As a japanese armor collector here are a few things. 1. while there were helmets with horns like that on the battlefield, that was usually to signify a general that didnt actually fight. not only are those horns detrimental if hit in the head region, they also hinder you doing many sword movements involving jodan no kamae. the kabuto krest also signifies that this is more than likely, a helmet in the style of a more higher ranking bushi or edo ceremonial. 2. the face mask shouldnt really poke the eye region, thats either a smalll manufacturing error, or the mask wasnt fixated right 3. japanese armor is kind of modular. while with that armor you guys tried, it does have exposed armpits, there are Kote sleeves that have, metal wiring mesh, chainmail and plates, at times a combination of all 3 and that goes not just for kote sleeves but also upper legs, underneath the obi, neck etc. 4. while much of found japanese armor is mild steel, most of it is ashigaru armor (focusing on sengoku jidai). many samurai, especially higher ranking ones had heat treated hard steel armor. 5. The nanban armor (samurai armor with western elements) is mostly a style flex. while some has been used in battles, the overwhelming majority is ceremonial or was made after the sengoku jidai ended
Neat, thanks for sharing! I've been wanting to research Japanese armor more indepth and would be grateful for a point in the right direction. Are there any resources that you would recommend and so forth?
Shad raises a good point here; the purpose of the warrior wearing the armor determines what the armor is supposed to do. Samurai were all-purpose warriors, able to fight equally well from afar or in close, so samurai armor was designed to offer a balance between protection and mobility. Knights, on the other hand, were pretty much exclusively heavy infantry or cavalry, so their armor generally favored protection over mobility, though knights were still able to move around handily inside said armor. Suffice to say, a knight wouldn't usually go for a suit of samurai armor except as a display piece, whereas an archer would without question.
That is actually incriminate. Knights were a rank. They were in fact multi-purposely trained fighters. They also did use bows and even guns in later periods. And do various unusual tasks like guarding and infiltration.
Archers might go for brigandine or gamberson, but Samurai is a bit on the heavy side. I would assume both ease of movement and lighter armour for being able to move quickly. It's a lot of metal for a mere archer though, that would make it a bit expensive.
That's what I was thinking. For practical/battlefield reasons, why would they lol? It's inferior in every way, unless it's an archer wearing it, and even then the various types of European armour archers normally wore in the Late Middle Ages is probably still better. Plus Samurai armour from the Sengoku period like the one in the video had significant influence from European armour anyway.
About the samurai helmet: I don’t think it was meant to defend against a sword blow. I think this was more to defend against arrow hits or deflections. The horns, I suspect, are meant more for identification of a senior “officer” than for actual defense.
The helmet can withstand a direct strike of sword. The technique Kabotó Wari, which tests the abilities of warrior was done by my teacher to great succes, and we deducted that this (the Kabutó Wari) is only way you can cut trough a helmet.
Correct, things like horns and headcrest typically denote status more than a practical use. They were also usually made lighter weight and secured in a manner that should they be struck, they would be more likely to break away or come off. My kabuto has 18" antlers that if they were securely fastened and took a hit... would likely seriously injure my neck.
Most of these horns and overhead crests were made of lacquered paper. The actual product is very light. It will easily break if attacked. The broken horn was also a symbol of courage.
The tassel from the shoulder guards are supposed to be tied to the big tassel on the back. Not around the arms. You need a Sarashi ,a 4 meter long cotton belt. This will remove some of the weight from the shoulders. The round belt is used inside.
I was going to comment this if no one had yet. I’ve seen the complaint about samurai armor putting too much weight on the shoulders multiple times, but they never seem to have a properly tied outer obi.
Fun fact, part of the purpose of samurai armor was specifically to be flashy and visually striking. The samurai for hundreds of years, being the elite warriors on the field wanted others to see an recognize them so their deeds would be known and their reputations expanded. If you read the single greatest Classical Japanese work about samurai, the Tale of the Heike (平家物語, Heike Monogatari) they spend lots of time describing in great detail, the armor that the warriors wore. It was in fact, a big deal to them. Also, I'd be very curious to know what the original name for "Romance of Men" is in Japanese. After all, translating Japanese is kinda my thing.
not always, there was a specific time period when samurai armour was a status symbol, before that the armour was less flashy and more focussed towards practicality, if i remember correctly wasnt it after the unification is when armour got flashy
Recognition and looking good on the battlefield mattered so much to samurai that they would even put on makeup to hide blemishes. They did this because the custom of head-taking meant that if they were killed their heads would be taken and displayed to their killer's lord, and they wanted to make sure they looked good even in death.
@@kevinmorrice @kevinmorrice I believe you're right in questioning how armor was worn and perceived in different time periods, but stories from the late Heian and early Kamakura periods (roughly around the 1100's) are very concerned with the pomp and extravagance of armor. At the time, samurai were more like small cadres of very elite warriors, and thus were far more concerned with personal glory than the warriors of the later Sengoku period where Japanese warlords began commanding much bigger armies with soldiers being provided armor and weaponry that was much less flamboyant and more practical, though the warlords themselves and many of the higher ranking samurai still kept the old Kamakura tradition of wearing bombastic armor.
Term "Romance" literally come from Roman Empire. As term was coined when Europe start rediscovering its heritage and somewhat perceiving Classic Period with pink glasses. So it was in fact originally used in knightly context, only to turn into matrimonial stories with romanticized concept of noble knight, as seen by ladies.
See also: Romance languages. And the romantic era as an artistic and intellectual movement in the 1800s. Romanesque art is also called "Romanik" in German.
@@King_Flippy_Nips ah you forgot one, (I had to look it up to make sure I wasn't crazy), Romania. I think that was last area conquered by Rome. not 100% sure but that is kind of funny.
On Monday, I always need a +15% movement speed boost, so I wear a samurai armor in public. On Sundays, I prepare for potential encounters with Karens at Walmart by donning my knight armor, which provides a +10% increase in HP and defense.
I always just wear a hooded elven cloak, 30% movement speed boost and +15 to stealth. The Karens cannot annoy me if they cannot see me and I can get my daily chores done faster. Of course I am in trouble if I encounter an armored online comment section troll with true vision though.
Must not have had historically authentic samurai armor then. As that stuff was *not* more mobile. Samurai armor tends to sit entirely on the shoulders, unlike European plate armor which supports itself from the hip. Metatron has multiple videos debunking the notion of Samurai armor being lighter than midieval plate armor. Hell, some of the heavier sets of Samurai armor have like a whole ass shield built into the shoulders
In japanese culture, the word "romance" (they spell it as "roman", in katakana cause it's a non-japanese word) retained it's original meaning, that is, dreams and passion in general, not romantic. You'd have to go for the adjective "romanchiku" (romantic) for the love related one. Furthermore, the name of the company is culturally inspired, as expressions such as "man's romnance" (otoko no roman) refers to the "dreams of men", aka the stuff with fantasize with as children and often fuel our own male fantasies as adults. Among many things, armor and weapons compose men's dream, as there's no living man who'd reject the idea of wearing armor and carrying weapons. So, in a sense, the company allows clients to live out man's romance.
@@MW_Asura Usually depends. Some had fully added chain mail, some had kikko bridendine underneath for maximum prorection. Some had rawhide or just kikko to protect armpit and necks.
@@MW_Asuratake a look at Heian Era samurai armor... it was MUCH bulkier and far more protective. The sengoku Era saw a reduction in protectiveness and size in order to emphasize speed and mobility.
Shad: Knights had Drip! My mind imagining a Knight berating an opponent wearing muted colors: "You dripless, swaggerless cur! No wonder you remaineth maidenless."
While the phrasing would've been different, I guarantee you, especially in tournament, Knights were harping on each other over lack of drip. Verily, the maidens will wish us both to take off our armor for different reasons.
There was a crusader named Jean De Joinville who wrote firsthand accounts on the battles he faced. In one text, he writes that a crusader was being chased by saracens, taunting them that he’d never “seen such riff raft”. Later in the battle, Jean’s companion says they will speak together of this day later, “in ladies’ bedchambers” 😂😂 medieval knights were IRREVERENT
Long time fan! Few small points that can help with overall comfort and mobility in the shoulders. First off, the padded belt can be put on beneath the Haidate, (thigh apron) this will keep them up a bit better and give a ledge for the breast plate to rest on. A proper sash or "sarashi" would be better for securing the waist of your breastplate. Secondly, the Sode (shoulder plates) have those cords so that they can be tied back to the knot on the back of your Dou (backplate) allowing them to be pinned back for archery (This was far mor common with O-yoroi sode) Thirdly, an overhead cut was far more difficult with ornamentation of the helm, so many styles of swordsmanship from a perspective of wearing armor used an over the shoulder style cut (Katori Shinto Ryu for example.) Lastly, there are styles of tying the helmet cord around the menpo to cradle it better to the face. I wear my armor and fight in it fairly often( not with real steel, mostly because I don't want to spend all my down time repairing it, lol ) I can also attest that older armors are a bit more sturdy than your average reproduction. This particular style is a type of "clam shell" Dou, there are many others, some solid plate, some more akin to lammellar, wrap around dou ( with or without a coward plate) and Dou sporting 5 or 6 vertical plates on hinges. Loved the video, Cheers from Canada my dudes!
Would a knight wear custom fit Authentic Japanese armor is a good question. But I think another one is, would a knight see this armor and incorporate aspects that they want into their own armor? And to that I say Yes.
i don't think there is any Japanese aspect that European armor didn't scrutinize and improve over the centuries where Japan kept everything very the same over a large period of time with some changes but not near as many as Europe.
@@MW_Asura see I'm not sure I think some of them might rather fancy the lamellar like bits more so Eastern Europe where full plate never really took over completely the way it did in the west
Take also into account that under the armour the Samurai would wear a Kikko Gane (armored Kimono a.k.a. Japanese Brigadine) and your armour is also missing Gyoyo (shoulder guards a.k.a. Japanese Besagews). Then we have the Nodowa (Japanese Gorget), the Kikko Gane Obi (Brigadine Belt) worn in combination with the Yoroi Obi (Padded Belt). So a lot of the gaps are filled up with additional armour without compromising the mobility much, which they needed as they were horseback mounted archers first and infantry second. One benefit that Japanese armour has compared to tailor made European full plate armour is that it can be worn by people whose waistline fluxuate in size during their whole lifetime without having the need to have several different sizes of cuirass, plackart and faulds. Downside is that the Kote hangs mostly for your shoulders with some resting on your padded belt. The nose with upperlip of the Menpo (masks) was most of the time detachable for better breathing. Most accounts of Samurai warfair mention that the nose was taken off before going into battle and if they had a (cheaper) Menpo that did not have that feature, the complete Menpo would not be worn into battle. Samurai and Samurai culture was quiet special with a lot of rules and traditions, but that makes it also interesting.
"horseback mounted archers first and infantry second" that is true for earlier period, but at the time where those fancy auxiliary armor were used (Kikko manchira, armored belt, etc) they don't anymore. i'm not sure what you meant by "Kote hangs mostly for your shoulders", i'd take you meant the armor as a whole and not just kote? The rest is pretty good description, kudos! The different waist problem is indeed very easily solved by wearing armor construction with no hinges, aka the old lamellar style of kozane and iyozane. Earlier menpo also has detachable nose part, they use hinges for it.
