Spring Steel Gorget "Dark Star"
Blackened neck protection armor
Plate Armor Gorget "Dark Star"
Blackened functional steel neck protection
A dance with the Dark Star is like no other. It usually involves a sword and a dagger or two, and you’re lucky to leave with your life. She isn’t one of the most renowned duelists in the kingdom for nothing, after all. So go, fall into her orbit, and see if you can dance that dance… just remember that I warned you.
The “Dark Star” collection is made from an amazingly strong material: spring steel. This is the first result of much experimentation with this new material, and we have found that we can make armor much thinner than we can with mild steel, thus being able to produce items that are much lighter. This collection was created with the female figure in mind. The whole collection is completed with a beautiful blackened finish, which gives it a rich, darkened tone, as well as protecting the whole thing from rust and other environmental factors.
This gorget is loosely inspired by the late XV century, though you can see some inspiration from the Gothic period. It features some light fluting and a well-articulated neck, meaning it is easy for you to look around, be aware, and maintain your ease of movement as your neck is protected. At the front, the gorget dips down to provide decent coverage. The back of it covers the most vital parts of your upper back, before giving way to three thinner 1mm lames that provide you with that flexibility we mentioned earlier. The final layer on this gorget is the thin strip of other at the top, which will protect your chin from rubbing on steel. This is riveted on, which gives a nice little decorative touch to the top of the gorget as the brass rivets all adorn the top lame.
We have used high-quality leather on this piece, which you can see used on the stip along the top as well as behind all of the lames, creating that smooth neck articulation. All of the rivets used throughout are solid rivets, peened over washers, so they’re sure to stand the test of time and also resist rust much more than steel rivets would. This gorget closes with a hinge on one side, and a push button mechanism on the other, which is very robust and will protect you well in battle.
Please, mind that no polishing option is available if you choose brassed spring steel!
To check how to measure yourself please click here.
Please contact us if you have any additional questions.
IMPORTANT: To fit correctly and prevent injury, a suit of armour must be accurately built to the measurements of the person wearing it. PLEASE take all measurements over either the gambeson or under-padding you are planning to wear with this armour. The sole exception is for persons buying armour and padding together, ArmStreet will then make the proper size adjustments for the armour based on the measurements provided for the padding.
- 1.2mm spring steel;
- 1mm spring steel;
- Solid brass rivets;
- Leather.
- Articulated neck;
- Leather lined top;
- Decorative brass rivets;
- Rust resistant blackening.
This item is part of the “Dark Star” collection View collection
This item is part of the “Stars of Steel” collection View collection
This is an excellent gorget to wear, and I have really enjoyed using it on the field - it's by far the lightest, most flexible, most comfortable neck armor I've ever worn. That said, the closure mechanism is very stiff and borderline unworkable, especially if you have any sort of joint problems in your hands. It is difficult to put on and it is extremely difficult to take off. Looking at the product photos, mine may be defective as the bottom post is on the wrong side, but the issue stands that it is a struggle to remove after fighting. It's an excellent product when on, but the difficulty with putting it on and taking it off is a major drawback.
Well, the mechanism is quite simple and historically relevant. This mechanism for sure requires certain precision, but most users are doing well with it. Our simple guess is that the gorget might be slightly small for you or for the rest of the armor/under armor you wear, so if the front and back plates have an angle between them in a shoulder area it might lock the mechanism. Would be interested to see a video if possible, and also would you mind asking someone to take it off and see what happens, cause the other guess is that you simply lift it up when trying to unlock the way it locks the pin.
This gorget is so enchanting! It is so light that you can wear it around your neck without feeling cramped! Nevertheless, it looks strong. It sits low and close to the breastbone, which makes for a great shape! It's so light and flexible that I've forgotten it's still there several times when taking off my armor! I love it! I wear a light gambeson with a gorget, because otherwise, but only after a few hours, the leather strips on the inside, which form the attachment, press into the soft, unclothed skin of my neck. Do not misunderstand: The collar is INCREDIBLY comfortable! This collar is magnificent! It is so light that you will love wearing it, with never feeling to tightened! But it has a very strong appearance! It lays deep and tight on your sternum / breastbone for a beautiful ladylike silhouette. It is so light, several time I forgot to take it off while taking off my whole armor! It is so comfortable! I love it!
I have never known a gorget to be so flexible! The last one I had was designed for a man, too big for me, and so uncomfortable I was worried it would hurt my neck if I wore it for long, but this piece removes all those concerns. The neck joints move as one moves her neck while providing standard field plate protection. I've yet to wear it in combat, however the quality of the stainless steel should compensate for the gorget's being thinner than any other armour I have worn. As I have typical female endowments I intend to follow up with the cuirass in brassed spring steel as soon as I can afford it!
Huge thanks for your feedback! ArmStreet Team wishes you a great season!
As usual, their armor is everything I expected when ordered. Very high quality and durable.