Nightband Hand Forged Blackened Steel Manica and Rune Cut Bracer Set | 18 Gauge Articulated Lames | Black Leather Straps | Norse LARP Gift | RK-1520

The same pair of arm defences we make in bright steel, finished here in black. One articulated manica of overlapping lames riveted to internal leather straps that wraps the forearm and folds with the elbow, and one flared plate bracer with a beaded border, a black leather trim and a line of Elder Futhark cut across the face. Both pieces are blackened rather than painted, both are trimmed and strapped in black leather, and the polished bright edges of the lames are left to catch light against the dark ground.

Black armour is not a fantasy invention. Through the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries an enormous amount of real harness was issued black, and the reason was money. Polishing steel to white is slow skilled labour, so armourers supplying common soldiers left the pieces black from the hammer, with the forge scale still on them, or painted and blackened them deliberately. Contemporary documents call it black harness and it was the ordinary soldier equipment of the period, while the mirror bright suits everyone pictures were the expensive exception. Blackened steel also rusts more slowly than white steel, which was a second and very practical benefit. Both pieces here are cut, formed, riveted, blackened and engraved in our Memphis workshop. The wooden arm form and the folded leather in the photograph are studio props.

Specifications

What blackening is and what it is not

Blackening is a controlled oxide layer on the surface of the steel rather than a coat of something sitting on top of it. That is the important distinction. Paint and powder coat are films, so they chip at an edge and peel back in a sheet once water gets under them, and the bare steel beneath then rusts unseen. An oxide finish is part of the metal, so it wears rather than flakes, it thins at the high spots where a strap rubs and it takes on a used look instead of a damaged one.

What blackening does not do is make steel rustproof. It slows corrosion, it does not stop it, and a blackened piece left wet will still bloom orange, particularly in the strap channels where air cannot get at it. So the care routine below is not optional just because the finish is dark, and the honest summary is that black hides light rust for longer, which is a reason to be more diligent rather than less.

The bright edges on the lames are done last. Once the piece is blackened, the outer rolled edge of each band is drawn back to white steel, so the arm reads as a stack of lit lines rather than a black mass. It is a deliberate contrast and it needs oiling like any bare steel.

Steel, gauge and honest limits

Both pieces are mild steel at 18 gauge, roughly 1.2 mm. That is display and light reenactment weight. It is correct for LARP, film, stage, costume, display and light contact, and it is not certified armour and it is not built for full contact steel combat. Heavy list and buhurt leagues publish minimum gauges and impact standards for limb armour, and if you fight in one of those you should buy limb protection made to those rules rather than to this specification.

Everything on both pieces is riveted rather than welded, which is what makes them repairable. A strap that wears through is a ten minute job with hand tools, and we will do it for you under the warranty rather than have you replace the set.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel or the leather. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us where it goes. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On this set the bracer face already carries a rune line and your text takes its place, and cut lines read especially well on a blackened surface because the tool exposes bright steel inside the cut. See the engraving page.

Fit and sizing

We need three numbers. Forearm circumference at the widest point, bicep circumference just above the elbow, and length from the wrist bone to two inches above the point of the elbow. Take them over the padded sleeve or arming garment you intend to wear rather than over bare skin.

Length is the measurement people get wrong. Straps can absorb a difference in girth and nothing can rescue a manica that finishes below the elbow, so if you are between sizes tell us and we build long and adjust the strapping. The bracer is handed because of the flare, so name the arm. If you are buying for a shield arm, mention it, because most people want the deeper cover on the side that takes the blow.

Care

Wipe both pieces down after wearing, and pay attention to the underside of the lames and the channels behind the straps, since that is where sweat sits and where a blackened finish will let rust start without showing it early. Keep a light film of oil over everything, bright edges included. Feed the black leather twice a year with a neutral dressing rather than a heavy grease, because too much oil will soften and darken the trim. Store the manica flat or hung from its top strap so the lames are not crushed. If the black wears thin at a rub point, that is normal and we can re black a piece for you rather than sell you a new one. The routine on steel care covers the metal.

Forged in Memphis

Cut, formed, rolled, riveted, blackened, trimmed and engraved in our shop in Memphis, Tennessee. Nothing on this set was bought in from an importer catalogue and re badged. The lifetime warranty against defects in forming, riveting and fittings has no end date and needs no receipt.

A note on handmade variation

This is hand made, not machine made or bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. Blackening is a chemical and heat process, so the depth of the black shifts between pieces, the number of lames changes with arm length and leather grain and tone differ from hide to hide. The dimensions, the material and the build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Is the black paint

No. It is a blackened oxide finish in the metal surface rather than a film on top of it, so it wears back gradually instead of chipping off in flakes the way paint or powder coat does.

Will it still rust

Yes, more slowly than bright steel but not never. Blackening also hides early rust, so wipe it dry and keep a thin oil film on it, especially under the straps.

Do I get both pieces in this listing

Yes, one articulated manica and one flared bracer as photographed. Ask before ordering if you want a matched pair for both arms and we will quote it.

Can I wear these for buhurt or heavy list

No. This is 18 gauge display and light reenactment weight with no impact certification. Those leagues set their own limb armour standards and you should buy to them.

Can I have the bright version instead

Yes, we make the same set in polished bright steel with russet leather and brass rivets. It is listed separately, and we can also mix the two, for example a blackened manica with a bright bracer.

How long before it ships

Processing is one to two weeks because everything is built to your arm measurements and blackened to order, then shipping is free inside the United States.

What is in the box

• One blackened articulated steel manica on internal leather straps
• One flared blackened bracer with a beaded rim and a rune cut face
• Black vegetable tanned leather trim, straps and buckles, fitted
• Care and fitting sheet for blackened steel
• Lifetime warranty against defects in forming, riveting and fittings
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

See more in plate armor, viking armor, engraved and personalised pieces and leather armor, or read the guides.