Thanks for the review, and really love the fact that many comments here understand our name, it's really touching. Sometimes we were mistaken as "sexual enhancements products company"
Sorry for that. Sounds like you had to get very used to strange calls at the office lol. Very much so appreciate the name and as someone who refers to himself as a romantic, not for something silly like love of women but for my greater appreciations of art, history, brotherhood, and of course the martial culture of man vs man combat Even had a few fights and all that just because of my romantic nature and always had weird looks when I explained that part of my love for martial arts is because I am a romantic.
@@Wolfgang-Schnaufer Nah I have 4 kids an ex wife and a current woman. I am just damaged so loving women is silly to me. Don’t think about it too deeply.
A 'man-at-arms' in the High to Late Medieval period was a fully armoured cavalryman. Knight was a social rank, not a troop type. All knights serving as soldiers would normally be men-at-arms, but a nobleman, esquire, gentleman or mercenary serving as a fully armoured cavalryman would also be a man-at-arms. A knight remained a knight even when asleep in bed, but when he donned his armour and went on campaign he became a man-at-arms. The idea that a man-at-arms is some sort of bog standard or low grade soldier is a recent phenomenon, largely promulgated by role-playing game creators who didn't know what they were talking about. In 'commissions of array' contracts between captains and the King of England knights were sometimes differentiated from other men-at-arms, as a man of knightly rank expected to be paid more than a man of lesser rank, but looking at them fully equipped for war there would be no real difference, except in the levels of decoration of their armour and how costly their warhorse was.
This Retro Modern Samurai Armor Provides Great Examples But Many Samurai Armors were Coincidently Very Euro and Had Full or Near Full Mantles, Skirts, Big Parts like Stereotypical Full Plate Euro Knight Armor and Needed Assistantnce to Wear Padded Cloth and Leathers Like Every Human Culture with Armor ETC
Shad is wearing a 17th century samurai armor camparing to a 12 century knight armor. If shad wanted a better comparison he should use a Greenwich armour, Maximilian or cuirassiers armor.
I think most of the critique to the samurai costume , because this is a costume , there is alot of things not done on real samurai armor. So most of the stuff you guys see wrong is due to the design the manufacturer took . Example samurai facemask did not have that point on the nose . and the way they attack is different usually they attached directly to the helmet. This armor would be used more on a event aka ceremony than battle. some samurai armor would have some sort of chainmail in the arms. Also remember both had totally different battle styles and mentalities .
To be honest, it's also a lot because Shad only vaguely know how a tosei gusoku is supposed to be worn. Some nasals on actual menpo can be quite long but never this pointy indeed but as you mention, Shad just loosely wear it under a kabuto which is already not properly tied down.
i'm just throwing this out there, in the hopes you'd see this: i'd like for you to see how viable sword and shield would be against *monsters. to be precise, if you were stuck using that combo, and could optimize it for such a task. i was thinking you'd find out the right type of blade - Roman spatha, Viking sword, 1831 French infantry briquet (to name 3) - and attach it to a classic-looking hilt (like the hilt of that last sword), and the right type of shield - Kite shield, Heater shield, etc. i'm hoping you do this because thanks to Disney's Sleeping Beauty, i grew up with the concept of slaying dragons with sword and shield - and other monsters, by proxy. *not from D&D, The Witcher, or any other media; i'm talking Earth folklore (like the medieval depictions of dragons).
I think a spear is the way to go when fighting monsters. Probably a bow, actually, because why would you intentionally get close to a monster? But given that caveat, yeah it would be an interesting thing to talk about.
@@inthefade glad you're also curious to know. and ignoring the caveat, the full kit would be full plate armour, a bow for distance, a spear as the main weapon and a shortsword for backup. you're bringing all 3, no questions; you'll need every bit of help you can get. but you're going to need a shield paired with the spear and sword. *that's* how you get close to a monster: when you have a shield.
@@GoTrespassing let me repeat the caveat: *if you were stuck with the sword and shield combo:* what blade is best suited (hilt is of your preference) and what shield provides enough protection.
About the Helm Lanes: they have to be that way or they could not collapse on themselves. The biggest one on the bottom could not slide under the smaller one on top of it and so on. You can see that system on european armor, on the "skirt" piece right below the breastplate, for the same reason.
This set is from Iron Mountain Samurai Armory. They make cheap Samurai armor. I have one myself. Not it's not exactly accurate to the real thing but looks wise it's pretty good and for some mini combat.
PREFER A KNIGHTS ARMOR? NOT IF YOU WERE AN ARCHER OR SPEAR MAN. MOST SAMURAI WERE ARCHERS AND LONG POLE WEAPON EXPERTS AND THE SWORD WAS THE LAST RESORT. WEST KNIGHTS ARMOR WOULD HINDER THEM.
both armors are weak to clubs/hammers/maces, piercing needle-like objects in the armpit chainmail area, arrows (they managed to pierce plates in Agincourt, also in Legnica by the mongols. By choosing the european armor you are just adding weight and wasting money
I mean of give them each their own specialized blunt weapons like a mace and kanabo they would definitely crunch each other's armor This reminds me of Deadliest Warrior, can you do videos on how badly they got things wrong?
Yeah but don’t you think plate armor would be better at protecting you from stuff like that. Obviously multiple hits would put you down but I think one well placed hit would completely crush samurai armor.
You aren’t crushing plate armor with a mace, I’ll admit that I don’t know what a kanabo is but unless it’s a pole arm then your probably not doing much unless you hit them in the head.
@@brianmoyachiuz905 these are fantasy matchups, don't know how the episode ends but the result has more room for interpretation than more historical matchups.
Shad, the Varangian Rus probably had the most comparable armor to the Japanese, the Rus adapting their medieval drip from indo-asian cultures like the Mongols who governed Russia for (I believe) a few centuries. Another good comparison would probably be the Varangian guard of the Byzantines.
My head is starting to hurt from trying to recognize Shad with the mask on. The pointy hooked nose, sharp cheeks, and jutting chin, completly changes the face (as masks do). But the snug fit made me belive it was just protection for the same shape behind it.
Awesome video! Excellent points made in the comparison. I believe the ornaments on the helmet were present in real, but would have fallen off when chopped by a s word. Also the local climate might have the the samurai in Japan chosen to stick with their armor if they had the choice to switch to European armor available (likely my bias speaking here). I do believe the big belt of the samurai armor goes underneath the armor as a support for it on your hips.
But often times, wearing armor caused more problems than it solved. Oh my god, now I need to go back and watch Shad's video ripping weird history's video on why armor was bad, to shreds. Oz: "At any time, you may be bitten by a shark. Luckly, sharks mainly reside in water."
Hm...yeah I could see that. Definitely would be a useful set of armor for a Longbowman or a Crossbowman. I'm going to assume that Metatron will probably make a response video on this.
The primary weapon of samurai were matchlocks, bows and pikes by the time that this style of armour was widespread. So it makes sense. Katana was not used that much on the battlefield
It should be pointed out that knights did wear laminar armor including emperors in the late Roman Empire circa 1080 CE and as Shad has pointed out in at least one previous video. You get the best armor you can afford given your resources and when and where you expected to use it: North Africa verses Central America verses Scandinavia
@@benwoyvodich8676 It’s the secularization of a Christian calendar. The era is anno Domini, so anno Domini (AD) 1080. The term “Common Era” is an attempt to secularize a calendar based on the birth of Jesus Christ. Such as now it’s AD 2024, 2024 years since the birth of Christ.
I don’t think so only simply because a knight fighting in his typical battleground would not last in samurai armor since it’s very vulnerable to attacks from maces which would crush that armor. Full plate armor would definitely protect you better and probably would let you destroy a samurai if this hypothetical fight would happen. I think samurai armor is based on mobility and offense more so than defense
That's likely also true, but it's mostly based upon the very low supply of iron available on the island(s) at the time to be able make steel out of. They frequently had to use irony sand to get enough to make their weapons because there never have been a great deal of iron deposits onshore. They were there (and some still are), but they weren't widely available to use or "easy" to mine, and were comparatively few from the start.
Maces and other blunt weapons are extremely effective against all types of armor. Knight armor would protect you better but you're gonna be in for a world of hurt regardless of the armor you are wearing.
Keeping in mind the terrain too. Japan is very mountainous, and has also lots of thick forests on such mountains. Plate armour would be horrendous to fight on hills and mountains. Whereas it would thrive in plains and open areas, like it did in Europe. Both have pros and cons, and each thrive in their respective environments
@@PhthaloGreenskinI would suggest watching Dequitem video on maces in armored combat. He is a un-choreographed historically armored fighter. In his video he states that mace attacks against anything but the head (in plate) basically does nothing, and this is coming from a man who has been hit by a mace in plate. The only viable way to get real damage in against plate with a mace is with a direct hit against the head.
Now imagine if the best blacksmiths who made knight armor and samurai armor combined their strengths to make a unique set with the most optimal protection and maneuverability.
These kinds of questions are always interesting for sure, but one should keep the material limitations of the respective regions in mind. Japan is quite limited when it comes to natural resources, such as readily available iron ore, hence they had to get creative, no?. Meanwhile most of Europe had quite a bit more of the stuff, leading to more sophisticated development in full-plate armour and whatnot.
Japan had no problem with resources at this time that's only when we get to the industrial revolution does that become true, yeah depends on which part of Europe are you talking about England for example at the pretty much import all all of their sources and I wouldn't call it more sophisticated. Especially considering this is a replica that is nice looking but that's about it,it's really not that good of a authentic samurai armor for battle.
@@daefaronbesides how they use a combination of steel and iron for armor not really. Here's some sources on metalworking. Neutron diffraction study on full-shape Japanese sword" The Investigation of Establishing Time of Zuku-Oshi and Kera-Oshi with Data of Iron Image of Buddha Making Age and Old Document "Kokon-Kajibiko" Ancient and historic steel in Japan, India and Europe, a non-invasive comparative study using thermal neutron diffraction, F.Grazzi et al, 2011. The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords Up to the 16th Century, A. Williams, 2012 Some Aspects of the Metallurgy and Production of European Armor OCTOBER 18, 2016 Archaeometallurgical Investigation on Historical Sword-Making Techniques in Northern Italy Between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, G.Tonelli et al, 2022 November 04, 2019 Japanese Swords "Mythbusting" - Part 1 La question du minerai de fer pour la période médiévale (IXe - XVIe siècle) Home-made steel: A week at Manabe Sumihira's zuku-oshi tatara Mineralogical Study of Iron Sand with Different Metallurgical Characteristic to Smelting with Use of Japanese Classic Iron-making Furnace “Tatara” Micromorphology, chemistry, and mineralogy of bog iron ores from Poland SOME THOUGHTS ON UTSURI Posted on 2013/08/22 January 27, 2019 Iron and Steel Technology in Japanese Arms & Armors - Part 3: Bladesmithing
Japan had enough resources to make amor and weapons. They had metal casting, differential hardening and so on. Japan was just a humid hot place in summer and a dry and cold place in winter. they had to suit those needs.
speaking of the color aspect of armor id kinda love to see some smith try vinyl wrapping some armor pieces or water transfer painting them i bet you could get some really cool designs and would be a cool way to have matching colors for like hema teams that do armored fighting and such
I like to think if it was available knights would use it though it would often most likely be a mix and mash of both based on what they could afford or what they might have pilfered in fights
Great video Shad and Nate. Armor looks stellar Katana seems to good to be true. As every katana I've had wasn't worth the sheath granted they was cheaper than dirt. 150$ for what appears to be a well tuned sword, that's impressive. When I am financially fit I am going to support your channel hopefully soon. Thank you for the awesome content.
