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[A clenched gauntlet aversant] This is probably the least identifiable posture for a hand, glove or gauntlet; it's currently acceptable for SCA use, but only barely. Such charges were normally apaumy in period. (James Falconbridge, July, 1992, pg. 1)
[Argent, a gauntlet gules] There was some concern whether this was too reminiscent of the Red Hand of Ulster, a prohibited charge in the SCA. It turns out that the Red Hand of Ulster was used as an augmentation, not as a main charge. We would certainly return a device that used a canton argent charged with a hand gules, and perhaps even a chief argent charged with a hand gules would be too suggestive; but the use of red hands, gloves, gauntlets, etc., on white backgrounds is not, in and of itself, cause for return. (Guillaume de la Rapiere, August, 1992, pg. 4)
[a cubit arm gauntleted vs. an arm embowed and armored] After comparing the emblazons, we really couldn't grant a difference between an armored cubit arm and an armored arm. (Deryk von Halberstadt, August, 1992, pg. 31)
[Argent, arms proper] The arms have insufficient contrast on the argent field. Human flesh "proper" was sometimes emblazoned as argent in period tomes; and in any case, carnation (pink) cannot be seen against white. (Simona Zon d'Asolo, September, 1992, pg. 51)
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[A dexter hand fesswise reversed, palm to chief, maintaining a flame] Some commenters wondered whether the central charge could be considered a hand of glory, which isn't permitted in Society heraldry. The hand of glory is essentially a hand on fire: it's usually seen apaumy, and issuant small flames (especially at its fingers). The hand shown in this submission is simply holding a flame, and is not a hand of glory [device returned for fimbriating the flame and for unidentifiability of the hand position]. (Deirdre Colintrie, March, 1993, pg. 23)
[A foi] The charge in chief was blazoned on the LOI as two hands conjoined in fess. This would have had two default hands --- i.e. apaumy --- rather than the clasped hands shown. According to Lord Crescent, the motif of two hands clasped has an heraldic name: a foi, used in French blazons and possibly some English canting arms ( Parker 305) (Lothar Freund, July, 1993, pg. 10)
[A sinister mailed fist aversant grasping stalks of grain] This is clear of such armories as [a gauntlet]. The stalks of wheat are conceded to be worth no difference; neither is the distinction between dexter and sinister gauntlets, or for aversant vs. not aversant. However, I have to agree that the change from the default apaumy posture (i.e. with the fingers spread) to the clenched posture is worth a CD in this case. That, with the CD for fieldlessness, brings it clear. (Dietrich Kurneck von Hammerstein, August, 1993, pg. 2)
It has been ruled that an arch of charges is not period heraldic style. The ruling was originally for an arch of stars : "Stars surrounding only part of a charge is fantasy art." [BoE, 28 Sept 84] It has since been extended to any charges "in arch". (Michaela de Romeny, October, 1992, pg. 30)
Arrows fesswise have their points to sinister by default, just as arrows palewise have their points to base. (Alain ap Dafydd, July, 1992, pg. 2)
[A Maltese star cross] This ...conflicts with [six sets of arrow fletchings in annulo, points conjoined] ...the visual similarity is too great to permit a CD to be granted. (Elgar of Stonehaven, January, 1993, pg. 23)
The arrow was drawn with small, nigh-invisible point and fletching, which has been reason for return ere now. If he uses an arrow in his resubmission, please instruct the client to draw it with large, visible fletching and point [returned for this and also for over-complexity] (Brychen Silverfist, May, 1993, pg. 17)
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