New locking mechanism "Gauntlets" MOW

Hey Guys,

Wanted to show you the new locking mechanism I created for my 2009 gauntlets. The standard Velcro closure design has been driving me nuts for years now like it has for a lot of you I'm sure. In it's place I'm using the smallest center release buckle I could find for the overall closure mechanism. The center release or CR buckles are 1/2" in size and stand only 1/8" tall allowing for a very low profile. Each CR buckle is held in place with metal straps and plug inserts as shown in the photos below. You may notice that the CR buckle in the rear doesn't line up with the one in the front. This is due to the angle of the gauntlet themselves. I had to make an adjustment by lowering the front buckle at the wrist. "No big deal". The new 09" gauntlets will also have this hard resin bottom section as well replacing the previous vacuumed formed versions. I sculpted the new hard bottom sections to look just like the vacuumed versions The vacuumed bottoms were just to unpredictable for my taste in the end. I hope you'll like these new resin versions. They've got excellent strength and there's no fighting about putting them on or removing them because we've gotten rid of the Velcro. I'm also going back to the flat metal hinge design too..I tried a Nylon flexible hinge or what's commonly called a "Living Hinge" but the classic flat metal hinge just looked better so there it is. This new locking design works great and is simple to use. You'll have to remove your flame retardant gloves to feel the center release push tabs when removing the gauntlets but it's a small price to pay when compared to fighting with a Velcro closure. I'll be continuing to make ROTJ version gauntlets with these new upgrades and perhaps some ESB's too..Feel free to drop me a PM if your interested in picking up a set or for further details..Best, Christian

Holy Moly!

that looks great! having velcro sucks. great idea christian.

That looks awesome. I'll have a look around here to see if these small buckles are available here in the Netherlands

Christian excellent idea mate. I can't believe I didn't think of that as that's exactly what I use on my TK, attaching my bells to the shoulder strip.

I grabbed the buckles from an old suitcase, (cut them out before the missus could stop me, heh heh). Now I've got to track down some new ones.

I like your thinking mate!

Good work Cris!!!!!!!!1

That is a fantastic idea! Amazing!

I used a similar buckle for a cape chain..if you are having a problem finding them, try a pet store, they use these on cat collars a lot...

thats awesome!!!! i was trying to figure a way to were i wouldn't have to use velcro. i am going to have to try this out.

If you try this system..take your time. You need to be very precise. The alignment and placement of each metal strap in conjunction with each male/ female sections of the buckle is crucial for a clean look. Good luck!

Hey Guys,

Here's a look at the new ESB gauntlets. They'll come with the new locking mechanism, hard resin bottoms and flat metal hinges. These are available for purchase. Drop me a pm if your interested.

Pm'ed...payment sent for a ESB set...thanks

Thanks again guys, I posted an official thread with more photos in the Armor section..Best, Christian