Valid points, one thing to mention here: many samurai wore ornamental helmets or elements on their steel kabutos. But in contrary to many modern reproductions the ornament's were made out of a paper-maché like material. They were laquered to protect the paper based material from humidity and to give them a high polished finish. This making the ornaments light weight and solid to the touch. I immage a blow hitting a long ornament would rather cut through or crack it off than decapitate the wearer (most kabutos were attached super tight with the lacing). The balance of those ornamental helmets wasn't that bad at all. Honda Tadakatsu (one of the most accomplished, battle hardened samurai to ever live) wore a kabuto with huge antlers attached to it. It's documented that he has been active in more than 50 battles..he must have broken his neck if the antlers were real ones.
Just sitting at the beginning and what comes to mind, just to answer the title, is that if it was available then a "knight" that could afford it and liked the aesthetic would definitely wear samurai style armor.
Shad is looking like twin cities in that armour if any of you remember that. Shad, seeing that bottle not move an inch as the katana glid through it was genuinely impressive, have you ever tried kenjutsu? If you can find a place for it in Australia I'm sure you would love it.
Becouse Shad respects Japanese tradition and wears generally 'OK' 16th/17th Japanese armour. No surprise that it looks better than Shad's usual travesty of European armour, like that hillarious junk-mess on 'Not-Shad-Guy' in this film. Learn from Japanese how to respect your own tradition and you will look 'badass' all the time.
On the helmet specifically, I think a solid comparison (though it falls outside of the medieval period sadly) is the Lobster-Tail Helmet. Very popular during the English Civil War, it has a decent number of similarities. The domed top, very open face, and funnily enough, the overlapping, segmented back (where the helmet gets its name from) actually has the lames overlapping in the exact same way, with the lower lames being outside of their upper neighbor. So a similar, ish, design was done in Europe, just in the 16th-17th century, not medieval period.
On the note about knights having decorative armor for tourneys: I can't help but be reminded of how, in Game of Thrones, the armor worn by the lords of Westeros was so crazily ornate, almost to the point of making the armor useless for protection! Robert's armor for example was equipped with a full set of antlers (the stag being the sigil of house Baratheon), many Targaryen warriors went with dragon motifs, etc. I'd honestly love to see an episode going over how much of this excessive decoration was used in real life!
I am by no means an expert, but just from browsing the comments, it seems like Samurai armour was pretty modular. Designed for a variety of roles. Interesting stuff.
Honestly armor of every style tends to be pretty modular as it is hard to have 1 type of armor that can fit every situation. Even nowadays with ballistic armor it is modular based on what your role will be. A gunner in the turret of a vehicle is more likely to wear their deltoid protection while your average infantryman would not.
15th -16th century onwards samurai armour definitely has modularity. The earlier armours like the Oyoroi in the 11-13th century are not so adaptable. Japanese armour had undergone plenty of changes over the centuries. The armour Shad is wearing looks like a 16th century design. Big metal plates and not much lacing, and modular. Much earlier armours were made from hundreds or even a few thousand small scales with loads of lacing to hold them together.
@@stuartclarke3171 It's a Design form Iron Mountai Samurai Armory. They are crafted in China as reproduction not exact replicas. Looks liks a Gashira mid grade. It's good for the price. Like 1,600 for a set like that.
You know, having discussed the pros and cons of eastern and western armor types, I kind of want to see a video where Shad and company mix the best of both-- making a Scimitana Style Armor set.
I think the style of swordsmanship will matter too. Like gripping the sword and the stance you fight from etc might makeup for areas with no armor. If theyre covered when in fighting stances. No need for armor there. Also major reason for choices they made was indeed, horseback archery. A+++ to shad for that one!!
I would love to see these guys revisit "Fantasy Re-Armed" content from the past. Reevaluate it all and see if Shad still agrees. Also would love to see them examine Dragon Age Origins "Legion of the Dead" Armor as well as the Stalhrim Armors and Weapons from Skyrim.
Kinda yes, kinda no. Depends on the types and parts your using. I find lower body yoroi to be way more comfortable then the european counterpart. But a do is nowhere near as comfortable as a brigandine. So it depends on the specifics which pieces
@@MW_Asura At first, the audience should know, how the real European armour looks like. In this film we can see only a fantasy-orcish-mess. A travesty of European armour. BTW: that Japanese one is from 16th/17th century, so we shall compare it with European armour of tha same period.
Becouse that replica of the Japanese 16th/17th century armour is generally simmilar to the real one. Somehow, Shad and his guests do not like to wear propper European armour. That junk mess in this film on that 'Not-Shad-Guy' is more Orcish than European.
You're incorrect Shad. Japan bought early Portuguese matchlocks but took to them wholesale and was the first to deploy guns truly en masse. (Portugal had about 3,000 though in fairness) Japan's huge number of conflicts during the 1500s meant they were the most advanced gunpowder civilization for a very long time- perhaps 100 years ahead until their long peaceful period in which they cut off trade saw their military stagnate. Just a point on medieval Japan being gun heavy.
The Spanish, Portuguese and probably the Dutch used Japanese armor. I'm pretty sure it was the high-quality steel armor that nobles would wear. I think the thing that made the Japanese adopt Spanish breastplates was that they found themselves susceptible to iron bullet arabesque/fusil shots. Even the English and French knights in the 1400 to 1500's gradually adapted larger, thicker frontal armor to protect their midsections from hardened lance heads and gunpowder weapons. guns came to Japan via the Portuguese in the 1570's. Govenor Luis Dasmarinas of the Philippines was supposedly killed with a katana in his hand, in Japanese samurai armor while fighting Fujian rebels outside Manilla in 1603.
Okay, we've seen Medieval European and Imperial Japanese. I would love to see Shad and Nate's take on Ancient Greek Corinthian helmets. They're beautiful and have inspired many more recent helmets and even fantasy designs. So, how functional were they, and what modifications could be done to make them more functional using conventions from other periods and cultures?
Feudal not Imperial, Imperial Japan was from 1868 till 1947 and was very much a Westernized military force with the samurai being nonexistent at that point.
@@ImperialSenpai Ooh, thank you for the correction! I'm not very learned on Japanese eras, but that makes sense. So, with that said, we've seen Medieval European and *Feudal Japanese. Still would love to learn more about the Corinthian helmet. Haha.
@@chiefspedias9642 You’re good, before the Meiji Restoration the political structure in Japan was weird. Japanese eras and periods are a different, with the Sengoku period being the most thought of and talked about when it comes to feudal Japan. Feudal Japan is just a more broad term. Also Metatron has a video on the Corinthian helmet.
Samurai often worn ornaments on the helmet as to intimated the enemy on the battlefield. And they wanted to flaunt as much of their armor and show off. The samurai was capable of fulfilling the roles of archer, gunner, footsoldier and cavalry.
Romance of Men? In the Thriller Bark arc of One Piece, Luffy declares it is a Man's Romance that if a man sees a suit of armor, he must don that suit of armor. I wonder if there's a connection in the name.
i doubt its has any direct connection. It just so happens that Oda likes the concept of classical romance and he makes reference to it every now and then.
The metal on samurai armor, with exceptions of course, typically only the arm pieces and breastplates were metal, with the other pieces being layered and cross fiber laminated paper
Every weakness you addressed on the samurai armor is legit but auxiliary elements are game changers! Check out the dedicated playlist by samuraijames. I like a lot the manchira that’s a “brigandine like” jacket with exagonal metal plates sewn into a padded jacket, it goes underneath the do and covers shoulders, armpit and the belly very well!
A common mistake with japanese armors is to wear them without belt or with a loose one. A properly tight belt help to distribute the weight on the waist and to free the shoulders, which need to be as free as possible. Another one is to tie the kote too tight. This with the not properly tight dou (breastplate) will restrain your arms movements. Also this kind of armor (tosei gusoku) weren't really much heavier than the reproductions we have today. The average armor weight during the battle of Sekigahara was something like 15kg. The lighter sode (pauldrons) I have are actually not modern reproductions but real things from the Edo period. "Samurai were archers". During the time the tosei gusoku you wear was created, the core of any army was made of spikemen and foot soldiers. Actual bowmen would wear lighter armors, ironically probably not any sode (pauldrons). Not even to mention at that time (late sengoku era), firearms were commonly used on battlefields. Saying samurai were archers is just like saying knights always fought in plate armor. We're talking here about a cast of professional warriors which existed for centuries.
They wouldnt because the samurai battle weapon was mainly the bow, so they kinda needed that flexibility to work it, that is why was so open under the arms if im not mistaken. An European knight typically fought in different manner in battle. I mean this is just my take out of the bat from memory, im sure there was other reasons too. Great video
@@daefaron no I'm saying shad is wearing a 17th century samurai armor while the other guy is wearing a 12 century knight armor. It really isn't a good way to compare since they are not in a closer time period. At this point in the time period in the 17th century there were no longer any knights served in Europe but streltsy, cuirassier, and musketeers and Harquebusier's Armor.
@@majesticgothitelle1802 That was in reply to the main comment, which was the Knight and the Samurai aren't exactly in the same battlefield role, so the armors are built to do different things.
I can absolutely see a western knight/warrior choosing to obtain a set of samurai armor if they had the option. Not necessarily for using the whole set by itself, but for mixing and matching pieces between it and other armor pieces they might have, in order to create a custom set best suited to their needs or tastes. Possibly even outright modifying or reforging parts if they felt like it and/or had the money/skill to do so. =^x^=
We need to remember, this is an armor from around 1600-1700 Century, they where having peace in that period and all the way to 1900 Century. when looking at the art, we see more like the thin metal decorations, they where there to clearly show which clan you where from, that also means each clan had their own. we would also see more protection or less, depending on how rich the clan was, and how big of a standing they had in the clan. as for that mouth protection there are many style for the nose, but i have yet to see one poke that far up.
Japanese steel is of high quality, so iron sand is iron sand from titanite, which is found in granite formed by weathering magma, and contains titanium. Iron sand is low in phosphorus and sulfur, impurities that make steel brittle, and high in vanadium, which strengthens steel. Iron ore has a high content of phosphorus and sulfur and no vanadium. High-quality Japanese knives that are highly regarded today are made using the same traditional method as katana. ua-cam.com/users/shortsTldpPYewaQo In ancient Japan, slag was called noro, and the work of eliminating slag was called noro dashi or noro shibori. In tatara iron manufacturing, iron sand is kept in a semi-molten state by keeping the furnace at 1300℃, but only impurities such as phosphorus, sulfur, and silicates are melted and discharged as slag. Because Japan has many volcanoes, it exported a lot of iron products, gold, and silver. Around 1970, Japan's Hitachi Metals developed Yasugi Specialty Steel (yasuki hagane) by analyzing and applying tatara steelmaking and tamahagane, and built a sponge iron factory. Yasugi Steel has the same properties as katana, so it is hard, impact resistant, and hard to break. Yasugi Steel is a low-temperature steel mill similar to Tatara Steel, so it takes time to produce steel, but it can produce high-quality steel. Yasugi Specialty Steel is used for a variety of purposes, including knife steel, high-grade kitchen knife materials (Kai Corporation, Zwilling), razor materials (Gillette, Schick, Wilkinson razor steel), automobile parts materials, automobile engine parts, aircraft engine parts, etc. It is used in
As the saying goes, any port in a storm. I imagine if the knight had to choose between samurai armor or fighting in the buff, I imagine most would choose the armor regardless. Samurai were more archers and calvary spearmen. Theoretically a bit of the detriments would be negated by either using a bow/spear or being mounted.
