Some guys on here know I play paintball and my username is also my field name. Since I've played in both Black Watch and my digital MARPAT Kilts, I figured I'd continue the "look" by making these to match...lol.
A bit of history is that for some years now, I've dabbled in creating leather hunting accessories...knife sheaths, handgun holsters and possible bags for muzzleloading.
I just spent 20+ hours on them, everything done by hand. The longest (and most difficult) part was the sewing. Getting them in the proper arc of my forearm was a pain, even though I made patterns in cardboard.
The black outter layer is 10 oz leather and the brown accent pieces are 16 oz leather. There are 2 inner layers on each Bracer for padding/anti-chaffing and each of these layers are 6-8 oz upholstery-grade leather.
I was going to harden them into true "armor" by submerging them in boiling water but I decided they are too nice to risk the dyes bleeding into each other. Instead, I'll rub some conditioner into them and then a final layer of wax to protect them.
Before:
After:
Stitching:
Triquetras:
On my arm:
The final step was the lace. I chose a cotton bootlace because it's directly against the underside of my forearm. I used a long, hollow bead as a lace "cinch."
They fit perfectly and are really really comfy!
Now, all i need to do is get out onto the field...lol.
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