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WABUKAN Arsenal · Protection and armour · Europe

Gambeson

A quilted, padded jacket worn as armour on its own or under mail and plate; today it is standard protective wear in HEMA.

Gambeson
Gambeson WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

aketon; acton; padded jack; pourpoint; arming doublet

Origin and history

As stand-alone cloth armour, the European gambeson can be traced at least to the late 10th century, and quilted jackets are far older: Scythian horsemen wore them before the 4th century BC. In 15th- and 16th-century Europe the arming doublet worn under plate carried "points" (laces) to attach the plates, and in late 15th-century Italy it even became civilian fashion.

Martial arts that use it

HEMA

Construction

Layers of linen or wool sewn together by quilting (pourpointing), with a stuffing that could be scrap cloth or horsehair. Arming doublets for plate armour could have patches of mail (goussets) sewn into the elbows and armpits. Modern HEMA jackets follow the same idea.

Basic techniques

Training

Protective equipment is part of training itself: students learn to put it on correctly, check straps and padding, and move and breathe while wearing it before any contact work.

Safety

Protection only works if it fits: replace cracked, torn or compressed padding, check helmets and grilles regularly and let damp gear dry fully to avoid skin infections.

Legality (general information)

This is training or traditional equipment, not a weapon, and is generally free to buy and own. Clubs and federations may still set rules on approved models and condition. General information, not legal advice.

Did you know?

The word gambeson comes, through Old French, from the Middle High German wambeis ("doublet"), itself from Old High German wamba, "stomach". The alternative name aketon may come from Arabic al-qutn, "the cotton".

More weapons

Fencing mask Hogu (chest protector) Mouthguard Bogu Boxing gloves

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Gambeson
  2. Wikipedia — Historical European martial arts