European and Japanese armor are both weak to maces, arrows (which were shown to be able to pierce plates at the battles of Agincourt and Legnica), and a common spear can pierce armpit chain mail. European armor is more expensive, has less vision, causes more stamina consumption and fatigue, the joints are a little more uncomfortable, it weighs more therefore the warrior becomes slower. Japnese armor can perfectly stop cuts (horizontal blows) on the entire surface of the body, it also wears kusari gusoku (chain mail) in the armpits, facial sides and neck, back of the thighs, groin. You can also put pieces of hardened leather on the back parts such as the back, skirt, calf, etc. and further reduce the weight even more (this material is surprisingly effective against cuts). Therefore, Japanese yoroi armor is more useful on foot than european armor, and european armor is more useful on horseback because its weight adds kinetic energy to the impact.
Purely blow for blow? I'd say knight would have the upper hand. They were kinda made for that up and personal job. Samurai more commonly sat back on horses with long bows(hence the need for mobility). Yes, they also fought up close, but a jack of all trades won't do so well against someone who specializes in the field. Not to mention if you throw them in with a katana they're fu**ed..
Yeah and a samurai would surely lose against a knight in full plate armor. Any armor that can let you get run over by a horse and still be fine would destroy a samurai. Two different styles built for different battlefields with different varieties of weapons and martial arts
Granted, full plate is a generally unfair comparison to about anything. If you aren't a super duper rich boy, the comparison is likely more to Maille or Brigandine, to which it's much more analagous
@@xxxlonewolf49 Being a Knight doesn't always mean you'll have everything. You might be of some repute, but not every house is doing well when every war comes around.
Armor is of its place and time combining armors bad and good traits can cover each others weaknesses there is also the cost an maintaince not to mention how easy it is to repair. Id imagine organic armors were used a lot more than we give credit for in the past
I have my own samurai armour set and I can put it on by myself. The most difficult part is tightening the lacing for the arm (called kote), but if you pretighten correctly, you can just slide them on. It's better with help in terms of fit, but good enough done alone.
I mean well Nate isn’t wrong but samuri actually used those horns to try and disarm swords and spears strikes to the head. So what you’d do is drop into a front stance and headbut the blade and then push forward and try and grab the staff or arms and draw you sword or knife and go for a kill, It’s a very interesting technique. Also those decorations where designed to try and stop the helmet from tacking damage as they weren’t the s most rigid and would more then likely get damaged but protect the structure of the helmet.
That armor looks be designed around the Katana family of swords. It makes sense if you use a weapon you would design it around weapons you used and your fighting style. Seeing how the shoulder and arm flexibility is I get that feeling.
Since we're all about pedantry here it'd be more accurate to say the nihontō (japanese sword) family of swords. It's how the Japanese refer to that family of swords after all. Also the tachi predates the katana and the katana is based on the tachi so it doesnt make sense to say "katana family of swords".
@@sowpmactavish Fair enough, and the more you learn the better. I am in North America where they believe the Katana will slice the Earth in half with a missed strike. LOL! (of course I know better. LOL!)
For the face plate I'd like to point out the archery abilities of someone in a gorget vs the japanese style... it's going to be difficult to convince me that Samurai who were as much archers and riders vs "knights" which we largely actually mean foot soldiers...I think they had their specializations and arguing about the fallacies of the one without considering the why is going to just make you fall flat under scrutiny.
European and Japanese armor are both weak to maces, arrows (which were shown to be able to pierce plates at the battles of Agincourt and Legnica), and a common spear can pierce armpit chain mail. European armor is more expensive, has less vision, causes more stamina consumption and fatigue, the joints are a little more uncomfortable, it weighs more therefore the warrior becomes slower. Japnese armor can perfectly stop cuts (horizontal blows) on the entire surface of the body, it also wears kusari gusoku (chain mail) in the armpits, facial sides and neck, back of the thighs, groin. You can also put pieces of hardened leather on the back parts such as the back, skirt, calf, etc. and further reduce the weight even more (this material is surprisingly effective against cuts). Therefore, Japanese yoroi armor is more useful on foot than european armor, and european armor is more useful on horseback because its weight adds kinetic energy to the impact.
Regarding the exposed belly, Metatron made a video about a piece of armor that Samurai would wear under the Do which was a bit like a scale shirt. That piece would cover the stomach and bridge the gap.
I wasn't a knight or a samurai but i was a Marine Corps infantryman in Afghanistan and i can tell you combat kits are always very specific for whatever mission that was being undertaken. If someone asked me what the best kit i wore was all i could say would be whichever kit allowed me to best accomplish mission without sacrificing protection that I'm most likely to need. Thats really it. If i knew i was going to be riding in the back of an armored convoy vs marching up a mountain i would obviously consider weight. If i dont have to walk anywhere or I'm likely to be in a static post then give me all the armor available. But if im having to move long distances or maneuver through buildings in tight spaces then I'd opt for something more simple and lightweight. Maybe plate holders or something. I have to assume similar thought went into knights and samurai kit when preparing for combat
I am just a civilian, but you as a (real) infantry unit understand more what war and its complex factors are like in real life. Things are not solved by spending enormous amounts of money, european armor is useful on horseback, but on foot it has detriments such as weight, less vision, less comfort in joints, greater fatigue and stamina consumption...on the other hand, Japanese yoroi armor does not suffer as much from that and therefore is more useful on foot, and it also perfectly fulfills its function of stopping cuts in all body surface. Furthermore, as you already know, a modern tank has high armor on the front, but low on the sides, roof and rear, if that were not done the enormous weight would not allow the vehicle to move..., well the same can be done to the yoroi armor, the entire front can be made of metal, and the entire back made of hardened leather, that material is lightweight and stops cuts surprisingly well . The problem is that people who have not studied war are visually blinded by the image of european armor believing that it is infallible, when in reality they are weak to maces which are much cheaper and easier to make than a sword, the arrows can pierce plates (it was demonstrated at Agincourt against the English and at Legnica against the Mongols), and a simple and common spear can damage the armpits of chain mail...
@@danielquintana1353 I always thought it was interesting that often times European knights would end a one on one conflict on the ground with small metal spikes meant for stabbing between plates. All that armor and weaponry and they get killed by something which amounts to little more than a prison shank.
As a japanese armor collector here are a few things.
1. while there were helmets with horns like that on the battlefield, that was usually to signify a general that didnt actually fight. not only are those horns detrimental if hit in the head region, they also hinder you doing many sword movements involving jodan no kamae. the kabuto krest also signifies that this is more than likely, a helmet in the style of a more higher ranking bushi or edo ceremonial.
2. the face mask shouldnt really poke the eye region, thats either a smalll manufacturing error, or the mask wasnt fixated right
3. japanese armor is kind of modular. while with that armor you guys tried, it does have exposed armpits, there are Kote sleeves that have, metal wiring mesh, chainmail and plates, at times a combination of all 3 and that goes not just for kote sleeves but also upper legs, underneath the obi, neck etc.
4. while much of found japanese armor is mild steel, most of it is ashigaru armor (focusing on sengoku jidai). many samurai, especially higher ranking ones had heat treated hard steel armor.
5. The nanban armor (samurai armor with western elements) is mostly a style flex. while some has been used in battles, the overwhelming majority is ceremonial or was made after the sengoku jidai ended
wasnt there are also separate armour pieces you could fit to the armpits and chainmail under armour and things like that
Neat, thanks for sharing!
I've been wanting to research Japanese armor more indepth and would be grateful for a point in the right direction. Are there any resources that you would recommend and so forth?
@@kevinmorrice I believe so, I think it was called manchira (満智羅).
Lol not battle grade so comparing cosplay with more authentic medieval armour
@@JaredaSohn thats the one
Shad raises a good point here; the purpose of the warrior wearing the armor determines what the armor is supposed to do. Samurai were all-purpose warriors, able to fight equally well from afar or in close, so samurai armor was designed to offer a balance between protection and mobility. Knights, on the other hand, were pretty much exclusively heavy infantry or cavalry, so their armor generally favored protection over mobility, though knights were still able to move around handily inside said armor. Suffice to say, a knight wouldn't usually go for a suit of samurai armor except as a display piece, whereas an archer would without question.
That is actually incriminate. Knights were a rank. They were in fact multi-purposely trained fighters. They also did use bows and even guns in later periods. And do various unusual tasks like guarding and infiltration.
Archers might go for brigandine or gamberson, but Samurai is a bit on the heavy side. I would assume both ease of movement and lighter armour for being able to move quickly. It's a lot of metal for a mere archer though, that would make it a bit expensive.
@@solanumtinkr8280 but they would grab some of those Pauldrones in a heartbeat
@@fernadogonzalez2940 They... might....
That's what I was thinking. For practical/battlefield reasons, why would they lol? It's inferior in every way, unless it's an archer wearing it, and even then the various types of European armour archers normally wore in the Late Middle Ages is probably still better. Plus Samurai armour from the Sengoku period like the one in the video had significant influence from European armour anyway.
Shad in samurai armor is even more of mental flashbang than him in normal clothes
About the samurai helmet: I don’t think it was meant to defend against a sword blow. I think this was more to defend against arrow hits or deflections. The horns, I suspect, are meant more for identification of a senior “officer” than for actual defense.
I don't think anyone considered for a moment that the horns are for defensive use.
The helmet can withstand a direct strike of sword. The technique Kabotó Wari, which tests the abilities of warrior was done by my teacher to great succes, and we deducted that this (the Kabutó Wari) is only way you can cut trough a helmet.
Yes, show who is the general or if not on the battlefield, maybe for a room guard who most of the time are more moveable decoration than warriors.
.. Samurai rarely used their swords on the battlefield against one another, they predominately used polearms and bows.
Correct, things like horns and headcrest typically denote status more than a practical use. They were also usually made lighter weight and secured in a manner that should they be struck, they would be more likely to break away or come off. My kabuto has 18" antlers that if they were securely fastened and took a hit... would likely seriously injure my neck.
Most of these horns and overhead crests were made of lacquered paper. The actual product is very light. It will easily break if attacked. The broken horn was also a symbol of courage.
absolutely correct
The tassel from the shoulder guards are supposed to be tied to the big tassel on the back. Not around the arms.
You need a Sarashi ,a 4 meter long cotton belt. This will remove some of the weight from the shoulders.
The round belt is used inside.
You know your subject.
I was going to comment this if no one had yet. I’ve seen the complaint about samurai armor putting too much weight on the shoulders multiple times, but they never seem to have a properly tied outer obi.
