The buff coat is a leather military garment from the 17th century. It was primarily worn by cavalry, officers and wealthy soldiers, and to a limited extent by infantry. The buff coat was in use from around 1600 to 1680 and was worn both with and without metal armour components.
What is a buff coat?
A buff coat is a thick leather jacket that provided protection against cutting weapons, such as swords and sabres. The garment was often worn under a breastplate and back plate, but could also be worn standalone. Because of the leather, the buff coat was more comfortable for extended wear than full metal armour.
Origin and historical development
The buff coat developed from the leather jerkin and the arming doublet, garments worn in the Tudor period (1485–1603) by hunters and soldiers. This development marks the transition from medieval protective clothing to early modern military equipment.
Meaning of the name "buff"
The name buff coat refers to the buff colour, a light brown to yellowish hue. This colour was associated with leather that came from the so-called European buffalo, probably the wisent. In practice, most buff coats were made from thick cowhide, as buffalo and elk leather were rare.
Material and leather processing
Buff coats were made from thick, oil-tanned leather. In this process, the hide was:
- treated with lime
- scraped on the outside
- rubbed with oil (often cod oil)
- repeatedly dried
This produced leather that was supple, durable, water-repellent and wear-resistant. Luxury examples were sometimes made from elk leather.
Design and construction
The buff coat followed the civilian fashion of the early 17th century. Characteristic features include:
- a high waist
- a flared skirt down to the thighs
- deep skirt panels for protection of the upper legs
Due to the thickness of the leather, seams were placed blunt against each other and fastened with hidden stitches. The jackets were usually lined with linen or silk.
Fastenings and decoration
Fastenings consisted of hooks and eyes, laces, buttons or loops. On English buff coats, hooks and eyes were almost always used. Gold or silver bands on the front were often decorative, while the actual fastenings were hidden. Officer models could be richly decorated with gold or silver braid on the sleeves.
Sleeves and variants
Most buff coats had sleeves, but sleeveless variants also existed. Detachable sleeves were common in the 17th century.
Weight and wearing comfort
Preserved buff coats from 1649–1660 weigh an average of 1.9 to 3.4 kg, with leather that is 1.5 to 5.6 mm thick.
Protection
The buff coat offered good protection against cutting wounds, limited protection against stabbing, but virtually no protection against firearms.
Military use
The buff coat was intensively used during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and the English Civil War (1642–1651)
Together with the cuirass and the lobster-tailed burgonet, it formed the standard equipment of the harquebusier, the typical European rider of the 17th century.
How do I wear a buff coat?
Wear the buff coat over knee breeches with a fall, shirt and perhaps over a doublet.
The buff coat pairs well with cuirasses. Sometimes shoulder pieces were also worn, and more often gauntlets.
Usually the buff coat was combined with the burgonet, but sometimes also with the cabasset.
Cavalry boots
Long cavalry boots were worn; these provided protection to a large part of the lower leg. The lower leg was always a vulnerable target for cavalrymen.
Alternative
Around the time the buff coat was used by the aristocracy and cavalry, infantrymen regularly wore leather jerkins alongside cuirasses. Moreover, the buff coat is also excellent for infantry purposes.
Weapons
Around the time the buff coat was used, cavalrymen were armed with flintlock pistols and wheel lock pistols, backswords, such as the Mortuary hilted backsword or the walloon sabre.
Rapier-like swords are also suitable but these were broader than civilian rapiers and had sharp cutting edges, a direct further development of the side sword. In addition, various types of pointed cavalry axes or in Poland even war hammers were used. Lances were also still used by various cavalry units on the European mainland, but in lesser quantities than before.
Internal links
- Jerkin: 16th-17th century leather men's jacket and body protection
- Doublet: fitted men's jacket 14th–17th century
- The Basket-Hilted Sword: The Evolution of the Basket Hilt
- The backsword: the robust single-edged sword
Sources:
- Museum reference: The National Army Museum (London) and the Royal Armouries for original, thick buffalo leather jackets from the English Civil War.
