BODY ARMOR (and NOT this stuff): Armor

Types of Armor Chain Mail- Iron rings woven together into a protective garment. Plate Armor- a full body suit of armor plated by a metal of choice and thickness. Shields- The first shields were wooden with leather over them. Later craftsmen began to incorporate iron and steel support in shield designs. Helmets- Most helmets were of various custom designs depending on the knight who wore them how ever the helmets that protected the face as well as the top of the head are consistent with the fact that they have visors and breathing holes. Animal Armor- these were plate armor designed to be comfortably worn by steeds and other war animals.

What do They Protect Against? Chain Mail- slashing blows by an edged weapon and penetration by thrusting and piercing weapons. Plate armor- all swords, spear or pike thrusts and provides decent defense against blunt trauma. Shields- glancing blows, not used to block a head on attack. Helmets- all swords, spear or pike thrusts, however it will not be able to provide protection against blunt attacks. Animal armor- depends on design and material of armor.

Who can afford/use Them? Chain Mail-Most if not all basic soldiers used this type of minimum protection. Plate Armor-Full plate armor was very expensive to produce so it remained for the high authority to use. Shields- were available to the soldiers that preferred to fight with only one sword. However if a soldier had plate armor he would usually not want a shield. Animal armor- were available to any equestrian rider that could purchase them. Helmets- were worn by almost all soldiers except militiamen. However the material of the helmets was dictated by the wearer’s status.

What are They Made Of?/ How Much does it Cost Now? Chain Mail- It is made of wrought iron. At today’s prices each pound of raw iron would be $0.16 and you would multiply the needed weight times $0.16 and you would get the cost of a chain mail. Plate armor- At the time it was probably made of bronze, iron or steel. Bronze per pound costs $0.26. Because these metals might have been hard to attain in the Middle, with labor costs and material costs these armor would’ve cost much more. Shields- wood covered by leather, other soft materials also iron or steel. Shields like Plate armor was very expensive and heavy. Mostly because they both were made of iron and sometimes steel. Steel today costs about $0.22/lb. Animal Armor- This type of armor was plate armor so therefore they cost the same ,however since a horse is bigger than a human there would be a lot more space to cover with the armor. Making animal armor more expensive. Helmets- These also were iron and bronze costing respectively $0.16/lb and $0.26/lb.

Are these types of Armor an effective defense. To test the effectiveness of a piece of armor it must be able to withstand common weapons used in Medieval warfare such as: swords, spears ,pikes, arrows, hammers, maces, axes ,and etc. Chain Mail- It was strong against edged weapons and certain piercing weapons; however useless against poleaxes, halberds, and impact weapons such as maces. So in the end it provides decent protection as long as a gambeson is worn underneath it to prevent bruises. Plate armor- This is the best available armor during the middle ages its only weakness is that the wearer’s joints could be exploited via a poleax or halberd other than that it provides near invincible protection. As long as besagews (plate armor patches) were used, joints could still be protected. Shields- were made of the same thing as plate armor and as long as the user was skilled at handling it ,he would not be harmed by anyone in the middle ages so this Animal Armor- Just like plate armor in order to maintain fluid movement ; Helmets- were somewhat effective. It only protected the head from bleeding or other outer damage however it can not protect its wearer from blunt force trauma.

Different Uses for Armor Armor such as plate armor and shields are quite heavy so in the middle ages some soldiers if they were going against a crowd of enemies, would plow through it using their shield or themselves causing bruises and cuts on anyone in his way. Another common use of armor was to show social status by gilding them with gold or other precious materials or by forging ornate pictures into them.

History of Medieval Armor Chain Mail- this type of armor traces back to 500 B.C and was developed by the Celtics. However the Romans later refined this armor to better help their soldiers. Plated Armor- The exact date of the emergence of this type of armor is unknown, however we do know that this type of armor came into existence after the 1500’s when more powerful weapons were developed. Shields- This piece of armor was made in the early middle ages to help better defend the infantry men against the archer’s arrows. However it soon evolved and was made stronger to help soldiers parry enemy blows. Armor for Steeds- At first this armor was made for resistance against weapons but afterwards these armor were gilded to show social status or achievements the steed’s rider made. Helmets- The idea of using a helmet in battle was concocted after realizing that the mail-coif that protected the head didn't provide sufficient protection.

I hope this was somewhat interesting!