Fun fact, part of the purpose of samurai armor was specifically to be flashy and visually striking. The samurai for hundreds of years, being the elite warriors on the field wanted others to see an recognize them so their deeds would be known and their reputations expanded. If you read the single greatest Classical Japanese work about samurai, the Tale of the Heike (平家物語, Heike Monogatari) they spend lots of time describing in great detail, the armor that the warriors wore. It was in fact, a big deal to them.
Also, I'd be very curious to know what the original name for "Romance of Men" is in Japanese. After all, translating Japanese is kinda my thing.
❤
not always, there was a specific time period when samurai armour was a status symbol, before that the armour was less flashy and more focussed towards practicality, if i remember correctly wasnt it after the unification is when armour got flashy
Recognition and looking good on the battlefield mattered so much to samurai that they would even put on makeup to hide blemishes. They did this because the custom of head-taking meant that if they were killed their heads would be taken and displayed to their killer's lord, and they wanted to make sure they looked good even in death.
Romance of Men probably is 男のロマン
@@kevinmorrice @kevinmorrice I believe you're right in questioning how armor was worn and perceived in different time periods, but stories from the late Heian and early Kamakura periods (roughly around the 1100's) are very concerned with the pomp and extravagance of armor. At the time, samurai were more like small cadres of very elite warriors, and thus were far more concerned with personal glory than the warriors of the later Sengoku period where Japanese warlords began commanding much bigger armies with soldiers being provided armor and weaponry that was much less flamboyant and more practical, though the warlords themselves and many of the higher ranking samurai still kept the old Kamakura tradition of wearing bombastic armor.
Term "Romance" literally come from Roman Empire. As term was coined when Europe start rediscovering its heritage and somewhat perceiving Classic Period with pink glasses. So it was in fact originally used in knightly context, only to turn into matrimonial stories with romanticized concept of noble knight, as seen by ladies.
See also: Romance languages.
And the romantic era as an artistic and intellectual movement in the 1800s. Romanesque art is also called "Romanik" in German.
You know, I don't think we think about the Roman Empire enough.
@@walkir2662 Yes the 4 latin based languages, french, spanish, portegeuse and italian are also known as the romance languages.
@@King_Flippy_Nips ah you forgot one, (I had to look it up to make sure I wasn't crazy), Romania. I think that was last area conquered by Rome. not 100% sure but that is kind of funny.
On Monday, I always need a +15% movement speed boost, so I wear a samurai armor in public. On Sundays, I prepare for potential encounters with Karens at Walmart by donning my knight armor, which provides a +10% increase in HP and defense.
@MatthewJensen
I always just wear a hooded elven cloak, 30% movement speed boost and +15 to stealth. The Karens cannot annoy me if they cannot see me and I can get my daily chores done faster. Of course I am in trouble if I encounter an armored online comment section troll with true vision though.
Must not have had historically authentic samurai armor then. As that stuff was *not* more mobile. Samurai armor tends to sit entirely on the shoulders, unlike European plate armor which supports itself from the hip.
Metatron has multiple videos debunking the notion of Samurai armor being lighter than midieval plate armor. Hell, some of the heavier sets of Samurai armor have like a whole ass shield built into the shoulders
🤣
I just drink a potion for the speed buff
In japanese culture, the word "romance" (they spell it as "roman", in katakana cause it's a non-japanese word) retained it's original meaning, that is, dreams and passion in general, not romantic. You'd have to go for the adjective "romanchiku" (romantic) for the love related one.
Furthermore, the name of the company is culturally inspired, as expressions such as "man's romnance" (otoko no roman) refers to the "dreams of men", aka the stuff with fantasize with as children and often fuel our own male fantasies as adults. Among many things, armor and weapons compose men's dream, as there's no living man who'd reject the idea of wearing armor and carrying weapons. So, in a sense, the company allows clients to live out man's romance.
Thank you!
Neat! Didn’t know that, but now some old show titles are coming to mind. Makes sense
Love linguistics
One piece's first chapter was called Romance Dawn
ah, so the japanese "romancecar" trains are not as lovey-dovey as they sound lol
14:00 It is worth pointing out that there are many examples of Japanese samurai armor where the armpits/biceps/fingers are protected as well.
Barely protected
Good! Those openings were the first thing I noticed 😄 Especially the ones on the upper arms - scary!
@@MW_Asurano they would be completely protected.
@@MW_Asura
Usually depends. Some had fully added chain mail, some had kikko bridendine underneath for maximum prorection. Some had rawhide or just kikko to protect armpit and necks.
@@MW_Asuratake a look at Heian Era samurai armor... it was MUCH bulkier and far more protective. The sengoku Era saw a reduction in protectiveness and size in order to emphasize speed and mobility.
Shad: Knights had Drip!
My mind imagining a Knight berating an opponent wearing muted colors:
"You dripless, swaggerless cur! No wonder you remaineth maidenless."
While the phrasing would've been different, I guarantee you, especially in tournament, Knights were harping on each other over lack of drip.
Verily, the maidens will wish us both to take off our armor for different reasons.
with SUPREME being hammered into one side of his breastplate
Really puts the Puritan hatred of ostentation into perspective!
There was a crusader named Jean De Joinville who wrote firsthand accounts on the battles he faced. In one text, he writes that a crusader was being chased by saracens, taunting them that he’d never “seen such riff raft”. Later in the battle, Jean’s companion says they will speak together of this day later, “in ladies’ bedchambers” 😂😂 medieval knights were IRREVERENT
21:31
Seeing Shad with the mask and I can’t help but think of this as his Villain origin story.
The Crimson Goblin!
Long time fan!
Few small points that can help with overall comfort and mobility in the shoulders.
First off, the padded belt can be put on beneath the Haidate, (thigh apron) this will keep them up a bit better and give a ledge for the breast plate to rest on. A proper sash or "sarashi" would be better for securing the waist of your breastplate.
Secondly, the Sode (shoulder plates) have those cords so that they can be tied back to the knot on the back of your Dou (backplate) allowing them to be pinned back for archery (This was far mor common with O-yoroi sode)
Thirdly, an overhead cut was far more difficult with ornamentation of the helm, so many styles of swordsmanship from a perspective of wearing armor used an over the shoulder style cut (Katori Shinto Ryu for example.)
Lastly, there are styles of tying the helmet cord around the menpo to cradle it better to the face.
I wear my armor and fight in it fairly often( not with real steel, mostly because I don't want to spend all my down time repairing it, lol ) I can also attest that older armors are a bit more sturdy than your average reproduction. This particular style is a type of "clam shell" Dou, there are many others, some solid plate, some more akin to lammellar, wrap around dou ( with or without a coward plate) and Dou sporting 5 or 6 vertical plates on hinges.
Loved the video, Cheers from Canada my dudes!
Most knights are a cut above...
But Sir Cumcision is a cut below.
Here's your upvote. Now go back to your room.
Certainly not from the holy land....
Would a knight wear custom fit Authentic Japanese armor is a good question. But I think another one is, would a knight see this armor and incorporate aspects that they want into their own armor? And to that I say Yes.
Only if it's for aesthetics, because this type of Samurai armour doesn't have any practical benefit that full plate armour doesn't already have
@@MW_Asura Does allow for some more mobility. Which is useful for archery and being on the move.
i don't think there is any Japanese aspect that European armor didn't scrutinize and improve over the centuries where Japan kept everything very the same over a large period of time with some changes but not near as many as Europe.
@@MW_Asura see I'm not sure I think some of them might rather fancy the lamellar like bits more so Eastern Europe where full plate never really took over completely the way it did in the west
@@Beardshire I was mostly thinking art, like painting their armor better. But then the articulation over joints may be another useful thing.
Finally and red? I'm surprised someone else didn't fight Shad to wear it for the video lol
Shad won. Why do you think it's just Nate in the video with him?
@@StergiosMekrasPrecisely 🤣
Id fistfight Shad to wear the armor
Take also into account that under the armour the Samurai would wear a Kikko Gane (armored Kimono a.k.a. Japanese Brigadine) and your armour is also missing Gyoyo (shoulder guards a.k.a. Japanese Besagews).
Then we have the Nodowa (Japanese Gorget), the Kikko Gane Obi (Brigadine Belt) worn in combination with the Yoroi Obi (Padded Belt).
So a lot of the gaps are filled up with additional armour without compromising the mobility much, which they needed as they were horseback mounted archers first and infantry second.
One benefit that Japanese armour has compared to tailor made European full plate armour is that it can be worn by people whose waistline fluxuate in size during their whole lifetime without having the need to have several different sizes of cuirass, plackart and faulds. Downside is that the Kote hangs mostly for your shoulders with some resting on your padded belt.
The nose with upperlip of the Menpo (masks) was most of the time detachable for better breathing. Most accounts of Samurai warfair mention that the nose was taken off before going into battle and if they had a (cheaper) Menpo that did not have that feature, the complete Menpo would not be worn into battle.
Samurai and Samurai culture was quiet special with a lot of rules and traditions, but that makes it also interesting.
Breathing not breeding
@@absolutedegenerate2992 My apologies, English is my third language, sometimes I mix up the words that sound the same. Original post has been adapted.
@renegysenbergs3171 dont worry its fine dude i was just trying to help. btw your english is pretty good. Have fun dude and i wish you the best.
Interesting insight and much appreciated
"horseback mounted archers first and infantry second" that is true for earlier period, but at the time where those fancy auxiliary armor were used (Kikko manchira, armored belt, etc) they don't anymore.
i'm not sure what you meant by "Kote hangs mostly for your shoulders", i'd take you meant the armor as a whole and not just kote?
The rest is pretty good description, kudos! The different waist problem is indeed very easily solved by wearing armor construction with no hinges, aka the old lamellar style of kozane and iyozane.
Earlier menpo also has detachable nose part, they use hinges for it.
Great outfits here! The samurai armour fits Shad surprisingly well and Nate looks like a vagabond from Elden Ring. Glorious!
That is some gorgeous looking armor, and Shad is really looking great in it.
Thanks for the review, and really love the fact that many comments here understand our name, it's really touching. Sometimes we were mistaken as "sexual enhancements products company"
Sorry for that. Sounds like you had to get very used to strange calls at the office lol.
Very much so appreciate the name and as someone who refers to himself as a romantic, not for something silly like love of women but for my greater appreciations of art, history, brotherhood, and of course the martial culture of man vs man combat
Even had a few fights and all that just because of my romantic nature and always had weird looks when I explained that part of my love for martial arts is because I am a romantic.
@@CaseyTheAlpha Love of women is silly? Am I on 4chan?
@@Wolfgang-Schnaufer Nah I have 4 kids an ex wife and a current woman. I am just damaged so loving women is silly to me. Don’t think about it too deeply.
A 'man-at-arms' in the High to Late Medieval period was a fully armoured cavalryman. Knight was a social rank, not a troop type. All knights serving as soldiers would normally be men-at-arms, but a nobleman, esquire, gentleman or mercenary serving as a fully armoured cavalryman would also be a man-at-arms. A knight remained a knight even when asleep in bed, but when he donned his armour and went on campaign he became a man-at-arms. The idea that a man-at-arms is some sort of bog standard or low grade soldier is a recent phenomenon, largely promulgated by role-playing game creators who didn't know what they were talking about. In 'commissions of array' contracts between captains and the King of England knights were sometimes differentiated from other men-at-arms, as a man of knightly rank expected to be paid more than a man of lesser rank, but looking at them fully equipped for war there would be no real difference, except in the levels of decoration of their armour and how costly their warhorse was.
