Sage-Tips

How did medieval armor change over time?

The makers of weapons and armor were in a constant struggle to keep up with the advances in each field; an advance in armor was offset by an advance in weaponry. This struggle dictated the evolution of armor from a soft outer garment to the knight’s full metal suit. The armor of knights changed over the course of time.

What is modern plate armor made of?

Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer.

What is medieval armor?

During the Middle Ages knights wore heavy armor made of metal. There were two main kinds of armor: chain mail and plate armor. Chain mail was made from thousands of metal rings. The typical chain mail armor was a long cloak called a hauberk.

What material is armor made of?

Types of armour generally fall into one of three main categories: (1) armour made of leather, fabric, or mixed layers of both, sometimes reinforced by quilting or felt, (2) mail, made of interwoven rings of iron or steel, and (3) rigid armour made of metal, horn, wood, plastic, or some other similar tough and resistant …

Why did armor stop being used?

Armour cuirasses and helmets were still used in the 17th century, but plate armour largely disappeared from infantry use in the 18th century because of its cost, its lowered effectiveness against contemporary weapons, and its weight.

What made plate armor obsolete?

Armor became obsolete because of firearms. Since the first firearms appear to have been in use in Europe as early as the third decade of the fourteenth century, and the gradual decline of armor is not noticed before the second half of the seventeenth century, firearms and plate armor coexisted for more than 300 years.

How would you improve the durability of medieval armor?

Hose and camelback container to provide you hydration (yes, this IS a problem!) I would use metallurgy to select the best materials (toughest steel for thinnest plate to protect adequately) and manufacturing engineering (heat treatment) to make it both tensile and durable. There is very little to improve the Late Medieval armour otherwise.

What are some weapons that didn’t advance past the medieval era?

Imagine an alternate history, where weapons types didn’t advance past “medieval” type weapons. So like: swords, maces, flails, crossbows, bows, polearms, mauls, etc. I’m intentionally excluding “gun”/explosive type weapons.

Why do people wear gold plated armor in medieval times?

It’s interesting to note that covering yourself in gold plated armour was not just meant as a status symbol but also served as a battlefield insurance policy. The richer you looked, the more likely you would be captured for ransom rather than killed.

Did medieval armorsmiths have the right idea with scale mail?

In this, however, the medieval armorsmiths had the right idea when they created scale mail. There have been concepts thrown around of a scale mail made out of ceramic armor, which could be a very decent solution against crossbow bolts and arrows.