> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.houseofnormal.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Building a stainless Gorget for HEMA - URL: https://www.houseofnormal.com.au/building-a-stainless-gorget-for-hema/ - Published: 2026-01-25T22:51:11.000Z - Updated: 2026-01-26T05:42:57.000Z - Description: How I built a budget-friendly HEMA gorget using scrap stainless steel, a borrowed Winter Tree Craft pattern, and built from stainless steel, leather straps, and peened copper rivets. - Author: Damien K Quick - Tags: The Lab Need gorget, but no money for gorget, because all money spent on swords. And such is life when you discover there’s such a thing as Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). You dive in head first, and before you know it… you’re a sword collector. So now you have many swords 👏🏽 — but if you want to use them, you’re going to need armour. After all, no one wants to lose a limb. But let me clarify a few things here for those of you who’ve just realised HEMA is actually a thing. We don’t use live blades — well, at least not when training with opponents. For longsword training, we use specially made, [historically accurate training fedders.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feder%5F%28fencing%29?ref=houseofnormal.com.au) The “armour” is also specially crafted, and mostly **not** metal. Generally: a gambeson, padded pants, a box for floppily-doppilies, shin guards (motocross ones work fine), special plastic gauntlets, and various types of fencing masks depending on what swords are being used. One of the only full-metal parts commonly allowed in training and competition is the **gorget** (pronounced ***gaw-juht***). ![Copper rivets and buckles and the marked out pieces of stainless](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/Copper-rivets-and-buckles.jpg) Copper rivets and buckles and the marked out pieces of stainless I am **not** a fan of getting stabbed in the neck, and due to a lack of remaining funds (plus a collection of appropriate tools), I decided to make a copy of the Winter Tree Craft (WTC) gorget — which is a pretty common choice. One of the HEMA club members lent me his so I could take measurements and work out how it was built. I had some scrap stainless steel lying around, just enough for the project. I drew it all up to scale on paper first so I could test the shape and get an idea if it would fit, then roughly cut it out with a grinder. I wish I had a plasma cutter. Oh how I wish. To keep it authentic, I’d need copper rivets, plus buckles and leather straps from [Crispin Leather in Brisbane.](https://crispinleather.au/?ref=houseofnormal.com.au) ![Bending the stainless pieces on an old singer machine body](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/Bending-the-stainless-pieces-on-an-old-singer-machine-body.jpg) Bending the stainless pieces on an old singer machine body With a bit more careful grinding, I cleaned up the initial rough cuts. Then I finished it off with a belt sander using a steel linishing belt. The cheap Ryobi belt-and-disc sander works fine, but it doesn’t have the custom adjustment angles of higher-quality (and higher-priced) metal linishers. ![All the stainless pieces bend and ready to drill](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/All-the-stainless-pieces-bend-and-ready-to-drill.jpg) All the stainless pieces bend and ready to drill I have an old cast body of a Singer sewing machine — rescued from the depths of a friend’s garden — that I use for moulding shapes. You can bend parts like this by hand, or use a hammer to bash in the tighter curves. ![Stainless gorget pieces drilled](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/Stainless-gorget-pieces-drilled.jpg) Stainless gorget pieces drilled I probably should have drilled all the holes first, but I’d never done this before, so I inadvertently skipped a few steps. Once all the holes were drilled on the drill press, I did a final clean-up using the best sander. We don’t need burrs and sharp points here. This thing is designed for my neck. ![My cut stainless piece compared to the original WTC gorget](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/My-cut-stainless-piece-compared-to-the-original-WTC-gorget.jpg) My cut stainless piece compared to the original WTC gorget This is the copy I made, on theeft, and the original WTC gorget I borrowed on the right. Then I cut out the leather lining to suit. ![Adding the rivets — cut to size and peened.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/The-copper-rivit-needs-to-be-cut-and-peened.jpg) Adding the rivets — cut to size and peened. ![My leather strap cutting is rough as guts, but I’ll clean it up before finishing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/The-leather-buckle-loop.jpg) My leather strap cutting is rough as guts, but I’ll clean it up before finishing. ![A nicely peened copper rivet.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/The-copper-rivet-mid-install.jpg) A nicely peened copper rivet ![I drilled shallow holes in my makeshift block of mild steel to help with the rivet process.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/A-single-copper-rivet-sits-on-a-block-of-steel-with-a-hammer.jpg) I drilled shallow holes in my makeshift block of mild steel to help with the rivet process. ![The finished forget from the top](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/The-finished-forget-from-the-top.jpg) The finished gorget from above ![Copper rivets are all set in place](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/Copper-rivets-are-all-set-in-place.jpg) Copper rivets are all set in place ![behold the finished gorget](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/behold-the-finished-gorget.jpg) Behold! The finished gorget ![The finished gorget from the side - much neater straps ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/The-finished-gorget-from-the-side.jpg) The finished gorget from the side - much neater straps ![The finished gorget from the rear](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/The-finished-gorget-from-the-rear.jpg) The finished gorget from the rear ![Fitting the gorget straps](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/Fitting-the-gorget-straps.jpg) Fitting the gorget straps ![The gorget fits nice and snug around the neck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/The-gorget-fits-nice-and-snug-around-the-neck.jpg) The gorget fits nice and snug around the neck Overall it works well. If i made it again i would reduce the height slightly. I think I made this slightly larger than the original WTC design. I’m keen to attempt a full suit of steel armour someday. *(Update: I did give it a go (below) — I managed to make a single pauldron, but the lack of a proper shed made it difficult. Cold-beating steel is *a lot* louder than I expected, so I had to pause until I can secure a more suitable space.)* ![The single pauldron beat from a flat piece of mild steel sheet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/06/f506ab6d-e203-43c2-a0f2-3799d8a41c9c/content/images/2026/01/a-single-pauldron-sits-on-a-bench.jpg) The single pauldron beat from a flat piece of mild steel sheet --- **Everything on this site is free for everyone.** **No ads. No popups. No paywalls.** Subscribe to receive the free monthly newsletter, and you’ll be able to comment on posts. If you’d like to help keep this project sustainable, there are [**Supporter** and **Sponsor** ](https://www.houseofnormal.com.au/#/portal/)tiers available - Totally optional.