The armor looks so cool!!!
This Retro Modern Samurai Armor Provides Great Examples
But Many Samurai Armors were Coincidently Very Euro and Had Full or Near Full Mantles, Skirts, Big Parts like Stereotypical Full Plate Euro Knight Armor and Needed Assistantnce to Wear
Padded Cloth and Leathers
Like Every Human Culture with Armor
ETC
Shad is wearing a 17th century samurai armor camparing to a 12 century knight armor. If shad wanted a better comparison he should use a Greenwich armour, Maximilian or cuirassiers armor.
I think most of the critique to the samurai costume , because this is a costume , there is alot of things not done on real samurai armor. So most of the stuff you guys see wrong is due to the design the manufacturer took . Example samurai facemask did not have that point on the nose . and the way they attack is different usually they attached directly to the helmet. This armor would be used more on a event aka ceremony than battle. some samurai armor would have some sort of chainmail in the arms. Also remember both had totally different battle styles and mentalities .
To be honest, it's also a lot because Shad only vaguely know how a tosei gusoku is supposed to be worn. Some nasals on actual menpo can be quite long but never this pointy indeed but as you mention, Shad just loosely wear it under a kabuto which is already not properly tied down.
The beacons are lit, Shad calls for aid. Posting and liking to hopefully help the algorithm!
i'm just throwing this out there, in the hopes you'd see this: i'd like for you to see how viable sword and shield would be against *monsters. to be precise, if you were stuck using that combo, and could optimize it for such a task.
i was thinking you'd find out the right type of blade - Roman spatha, Viking sword, 1831 French infantry briquet (to name 3) - and attach it to a classic-looking hilt (like the hilt of that last sword), and the right type of shield - Kite shield, Heater shield, etc.
i'm hoping you do this because thanks to Disney's Sleeping Beauty, i grew up with the concept of slaying dragons with sword and shield - and other monsters, by proxy.
*not from D&D, The Witcher, or any other media; i'm talking Earth folklore (like the medieval depictions of dragons).
I think a spear is the way to go when fighting monsters. Probably a bow, actually, because why would you intentionally get close to a monster?
But given that caveat, yeah it would be an interesting thing to talk about.
Shad does have an older video about the best weapons vs dragons!
@@inthefade glad you're also curious to know.
and ignoring the caveat, the full kit would be full plate armour, a bow for distance, a spear as the main weapon and a shortsword for backup. you're bringing all 3, no questions; you'll need every bit of help you can get.
but you're going to need a shield paired with the spear and sword. *that's* how you get close to a monster: when you have a shield.
@@GoTrespassing let me repeat the caveat: *if you were stuck with the sword and shield combo:* what blade is best suited (hilt is of your preference) and what shield provides enough protection.
Lance, shield, steed. Shank dragon, game over
Props to whoever did the thumbnail.
You guys should do more armor based videos.
About the Helm Lanes: they have to be that way or they could not collapse on themselves. The biggest one on the bottom could not slide under the smaller one on top of it and so on. You can see that system on european armor, on the "skirt" piece right below the breastplate, for the same reason.
Somewhere Tyranth is weeping at the fact that he is not wearing the samurai armor.
He lost the fistfights to wear the armor.
I’d definitely prefer the knight’s armour here, but the samurai armour looks really good. I might buy one at some point!
This set is from Iron Mountain Samurai Armory. They make cheap Samurai armor. I have one myself. Not it's not exactly accurate to the real thing but looks wise it's pretty good and for some mini combat.
PREFER A KNIGHTS ARMOR? NOT IF YOU WERE AN ARCHER OR SPEAR MAN. MOST SAMURAI WERE ARCHERS AND LONG POLE WEAPON EXPERTS AND THE SWORD WAS THE LAST RESORT. WEST KNIGHTS ARMOR WOULD HINDER THEM.
both armors are weak to clubs/hammers/maces, piercing needle-like objects in the armpit chainmail area, arrows (they managed to pierce plates in Agincourt, also in Legnica by the mongols. By choosing the european armor you are just adding weight and wasting money
I mean of give them each their own specialized blunt weapons like a mace and kanabo they would definitely crunch each other's armor
This reminds me of Deadliest Warrior, can you do videos on how badly they got things wrong?
Yeah but don’t you think plate armor would be better at protecting you from stuff like that. Obviously multiple hits would put you down but I think one well placed hit would completely crush samurai armor.
You aren’t crushing plate armor with a mace, I’ll admit that I don’t know what a kanabo is but unless it’s a pole arm then your probably not doing much unless you hit them in the head.
Deadliest Warrior made Napoleon lose against Washington. Don't think they did worse than that.
@@Duke_of_LorrainePirate vs. Knight
Ninja vs. Spartan (they're technically called Hoplites)
And of course episode 1 Apache vs Gladiator
@@brianmoyachiuz905 these are fantasy matchups, don't know how the episode ends but the result has more room for interpretation than more historical matchups.
Shad, the Varangian Rus probably had the most comparable armor to the Japanese, the Rus adapting their medieval drip from indo-asian cultures like the Mongols who governed Russia for (I believe) a few centuries. Another good comparison would probably be the Varangian guard of the Byzantines.
My head is starting to hurt from trying to recognize Shad with the mask on. The pointy hooked nose, sharp cheeks, and jutting chin, completly changes the face (as masks do). But the snug fit made me belive it was just protection for the same shape behind it.
Shad looking great in the Red one.
Awesome video! Excellent points made in the comparison. I believe the ornaments on the helmet were present in real, but would have fallen off when chopped by a s word. Also the local climate might have the the samurai in Japan chosen to stick with their armor if they had the choice to switch to European armor available (likely my bias speaking here). I do believe the big belt of the samurai armor goes underneath the armor as a support for it on your hips.
Any armour, unless really impractical, is better than no armour.
bloomberg be like TEN reasons why knoghts armour was WORSE than wearing NOTHING *brain damage*
My face is my shield.
That's why I duct tape McDonald's trays all over my body
But often times, wearing armor caused more problems than it solved.
Oh my god, now I need to go back and watch Shad's video ripping weird history's video on why armor was bad, to shreds.
Oz: "At any time, you may be bitten by a shark. Luckly, sharks mainly reside in water."
No impractical armor exist, otherwise it won't be armor it's a costume
Hm...yeah I could see that. Definitely would be a useful set of armor for a Longbowman or a Crossbowman. I'm going to assume that Metatron will probably make a response video on this.
I too suspect he will. Possibly a couple of others. especially archery and Horseman.
The primary weapon of samurai were matchlocks, bows and pikes by the time that this style of armour was widespread. So it makes sense. Katana was not used that much on the battlefield
It should be pointed out that knights did wear laminar armor including emperors in the late Roman Empire circa 1080 CE and as Shad has pointed out in at least one previous video. You get the best armor you can afford given your resources and when and where you expected to use it: North Africa verses Central America verses Scandinavia
AD, it’s the Gregorian calendar.
well no, it’s the English notation not the Ecclesiastical Latin for the era the calendar is largely irrelevant to the number of days in this instance
@@benwoyvodich8676 It’s the secularization of a Christian calendar. The era is anno Domini, so anno Domini (AD) 1080. The term “Common Era” is an attempt to secularize a calendar based on the birth of Jesus Christ. Such as now it’s AD 2024, 2024 years since the birth of Christ.
I know what it is, it’s not a big concern with me, but I do prefer using BC and AD personally
I know what it is, it’s not a big concern with me, but I do prefer using BC and AD personally
I don’t think so only simply because a knight fighting in his typical battleground would not last in samurai armor since it’s very vulnerable to attacks from maces which would crush that armor. Full plate armor would definitely protect you better and probably would let you destroy a samurai if this hypothetical fight would happen. I think samurai armor is based on mobility and offense more so than defense
That's likely also true, but it's mostly based upon the very low supply of iron available on the island(s) at the time to be able make steel out of. They frequently had to use irony sand to get enough to make their weapons because there never have been a great deal of iron deposits onshore. They were there (and some still are), but they weren't widely available to use or "easy" to mine, and were comparatively few from the start.
Maces and other blunt weapons are extremely effective against all types of armor. Knight armor would protect you better but you're gonna be in for a world of hurt regardless of the armor you are wearing.
Keeping in mind the terrain too. Japan is very mountainous, and has also lots of thick forests on such mountains. Plate armour would be horrendous to fight on hills and mountains. Whereas it would thrive in plains and open areas, like it did in Europe. Both have pros and cons, and each thrive in their respective environments
@@PhthaloGreenskinI would suggest watching Dequitem video on maces in armored combat. He is a un-choreographed historically armored fighter. In his video he states that mace attacks against anything but the head (in plate) basically does nothing, and this is coming from a man who has been hit by a mace in plate. The only viable way to get real damage in against plate with a mace is with a direct hit against the head.
And i think samurai armour was also designed so they could work Japanese bows
Shad is the first person to ever wear that color. And that's his truth. :)
I would say Archers would love that armor, due to how Samurai trained with Archery as a Ranged option along with the use of the Katana
still too expensive, archers must have only pavises which are enough to stop enemy arrows
Now imagine if the best blacksmiths who made knight armor and samurai armor combined their strengths to make a unique set with the most optimal protection and maneuverability.
Imagine that... a custom set of armour to complement the crossguarded ogatana lol.
So Roman, but out of steel. Got it.
a mix of parts from both armour sets would be a thing. I can see a knight looking at the modular and thinking about the idea of Hybrid suits.
@@octaviusmorlock romans had no pants lol
You would get the silver samurai lol
2:00 Hence the western title of the novel "三國演義/San Guo Yan Yi" is called "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"
If you want Versatile Armor, take the Samurai one. If you want to be a fucking Tank, take the European Medieval Armor. 😂
That armor takes him from Shad to Chad.
These kinds of questions are always interesting for sure, but one should keep the material limitations of the respective regions in mind. Japan is quite limited when it comes to natural resources, such as readily available iron ore, hence they had to get creative, no?. Meanwhile most of Europe had quite a bit more of the stuff, leading to more sophisticated development in full-plate armour and whatnot.
Japanese armor would be crafted to face different things then European armor.
Japan had no problem with resources at this time that's only when we get to the industrial revolution does that become true, yeah depends on which part of Europe are you talking about England for example at the pretty much import all all of their sources and I wouldn't call it more sophisticated. Especially considering this is a replica that is nice looking but that's about it,it's really not that good of a authentic samurai armor for battle.
@@eagle162 They didn't have problem with resources because they used stuff differently then Europe.
@@daefaronbesides how they use a combination of steel and iron for armor not really.
Here's some sources on metalworking.
Neutron diffraction study on full-shape Japanese sword"
The Investigation of Establishing Time of Zuku-Oshi and Kera-Oshi with Data of Iron Image of Buddha Making Age and Old Document "Kokon-Kajibiko"
Ancient and historic steel in Japan, India and Europe, a non-invasive comparative study using thermal neutron diffraction, F.Grazzi et al, 2011.
