What would be the best material to make gauntlets out of? [closed]

Question

If a character trained to fight like a boxer wanted to bring weighted gauntlets to combat in a fantasy setting what material would be the best to do so with? Something heavy to increase the mass on punches but that isn't poisonous (like my first thought, lead). Some scarcity is not an issue since it can be excused but something extremely rare would be hard to work with.

Answer 1

Let's discuss physics for a brief paragraph. A heavier gauntlet does have more mass, it also means more energy to swing those punches. The hit will be heaver, but so will the wasted energy in missing. This is not a bad thing, just a thing to note.

Something else to note is that the heavy gauntlet (unless magically stored) is likely to be warn full time so that is extra encumbrance that your character will have. It may also, depending on its design, limit hand dexterity so long as they are on. Possibly relevant should one be jumped while eating or doing something requiring finer manipulation with one's hands.

His Uncommon Materials

Since as of this answer, it has been tagged as High Fantasy, I would think that you are looking for a magical material more than a purely mundane one. However, ultimately it would depend on the character's talents other than boxing, and even their style of boxing.

Somebody just stronger than the average person may be able to just use something like a Roman cestus, tailored for the world or an average gauntlet. An iron cestus, or equivalent metal in your world, would be perfectly serviceable as the stronger person can carrier them around with little issue.

Rarer still would be an adamantine gauntlet/cestus. Such a gauntlet might be heavier, but the strength and resilience of the fantasy metal means that it can do double duty as a punching weapon and a guard against other weapons. Handy if one's boxing style isn't a mobile as one might like -- or if one is pinned down and not able to move as they would like.

Somebody not as strong in muscle but stronger in magic that uses a more magic-based boxing style may use a lighter material that can channel the magic that they use to enhance their punches. To be clear, they are using their magic to enhance their blows -- see Naruto for the kind of thing. Well, probably more accurate to say Sakura and Tsunade who can punch through a lot.

This material could be leather and iron still -- more a studded gauntlet or glove to concentrate the force. Something like copper or a copper alloy to conduct electric punches into the opponent could be a thing too.

On a more magical side, your gauntlet may be made of a lighter metal known for its ability to conduct magical energy (no matter what you call it). It would be designed so that you can channel your power to increase the damage of your blow in some way -- could be making the gauntlet heavier, could be just added force through magic.

Said light metal may well be titanium or something mundane here but interacts favourably with the supernatural ability of the world.

Answer 2

Can you define "combat" and "boxing" in this context?

i will make 2 opposite assumptions.

1. The gauntlets are used for field of battle combat, against armored and armed enemies with more conventional weapons. If so then the gauntlets need to be covered in steel plate with thick padding underneath. Otherwise, a strike from an axe or a longsword will shatter the user's fingers. They need to cover the forearm as well, and protect the wrists, probably locking them in a straight position. The inside of the palm needs to be reinforced so it could be used to catch and grab enemy blades. Moreover, the gauntlets need some extra offensive power. I would give them knuckle spikes (like Wolverine's but shorter) plus hooked claws to grab onto the enemy. If the Boxer is also clad in heavy plate armour, they could fight by shortening the distance and engaging the enemy in close range boxing/graple at which distance the enemy's weapons are too long to be useful. You can even give the boxer spike-tipped boots, spikes on the knees, elbows, and even a razor sharp rim to their helmet, so that they could also headbutt people to death.

2. Option two, actual boxing. If the Boxer is to engage in unarmored fights (like a pit fighter, gladiator etc) then I would give them lightly padded gloves made of silk, leather, and covered in short blades. It could be just 1 inch metal spikes, but I would suggest embedding obsidian glass into the gauntlets. It is much sharper and thus more dangerous against unarmored opponents, and it can be glued on, so with high impact it would embed itself in the enemy and stay there.

There is no reason why the Boxer character could not have both types, or even a whole basket of different gauntlets for different occasions. If they are really physically fit, they can also use "tiger" gloves for climbing and parkour, special gloves to deal with magic, heat, cold attacks, or poison.

Answer 3

^{Slight frame-challenge.}

Refinement of the idea:

Gloves that are soft enough to wear all day - hard as rock in a punch, flexible enough to perform all daily chores, adjustable weight to allow trimming to the wearer's strength.

Soft and flexible.

They can be made of leather, with an extra layer comprising a continuous hollow compartment which covers the back of the hand to cover the first finger bone. They look like ordinary gloves with fingers, but oddly baggy leather on the back of the biggest joint of every finger knuckles and palm. The cuff-end (wrist end) of the glove's rear-mounted pouch can be drawn together and sealed with a drawstring synch. Threads should be the strongest material available, silk triple stitching. The interior of the pouch should be sealed and in soft condition with a cream of beeswax and oil. The gloves should be emptied, washed/dried and reconditioned then filled every 6 months.

You need oobleck, with added iron-oxide powder.

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, flows and is pliable and soft at slow speed, but strike it and it's as hard as rock. It's made of starch, water (plus a little salt to prevent it starting to rot). The addition of iron-oxide powder to the matrix can bring-up the mass substantially, and is adjustable within the limits of what the wearer wants and can cope with.

The mixture can be added to the pouch. The fingers remain flexible in normal use (does not include piano playing as this would require quick finger movements).

Advantages:

Easily obtained materials, starch, rust, leather, stitching, beeswax/oil - and the discipline of neat sewing to put it all together.

In the punch: the feel of being hit with a rock in a leather pouch. A quick back-hand slap would deliver a similar effect. All this with minimal danger of harm to the delicate bones of the hand.

The mixture can be changed with the fortune of the owner. Should they successfully complete a few quests, the iron-oxide can be replaced with silver dust for added weight - really pushing it, gold powder can be used (if a hoard is stumbled on).

Stylistically, they can be fingerless from the second knuckle down - additionally offering finger-tip sensitivity unencumbered by a layer of intervening leather.