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Vambraces
Vambraces are arm armor done properly. Not just a plate over the forearm, not just an elbow guard, but the full assembly from mid upper arm to wrist: a rerebrace covering the upper arm, a couter articulating at the elbow, and a lower arm plate enclosing the forearm. Three components working together as one cohesive piece of protection, which is exactly how a knight in the field would have worn them.
If bracers are the entry point into arm armor, vambraces are the destination. They are the piece that closes every gap along the arm, that reads as serious and complete from across a field, and that elevates a kit from a collection of parts into something that looks like it belongs on a battlefield.
What Makes a Vambrace Different
The distinction matters because the terms get used loosely, including on a lot of other websites. A bracer covers the forearm. A vambrace, in the full historical sense, covers the entire arm from mid upper arm to wrist as a single articulated system.
That system has three parts. The rerebrace sits on the upper arm, held in place by straps around the bicep and connecting upward to a pauldron if the kit includes shoulder armor. The couter is the elbow plate, shaped to allow the joint to flex while maintaining coverage through the full range of motion. The lower cannon, or forearm plate, protects the lower arm and closes around the wrist where the gauntlet begins. Together they move with the arm rather than against it, which is the engineering achievement that took medieval armorers centuries to refine.
In a LARP or reenactment context, that articulation is what separates vambraces from simpler arm protection. A well-fitted pair of vambraces does not impede combat movement in any meaningful way. What it does do is add considerable weight to a silhouette, presence to a character, and authenticity to a kit that nothing shorter than the full assembly can replicate.
What's in the Range
The six pieces here cover a deliberate spread of styles, periods, and price points.
The Captain and Soldier Arm Protection are the most accessible starting points: clean military silhouettes that suit a wide range of character types and pair naturally with the corresponding chest pieces from the plate armor range. Both are complete vambrace assemblies and a solid choice for anyone building their first full arm harness.
The Landsknecht Vambraces reference the distinctive German mercenary soldiers of the 16th century, whose armor tended toward dramatic proportions and pronounced fluting. There are two versions in the range: the standard Landsknecht Vambraces, and the Landsknecht Vambraces in 1.6mm steel from our Yoremade line, a heavier gauge construction aimed at reenactors and buyers who want a more substantial and historically precise piece. If historical accuracy and material quality are priorities, the Yoremade version is the one to consider.
The Gothic Arm Protection takes its cues from the angular, fluted Gothic plate style developed in southern Germany in the 15th century: one of the most visually refined armor traditions of the medieval period and a strong choice for any build aiming at serious historical character or high fantasy knight aesthetics.
Finally, Jack Chains sits slightly apart from the rest of the range. Rather than solid plate, jack chains are a mail-based arm defense: lengths of articulated chain connecting at key points along the arm, worn over a padded garment. They offer a different level of coverage and a distinctly different visual character, lighter and more flexible than full plate, and historically associated with infantry, archers, and soldiers who needed mobility over maximum protection. For LARP players building a lighter fighting kit, or reenactors working on a non-knightly impression, Jack Chains are a compelling and often overlooked option.
Steel, Fit, and What to Check Before You Order
As with the rest of the plate armor range, these vambraces are built from mild steel with leather strapping for attachment and articulation. Fit matters more with vambraces than with most other armor pieces given the number of contact points across the arm. Check the size guide before ordering and take both upper arm and forearm measurements, since the rerebrace and lower cannon fit differently and both need to work comfortably for the assembly to move correctly.
Pairing Vambraces With the Rest of Your Kit
Vambraces sit between the shoulder and the hand in any arm harness. The natural companions are pauldrons or spaulders above and gauntlets below. Neither is required for the vambraces to function as a standalone addition, but both complete the picture significantly. A chest piece with vambraces and gauntlets is already a very complete looking harness. Add pauldrons and you have closed every gap from neck to fingertip.