The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords Up to the 16th Century, A. Williams, 2012
Some Aspects of the Metallurgy and Production of European Armor OCTOBER 18, 2016
Archaeometallurgical Investigation on Historical Sword-Making Techniques in Northern Italy Between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, G.Tonelli et al, 2022
November 04, 2019 Japanese Swords "Mythbusting" - Part 1
La question du minerai de fer pour la période médiévale (IXe - XVIe siècle)
Home-made steel: A week at Manabe Sumihira's zuku-oshi tatara
Mineralogical Study of Iron Sand with Different Metallurgical Characteristic to Smelting with Use of Japanese Classic Iron-making Furnace “Tatara”
Micromorphology, chemistry, and mineralogy of bog iron ores from Poland
SOME THOUGHTS ON UTSURI
Posted on 2013/08/22
January 27, 2019
Iron and Steel Technology in Japanese Arms & Armors - Part 3: Bladesmithing
Japan had enough resources to make amor and weapons. They had metal casting, differential hardening and so on. Japan was just a humid hot place in summer and a dry and cold place in winter. they had to suit those needs.
speaking of the color aspect of armor id kinda love to see some smith try vinyl wrapping some armor pieces or water transfer painting them i bet you could get some really cool designs and would be a cool way to have matching colors for like hema teams that do armored fighting and such
Surprised Metatron is not in the comments.
I like to think if it was available knights would use it though it would often most likely be a mix and mash of both based on what they could afford or what they might have pilfered in fights
yoroi armor is better on foot, knight armor is better on horse
Great video Shad and Nate. Armor looks stellar Katana seems to good to be true. As every katana I've had wasn't worth the sheath granted they was cheaper than dirt. 150$ for what appears to be a well tuned sword, that's impressive. When I am financially fit I am going to support your channel hopefully soon. Thank you for the awesome content.
The era where the kind of armor for the samurai you’re wearing right now in the video is 16th century Sun, Goku period Armor.
I think Tyrnth would pull of the samurai look better than Shad.
I definitely butchered their names
How do I say this without sounding rude? XD
It's spelled Tyranth but you got Shad right
@@KauthicDreamings don't be a tyrant
It would feel very "The Last Samurai"
@@JRxxx Are you saying Tyranth looks like Tom Cruise?
@@inthefade Are you saying the actor in "The Last Samurai" isn't Tyranth?
Valid points, one thing to mention here: many samurai wore ornamental helmets or elements on their steel kabutos. But in contrary to many modern reproductions the ornament's were made out of a paper-maché like material. They were laquered to protect the paper based material from humidity and to give them a high polished finish. This making the ornaments light weight and solid to the touch. I immage a blow hitting a long ornament would rather cut through or crack it off than decapitate the wearer (most kabutos were attached super tight with the lacing). The balance of those ornamental helmets wasn't that bad at all. Honda Tadakatsu (one of the most accomplished, battle hardened samurai to ever live) wore a kabuto with huge antlers attached to it. It's documented that he has been active in more than 50 battles..he must have broken his neck if the antlers were real ones.
As I recall most of the large ornamentations were detachable too. Take them off for battle and put them on for parades.
Just sitting at the beginning and what comes to mind, just to answer the title, is that if it was available then a "knight" that could afford it and liked the aesthetic would definitely wear samurai style armor.
Shad is looking like twin cities in that armour if any of you remember that.
Shad, seeing that bottle not move an inch as the katana glid through it was genuinely impressive, have you ever tried kenjutsu? If you can find a place for it in Australia I'm sure you would love it.
Shad you look so badass in that armor
Becouse Shad respects Japanese tradition and wears generally 'OK' 16th/17th Japanese armour. No surprise that it looks better than Shad's usual travesty of European armour, like that hillarious junk-mess on 'Not-Shad-Guy' in this film. Learn from Japanese how to respect your own tradition and you will look 'badass' all the time.
On the helmet specifically, I think a solid comparison (though it falls outside of the medieval period sadly) is the Lobster-Tail Helmet. Very popular during the English Civil War, it has a decent number of similarities. The domed top, very open face, and funnily enough, the overlapping, segmented back (where the helmet gets its name from) actually has the lames overlapping in the exact same way, with the lower lames being outside of their upper neighbor.
So a similar, ish, design was done in Europe, just in the 16th-17th century, not medieval period.
Shad red?
You are shradding it!
On the note about knights having decorative armor for tourneys: I can't help but be reminded of how, in Game of Thrones, the armor worn by the lords of Westeros was so crazily ornate, almost to the point of making the armor useless for protection! Robert's armor for example was equipped with a full set of antlers (the stag being the sigil of house Baratheon), many Targaryen warriors went with dragon motifs, etc. I'd honestly love to see an episode going over how much of this excessive decoration was used in real life!
I am by no means an expert, but just from browsing the comments, it seems like Samurai armour was pretty modular. Designed for a variety of roles. Interesting stuff.
Honestly armor of every style tends to be pretty modular as it is hard to have 1 type of armor that can fit every situation. Even nowadays with ballistic armor it is modular based on what your role will be. A gunner in the turret of a vehicle is more likely to wear their deltoid protection while your average infantryman would not.
15th -16th century onwards samurai armour definitely has modularity. The earlier armours like the Oyoroi in the 11-13th century are not so adaptable. Japanese armour had undergone plenty of changes over the centuries. The armour Shad is wearing looks like a 16th century design. Big metal plates and not much lacing, and modular. Much earlier armours were made from hundreds or even a few thousand small scales with loads of lacing to hold them together.
@@stuartclarke3171
It's a Design form Iron Mountai Samurai Armory. They are crafted in China as reproduction not exact replicas. Looks liks a Gashira mid grade. It's good for the price. Like 1,600 for a set like that.
You know, having discussed the pros and cons of eastern and western armor types, I kind of want to see a video where Shad and company mix the best of both-- making a Scimitana Style Armor set.
I think the style of swordsmanship will matter too. Like gripping the sword and the stance you fight from etc might makeup for areas with no armor. If theyre covered when in fighting stances. No need for armor there. Also major reason for choices they made was indeed, horseback archery. A+++ to shad for that one!!
yoroi armor was good enough to stop cuts , so its doing the job, giving it only to archers is an insult.
I would love to see these guys revisit "Fantasy Re-Armed" content from the past. Reevaluate it all and see if Shad still agrees. Also would love to see them examine Dragon Age Origins "Legion of the Dead" Armor as well as the Stalhrim Armors and Weapons from Skyrim.
It seems to be more comfy than the European medieval armor
You'd find that it's the other way around
Kinda yes, kinda no. Depends on the types and parts your using. I find lower body yoroi to be way more comfortable then the european counterpart. But a do is nowhere near as comfortable as a brigandine. So it depends on the specifics which pieces
@@drifter-donosadventureobsc9565
I mean, that feels like a given haha. Manchuria kikko plates might work
@@MW_Asura At first, the audience should know, how the real European armour looks like. In this film we can see only a fantasy-orcish-mess. A travesty of European armour. BTW: that Japanese one is from 16th/17th century, so we shall compare it with European armour of tha same period.
Becouse that replica of the Japanese 16th/17th century armour is generally simmilar to the real one. Somehow, Shad and his guests do not like to wear propper European armour. That junk mess in this film on that 'Not-Shad-Guy' is more Orcish than European.
You're incorrect Shad. Japan bought early Portuguese matchlocks but took to them wholesale and was the first to deploy guns truly en masse. (Portugal had about 3,000 though in fairness)
Japan's huge number of conflicts during the 1500s meant they were the most advanced gunpowder civilization for a very long time- perhaps 100 years ahead until their long peaceful period in which they cut off trade saw their military stagnate.
Just a point on medieval Japan being gun heavy.
With the mask, Shad looks like Robin Williams
A colab with metatron would have been a cool video
and Skallgarim ''the viking''
meta ''the samurai''
shad ''the knight''
The Spanish, Portuguese and probably the Dutch used Japanese armor. I'm pretty sure it was the high-quality steel armor that nobles would wear. I think the thing that made the Japanese adopt Spanish breastplates was that they found themselves susceptible to iron bullet arabesque/fusil shots. Even the English and French knights in the 1400 to 1500's gradually adapted larger, thicker frontal armor to protect their midsections from hardened lance heads and gunpowder weapons. guns came to Japan via the Portuguese in the 1570's. Govenor Luis Dasmarinas of the Philippines was supposedly killed with a katana in his hand, in Japanese samurai armor while fighting Fujian rebels outside Manilla in 1603.
Hey @shadiversity are you going to make a character with a sunforged TITAN SWORD in the SOTC sequel? That’d be awesome!
The knights had protection, the samurai had drip
Okay, we've seen Medieval European and Imperial Japanese. I would love to see Shad and Nate's take on Ancient Greek Corinthian helmets. They're beautiful and have inspired many more recent helmets and even fantasy designs. So, how functional were they, and what modifications could be done to make them more functional using conventions from other periods and cultures?
Feudal not Imperial, Imperial Japan was from 1868 till 1947 and was very much a Westernized military force with the samurai being nonexistent at that point.
@@ImperialSenpai Ooh, thank you for the correction! I'm not very learned on Japanese eras, but that makes sense. So, with that said, we've seen Medieval European and *Feudal Japanese. Still would love to learn more about the Corinthian helmet. Haha.
@@chiefspedias9642 You’re good, before the Meiji Restoration the political structure in Japan was weird. Japanese eras and periods are a different, with the Sengoku period being the most thought of and talked about when it comes to feudal Japan. Feudal Japan is just a more broad term. Also Metatron has a video on the Corinthian helmet.
Samurai often worn ornaments on the helmet as to intimated the enemy on the battlefield.
And they wanted to flaunt as much of their armor and show off.
The samurai was capable of fulfilling the roles of archer, gunner, footsoldier and cavalry.
I also think it was about identity. A warrior wanted fame and fortune in hope that his lord will gift him a great reward in land or gold or cattle
Romance of Men?
In the Thriller Bark arc of One Piece, Luffy declares it is a Man's Romance that if a man sees a suit of armor, he must don that suit of armor.
I wonder if there's a connection in the name.
i doubt its has any direct connection.
It just so happens that Oda likes the concept of classical romance and he makes reference to it every now and then.
The metal on samurai armor, with exceptions of course, typically only the arm pieces and breastplates were metal, with the other pieces being layered and cross fiber laminated paper
...no,paper was never used as a main of armor, metal parts would have been used all over, I think you're confusing Japan with china.
It may be practical for European armorers to adopt elements of Japanese armor, e.g., lacquering plates to inhibit rust.
Every weakness you addressed on the samurai armor is legit but auxiliary elements are game changers! Check out the dedicated playlist by samuraijames. I like a lot the manchira that’s a “brigandine like” jacket with exagonal metal plates sewn into a padded jacket, it goes underneath the do and covers shoulders, armpit and the belly very well!
Shad looks sick in that samurai armor. Who here wants it to be part of the regular costume rotation?
A common mistake with japanese armors is to wear them without belt or with a loose one. A properly tight belt help to distribute the weight on the waist and to free the shoulders, which need to be as free as possible.
Another one is to tie the kote too tight. This with the not properly tight dou (breastplate) will restrain your arms movements.
Also this kind of armor (tosei gusoku) weren't really much heavier than the reproductions we have today. The average armor weight during the battle of Sekigahara was something like 15kg. The lighter sode (pauldrons) I have are actually not modern reproductions but real things from the Edo period.
