoulders and is the only sized piece of the armour.  The sizes are: Small/Medium-30"-40" waist and the Large/XLarge-40"-50" waist.  All of the suits come with belt loops on the armour (another thing we have learned).  This keeps the belt, no matter how many pouches, daggers, and swords on it, from slipping below the cuirass (you can never look good with your sword belt around you ankles, sword dragging in the dirt, dagger catching leaves and grass...).

And lastly (we can only hope) a word about leather armour.  We are asked regularly why leather over metal armour.  There are three reasons.  First is weight.  Our heaviest suit ships out around 24#'s,  and that includes both 14/15 oz. and 18/19oz leather as well as a cloak.  Can you imagine how much less fatigued and how much more nimble you would be over a metal suit weighing in at 60 #'s.  Secondly, we are rarely using live steel which makes weight over strength a good trade-off.  And, lastly, cost.  Our best suite is only a third of the cost of a simple metal suit.  In my opinion the leather armour has so many attributes in design, decoration and strength that the choice is clear.

Chuck Dorsett                                                                                     

Send mail to dorsetthouse3@bellsouth.net with questions or comments about this web site.
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