A Pair of Voiders

Historical References

[Removed for editing]

The following are selection taken from the Transcript of two Rols, containing an Inventory of Effects farmerly belonging to Sir John Fastolfe (pp. 41-2):

• Item, j Jakke of blakke lynen clothe stuffyd with mayle.
• Item, j Jakke of blake clothe lyned with canvas mayled.
• Item, xxilj Cappes stuffyd withe horne and sum withe mayle. (23 caps stuffed with either discs of antler or maille)
• Item, vj payre Glovys of mayle, of schepys skynne, and of doos. (6 pairs of maille gloves lined with sheep or doe skin)
• Item, ij Harburyones of I'milayne (Haubergeons de l'acier Milayne, or maille shirts of Milanese steel)
• Item, vi peces of mayle

A Jack was a jacket made of up several layers of cloth. Black was the costliest color to dye cloth, so black linen was also a status symbol. As an added layer of protections, this one was also stuffed with a layer maille (shirt).

How were they attached?

The following tutorial is based upon a conversation with Dr. Tobias Capwell and a social media post written by Arne Koets, two of the leading authorities on knightly tournaments.

1. Put on your armour and trace the edges of all the plates with chalk to show the portions of the arming doublet that are exposed.
2. Carefully remove the armour without erasing your chalk markings
3. Decide on how much overlap you can afford based upon the density of the mail (inner diameter) and the space you have inside each of the pieces (well-tailored armour fitted without maille will have limited free space inside the plates).
4. Tailor the maille to extend to your predetermined overlap while still providing the necessary range of motion.
5. Find the center-most link in your armpit and stitch that to the actual armpit of your arming doublet, usually best done (carefully) by another person while you are wearing it.
6. The maille should be stitched on as high as possible in the armpit to provide best range of motion.
7. ‘Compress' the maille around the corner to allow for some expansion when you lift your arm (the maille should hang tight, the links closely overlapped).
8. The maille should cover all the gaps; this often involves a bit of a twist around the length of the arm depending on the style of armour worn.


Additional Considerations:

• Use waxed leather thread to stitch the maille to the doublet.
• If you decide to wash the doublet, cut the threads, leaving the stitches in the cloth. This will help you line up the mail when it is time to re-apply it.
• A band of maille across the shoulders behind the neck will reduce the amount of strain the voiders place on the arming doublet.
• Do not stitch the lower portion of the maille protecting the torso to the doublet. It will restrict your movement. However, it is important to connect the lower edges of the two torso flaps in order to keep them from coming out of the cuirass at the armpits. This connection can be with leathers or laces or a thin strip of maille.
• Voiders have the advantage of more elbow movement in general over the pisanello (“bolero jacket”) of maille with long sleeves. They also use about 1/3 less maille than full sleeves, which considerable reduces the overall weight as well.

Further reading:

For a plausible example (reproduction) of an export harness for an English client, read Milanese Export 'Alla Inglese'.

References:

[To be added shortly] Transcript of two Rols, containing an Inventory of Effects farmerly belonging to Sir John Fastolfe by Thomas Amyot, Esq. F.R.S., printed in ARCHAEOLOGIA Vol. XX1 (1826).