Vambrace

Vambrace on jousting armour

Vambraces (French: avant-bras, Polish: karwasz, sometimes known as lower cannons in the Middle Ages) or forearm guards are tubular or gutter defences for the forearm worn as part of a suit of plate armour. Vambraces may be worn with or without separate couters in a full suit of medieval armour. The term originates in the early 14th century. They were made from either boiled leather or steel. Leather vambraces were sometimes reinforced with longitudinal strips of hardened hide or metal creating splinted armour.

See also

Bracer, armguard used by archers, and Manica, armguard of the ancient Romans.

External links

External image

Metal vambrace with integrated elbow and upper arm protection(reenactment)

• The Armour Archive examples and construction information for replica vambraces

Components of medieval armour
Head	Armet Barbute Bascinet Burgonet Cervelliere Enclosed helmet Close helmet Great helm Frog mouth Hounskull Lobster tail pot Mail coif Morion Nasal helmet Sallet Spangenhelm Kettle hat
Face	Visor Falling buffe
Neck	Aventail Bevor Gorget Pixane
Torso	Breastplate Brigandine Cuirass Culet Pauncer Plackart Fauld Hauberk Codpiece Lance rest Coat of plates Jack of plate
Arms	Ailette Besagew Couter Gauntlet Pauldron Rerebrace Spaulder Vambrace
Legs	Bases Chausses Cuisses Greave Poleyn Sabaton Schynbald Tasset
Pieces	Gousset Lame Rondel