Spes Heavies. Still Relevant?

Looking back at the old faithfuls.

[joejoelesh]

SPES heavies are still relevant (late 2021) as a standard to measure others against.

We need other options at the same price point and protection level. Fortunately we are getting some from both HF ARMORY (Black Knight gauntlets), and Kvetun (Xiphosura).

To your point, I find that the other option (Sparing Gloves), causes me to grip too hard due to both a lack of flexibility in the glove and poor traction.

[Gormancraft]

I really like spes heavies for SCA rattan fighting. The pricepoint to protection ratio is superb.

[MisdirectedSasha]

My SPES heavies have survived several attempts to replace them. I've patched quite a few holes, added more thumb protection after some nasty bruises, and took a dart out of the cuffs to try to get them to fit better, and replaced a couple rivets and most of the elastics, but five years later they're still going strong.

[ossian]

The SPES now encased the thumb, but you can probably get away with the tiny finger protectors caps under the glove, on thumb and pinkie (rotate them, to have the shell facing away from the fingernail, not over it)

[gracesprocket]

I properly take an XS, but I still have my first glove, bought second hand which was the original M/L sizing. I find they behave slightly differently - with the small glove it moves with my hand, while the larger one is a space my hand can move inside. Both are quite usable though, unlike certain other custom sized gloves which never worked at all.

[MedievalGenie]

As much as I agree that control and respect are very important and mean you don't need maximum protection, I find that once I'm out of the club and joining tournaments, it's a lucky dip for whether I get a respectful fighter who just wants to try winning or a fighter who is a bloodthirsty and wants to see an opponent hospitalised.

I do agree that they are good value for money and I (perhaps unusually) use this for sabre sparring and tournaments. Dexterity isn't amazing for it, but it still protects well while not stopping movement too much.

By the way, do you know why so many other gauntlets DON'T have the inside glove?

[errorrishe]

Spec heavy requires some maintenance too. Mostly related to elastic cords failures.
It is a very good idea to quickly check you gloves before sparring just in case.

But at the moment it is a very good choice, our default recommendation for students :)

[wilowhisp]

I got the spes heavy 2.0 with the split fingers, they have excellent dexterity and protection. I hope Spes brings that design back, It seems like they stopped making those.

[snakeplissken]

I will keep using my Spes heavies until i get some pro-gauntlets or maybe the new thokk ones that are in development depending on reviews & availability as i'd like something more heavy duty than Spes lights for doing sidesword sparring. But even then i trust my heavies so will probably keep using them for longsword & messer.

[aliasaka]

Hi, do you have any recommendations for gloves which are very protective and usable for sidesword fencing?

[willek]

Hi.Quick question:
I found an old sword in my attic, and I thought it would be fun to learn how to do a flurry. Do you have any tips or video recommendations?
Thank you. 😁

(Edit: I have no prior experience in swordsmanship, other than trying to replicate a 4/5 year old shadiversity video. )

[jimmyrustler]

As a general rule, all gloves that I buy are a size down. Nothing worse than an ill-fitted glove. 🤙

[andrewsock]

When you take price into consideration it’s better to wrap your hand in dish cloths and cardboard finished of with duct tape. But I guess things that are not in high demand will always cost a premium.

[asikmort]

This comment is not about this video, but I can't find another way of contacting you so.
At the video where you rated sword fight scenes from movies. The scene with Jack and Will from pirates of the carribean. I want to point out one thing. When you comment about how Will hold the blade and you say put "put your thumb on top" you are saddly wrong.
He is holding for what I can say a "straight" saber style officers sword, with on side guard protecting his fingers. Those type of blades, are handled as mostlty like sabers (The fact that its not curved not even a little bit, takes away some saber moves but still its 80% saber style ) So the correct way to hold a saber
One thing to clearfy these photo links, is that the thumb is "on top" of the handle. And will does have his thumb in the correct position. BUT one thing to consider, is the following.
You pick up an officers sword (straight or curved)
You grab the handle as low as possible
You take your thump and you put it on top of the handle, so it would look like you are giving a thumbs up (if someone where to look at you from the side)
AND last but not least, you rotate your wrist, down and to the right so your knuckles are looking on your outside.
If you go back to that scene you will see that will is holding his sword perfectly for the kind of sword that he is using.
Now, assuming the era of the movie is somewhere in the 1800 the military weapons have gone from side swords to rapier to sabers and at that time officers are wielding straighish saber but they use them almost the same way as a smallsword. So he has a sword that has the defensive parts of a saber with a knuckle guard, its straight so he will mainly go for piercing (and some cuts, but not as many as you would do with a side sword ) and he uses a stance that in the next 200 years will evolve in the todays stance of modern fencing.

Thats what I wanted to say, other than that it was great video. I also really like other videos and a friend of mine do look to you for information about swords. But I felt like I needed to point out that mistake you made, which was probably because you either havent spend much time with saber type swords or because you didnt pay enough attentions. But besides some crossing steps they do which you wouldnt do, some distancing problems you mentioned, the way they hold their swords. Is 100% correct for the swords each of them use.
Even the way jack is deffending agaisnt wills attack with out moving his elbow forward is fantastcly correct.
(One last thing, you said that if he doesnt move his thumb he will lose his sword. Thats not gonna happen with the kind of sword he is using. In a real fight a person using a sword like his would never come to a place were disarming would even be an option for his oppenent (mainly because he would always keep his distance if it was a life or death situation. Disarms only happen in HEMA contenst with full armor. I want to take two hema contesters REMOVE all their protective gear, sharpen their blades and then have them fight. And if anyone of them goes for a dissarm I will chop my arm off. No armour no disarm. Only a moron would close the distance going for a disarm against something that can cut you or break your jaw. And if you believe other wise I challenge you to use shard swords and not wear any armour a do a sparing with a friend and see how close you would want to get to his blade) and the dissarm is also not possible because they way he is holding the sword, at the buttom of the handle, which gives him fantastic rotating moves from the wrist that are great for cutting or bringing the sword in possition where if his thumb was in a classic punch grip he couldnt do it. What do I mean... You have indian clubs in your gym. Pick one up, and holding with a punch grip and try to do a rotation behind your head (you know which on I mean) then move you thumb they way the pictures show and repeat the rotation. You will feel the club better in your hand it will go a bit farther behind easily and.. and that.))

Hope you read this.
Have a nice day/night depending on the time you read it

[Narguhl]

You really should put the www.swordfightonline.com in the description.