"Question regarding infantry gaiters" Topic

I'm working on a French Dragoon and the kit is one of the foot dragoons so he's wearing gaiters. My question is what would these be made out of? My references say these would be the same as the infantry would wear but doesn't go into the material. I've looked around online and I believe they would be wool but I do see some sites that mention leather.

Can someone tell me if wool is correct? Or, if they were leather, would they have a bright shine or be more dull? Sure I can just paint them black and not worry, but I'd like to get a realistic finish to them. So knowing the material would be helpful.

In case it helps, here's a picture of the figure. Thank you in advance for your help!

I'm guessing most military gaiters are made from canvas.

I've never come across mention of leather gaiters for French Napoleonic troops. Always cloth. I also think these would most likely be canvas.

Leather gaiters seem to not come into vogue until the late 19th century.

Leather riding gaiters show up in the 18th century, but for the military they are linen or wool. Some of the southern Spanish troops got British made light blue uniforms with light blue woolen gaiters.

French army black woollen gaiters with lots of small buttons, smart dress, a canvas/ rough material gaiter lighter coloured gaiter with fewer buttons also used I understand for field. Think dragons a pied would adopt what the infantry had, I agree with the above comments re leather ones.

That figure above is, I assume one of Richard's (Perfect Six) 6mm figures. Not bad for that scale, but I've seen him do the buttons better………

Seriously though, in any scale, what skill that shows in blending colours. I wish……….

wool is correct – the one of unbleached linen – ware made of what – linen of course

Only use of leather "gaiters" that I can think of off-hand is ….

From late December 1807, combattant lower ranks of Russian Army musketeers/infantry, grenadiers, jäger, artillery and pioneers had leather краги / kragi / leggings sewn onto their winter pants. These previously had been used (and well-received by the soldiers) after the Potemkin reforms during the reign of Catherine, from 1786, but had been abandoned under Paul in 1796 as not fitting with his more "Prussian" view of unifoming the Army.

From January 1812, these were to be made taller, up to below the knee.

In 1817, they were extended to cover the top of the foot, like spats (on the left in the photo).

On the right, perhaps of interest, is the typical Russian short, campaign boot (museum example appears to have a damage heel).
Actually, they look rather the same as modern motocycle boots, but with a (still typical for Russian footwear) slightly more pointy toe.
When you see period images of Russian infantry in the loose campaign "bloomers", they are usually stuffed into the tops of these short boots. They were also worn by cavalry, under their gray campaign riding trousers, with spurs nailed into the heels.

- Sasha

You write that they were sewn to the winter trousers, yet, you show on your pictures that they were just like normal gaiters , speperate, also it is very interesting that Klein shows Russian Jäger who just carry such wintergaiters on top of their back pack

I write poorly. I am sorry.
The 1807 ones were sewn on (as in the image posted – zoom in and you will see the stitching).
The 1812 and 1817 ones were not to be sewn (as in those two images).

- Sasha