"Samurai were archers". During the time the tosei gusoku you wear was created, the core of any army was made of spikemen and foot soldiers. Actual bowmen would wear lighter armors, ironically probably not any sode (pauldrons). Not even to mention at that time (late sengoku era), firearms were commonly used on battlefields. Saying samurai were archers is just like saying knights always fought in plate armor. We're talking here about a cast of professional warriors which existed for centuries.
They wouldnt because the samurai battle weapon was mainly the bow, so they kinda needed that flexibility to work it, that is why was so open under the arms if im not mistaken. An European knight typically fought in different manner in battle. I mean this is just my take out of the bat from memory, im sure there was other reasons too. Great video
It is still better to have less effective armour then no amour. Decent set has value in gold.
Shad wearing the wrong samurai period armor to compare. He should wear the Kamakura period samurai armor and a 13th century armor as comparison
Yep. A Samurai and a Knight fill different roles, and had different materials available.
@@daefaron no I'm saying shad is wearing a 17th century samurai armor while the other guy is wearing a 12 century knight armor. It really isn't a good way to compare since they are not in a closer time period. At this point in the time period in the 17th century there were no longer any knights served in Europe but streltsy, cuirassier, and musketeers and Harquebusier's Armor.
@@majesticgothitelle1802 That was in reply to the main comment, which was the Knight and the Samurai aren't exactly in the same battlefield role, so the armors are built to do different things.
I can absolutely see a western knight/warrior choosing to obtain a set of samurai armor if they had the option. Not necessarily for using the whole set by itself, but for mixing and matching pieces between it and other armor pieces they might have, in order to create a custom set best suited to their needs or tastes. Possibly even outright modifying or reforging parts if they felt like it and/or had the money/skill to do so. =^x^=
New video lets gooooooo
Btw, where do I contact Shad about typos in his book?
Here I was hoping Shad would recreate the armoring up scene from Last Samurai with his wife, seems like a sweet thing they could do together.
We need to remember, this is an armor from around 1600-1700 Century, they where having peace in that period and all the way to 1900 Century. when looking at the art, we see more like the thin metal decorations, they where there to clearly show which clan you where from, that also means each clan had their own. we would also see more protection or less, depending on how rich the clan was, and how big of a standing they had in the clan. as for that mouth protection there are many style for the nose, but i have yet to see one poke that far up.
Japanese steel is of high quality, so iron sand is iron sand from titanite, which is found in granite formed by weathering magma, and contains titanium. Iron sand is low in phosphorus and sulfur, impurities that make steel brittle, and high in vanadium, which strengthens steel. Iron ore has a high content of phosphorus and sulfur and no vanadium.
High-quality Japanese knives that are highly regarded today are made using the same traditional method as katana.
ua-cam.com/users/shortsTldpPYewaQo
In ancient Japan, slag was called noro, and the work of eliminating slag was called noro dashi or noro shibori. In tatara iron manufacturing, iron sand is kept in a semi-molten state by keeping the furnace at 1300℃, but only impurities such as phosphorus, sulfur, and silicates are melted and discharged as slag. Because Japan has many volcanoes, it exported a lot of iron products, gold, and silver.
Around 1970, Japan's Hitachi Metals developed Yasugi Specialty Steel (yasuki hagane) by analyzing and applying tatara steelmaking and tamahagane, and built a sponge iron factory. Yasugi Steel has the same properties as katana, so it is hard, impact resistant, and hard to break. Yasugi Steel is a low-temperature steel mill similar to Tatara Steel, so it takes time to produce steel, but it can produce high-quality steel. Yasugi Specialty Steel is used for a variety of purposes, including knife steel, high-grade kitchen knife materials (Kai Corporation, Zwilling), razor materials (Gillette, Schick, Wilkinson razor steel), automobile parts materials, automobile engine parts, aircraft engine parts, etc. It is used in
Where and at what period in history does a cuirass like the one Nate’s wearing become standard infantry? Late 15th century?
Probably standard infantry as in knights and men at arms that fought on foot like the English liked to do.
If you replaced the face mask with a skull, you would be a little closer to looking like Shao Kahn.
As the saying goes, any port in a storm. I imagine if the knight had to choose between samurai armor or fighting in the buff, I imagine most would choose the armor regardless.
Samurai were more archers and calvary spearmen. Theoretically a bit of the detriments would be negated by either using a bow/spear or being mounted.
European and Japanese armor are both weak to maces, arrows (which were shown to be able to pierce plates at the battles of Agincourt and Legnica), and a common spear can pierce armpit chain mail.
European armor is more expensive, has less vision, causes more stamina consumption and fatigue, the joints are a little more uncomfortable, it weighs more therefore the warrior becomes slower.
Japnese armor can perfectly stop cuts (horizontal blows) on the entire surface of the body, it also wears kusari gusoku (chain mail) in the armpits, facial sides and neck, back of the thighs, groin. You can also put pieces of hardened leather on the back parts such as the back, skirt, calf, etc. and further reduce the weight even more (this material is surprisingly effective against cuts).
Therefore, Japanese yoroi armor is more useful on foot than european armor, and european armor is more useful on horseback because its weight adds kinetic energy to the impact.
The real question is, if a time traveler brought a medieval knight and a Edo/imperial samurai to an arena, who would win the battle?
Also there’s multiple different types of samurai armor too and it’s mostly to protect them from arrows attacks then other katanas.
Purely blow for blow? I'd say knight would have the upper hand. They were kinda made for that up and personal job. Samurai more commonly sat back on horses with long bows(hence the need for mobility). Yes, they also fought up close, but a jack of all trades won't do so well against someone who specializes in the field. Not to mention if you throw them in with a katana they're fu**ed..
If they had nothing else? Sure. Versus proper full plate? LOL NO.
Yeah and a samurai would surely lose against a knight in full plate armor. Any armor that can let you get run over by a horse and still be fine would destroy a samurai. Two different styles built for different battlefields with different varieties of weapons and martial arts
Granted, full plate is a generally unfair comparison to about anything.
If you aren't a super duper rich boy, the comparison is likely more to Maille or Brigandine, to which it's much more analagous
@1stCallipostle They said Knight V Samuri. Both of those were rich.
@@xxxlonewolf49 Being a Knight doesn't always mean you'll have everything.
You might be of some repute, but not every house is doing well when every war comes around.
not a big difference, you can still be weak to maces/clubs/hammers, you are just adding weight and wasting money
Armor is of its place and time combining armors bad and good traits can cover each others weaknesses there is also the cost an maintaince not to mention how easy it is to repair. Id imagine organic armors were used a lot more than we give credit for in the past
OH MY GOSH THIS IS AMAZING!
I have my own samurai armour set and I can put it on by myself.
The most difficult part is tightening the lacing for the arm (called kote), but if you pretighten correctly, you can just slide them on. It's better with help in terms of fit, but good enough done alone.
I mean well Nate isn’t wrong but samuri actually used those horns to try and disarm swords and spears strikes to the head. So what you’d do is drop into a front stance and headbut the blade and then push forward and try and grab the staff or arms and draw you sword or knife and go for a kill, It’s a very interesting technique. Also those decorations where designed to try and stop the helmet from tacking damage as they weren’t the s most rigid and would more then likely get damaged but protect the structure of the helmet.
I feel like artists will appreciate the amount you just move around in this vid
That armor looks be designed around the Katana family of swords. It makes sense if you use a weapon you would design it around weapons you used and your fighting style. Seeing how the shoulder and arm flexibility is I get that feeling.
Since we're all about pedantry here it'd be more accurate to say the nihontō (japanese sword) family of swords. It's how the Japanese refer to that family of swords after all. Also the tachi predates the katana and the katana is based on the tachi so it doesnt make sense to say "katana family of swords".
@@sowpmactavish Fair enough, and the more you learn the better. I am in North America where they believe the Katana will slice the Earth in half with a missed strike. LOL! (of course I know better. LOL!)
I kind of feel like if a Knight had access to Samurai armor that they might actually mix and match pieces between the two.
For the face plate I'd like to point out the archery abilities of someone in a gorget vs the japanese style... it's going to be difficult to convince me that Samurai who were as much archers and riders vs "knights" which we largely actually mean foot soldiers...I think they had their specializations and arguing about the fallacies of the one without considering the why is going to just make you fall flat under scrutiny.
European and Japanese armor are both weak to maces, arrows (which were shown to be able to pierce plates at the battles of Agincourt and Legnica), and a common spear can pierce armpit chain mail.
European armor is more expensive, has less vision, causes more stamina consumption and fatigue, the joints are a little more uncomfortable, it weighs more therefore the warrior becomes slower.
Japnese armor can perfectly stop cuts (horizontal blows) on the entire surface of the body, it also wears kusari gusoku (chain mail) in the armpits, facial sides and neck, back of the thighs, groin. You can also put pieces of hardened leather on the back parts such as the back, skirt, calf, etc. and further reduce the weight even more (this material is surprisingly effective against cuts).
Therefore, Japanese yoroi armor is more useful on foot than european armor, and european armor is more useful on horseback because its weight adds kinetic energy to the impact.
Regarding the exposed belly, Metatron made a video about a piece of armor that Samurai would wear under the Do which was a bit like a scale shirt. That piece would cover the stomach and bridge the gap.
yes, an Obi that could be a plate metal piece, so, the abdomen articulation is more comfortable than the european one which is non-existent
I wasn't a knight or a samurai but i was a Marine Corps infantryman in Afghanistan and i can tell you combat kits are always very specific for whatever mission that was being undertaken. If someone asked me what the best kit i wore was all i could say would be whichever kit allowed me to best accomplish mission without sacrificing protection that I'm most likely to need. Thats really it. If i knew i was going to be riding in the back of an armored convoy vs marching up a mountain i would obviously consider weight. If i dont have to walk anywhere or I'm likely to be in a static post then give me all the armor available. But if im having to move long distances or maneuver through buildings in tight spaces then I'd opt for something more simple and lightweight. Maybe plate holders or something. I have to assume similar thought went into knights and samurai kit when preparing for combat
I am just a civilian, but you as a (real) infantry unit understand more what war and its complex factors are like in real life.
Things are not solved by spending enormous amounts of money, european armor is useful on horseback, but on foot it has detriments such as weight, less vision, less comfort in joints, greater fatigue and stamina consumption...on the other hand, Japanese yoroi armor does not suffer as much from that and therefore is more useful on foot, and it also perfectly fulfills its function of stopping cuts in all body surface.
Furthermore, as you already know, a modern tank has high armor on the front, but low on the sides, roof and rear, if that were not done the enormous weight would not allow the vehicle to move..., well the same can be done to the yoroi armor, the entire front can be made of metal, and the entire back made of hardened leather, that material is lightweight and stops cuts surprisingly well .
The problem is that people who have not studied war are visually blinded by the image of european armor believing that it is infallible, when in reality they are weak to maces which are much cheaper and easier to make than a sword, the arrows can pierce plates (it was demonstrated at Agincourt against the English and at Legnica against the Mongols), and a simple and common spear can damage the armpits of chain mail...
@@danielquintana1353 I always thought it was interesting that often times European knights would end a one on one conflict on the ground with small metal spikes meant for stabbing between plates. All that armor and weaponry and they get killed by something which amounts to little more than a prison shank.