Although an interesting thing about costs of armor in the 15th century: There are price lists for equipment for mercenaries, because they often got "Schadlosbriefe" (Letters of indemnity) which guaranteed them replacement for lost equipment after their service. And based on those lists we have some price tags for example for the area of the Holy Roman Empire where the Rhenish Gulden was used for payment. So just to give an idea for the value: a day laborer made around 14-20 Gulden per year, a journeyman in a town made around 20-50 Gulden per year and a master craftsman made around 30-60 Gulden per year; a mercenary made around 48 Gulden per year. According to the price lists a pike costed 1/4 Gulden, a knife 1/4-1/2 Gulden, a sword 1 Gulden and a crossbow 2-4 Gulden. A helmet (probably something like a Kettle hat) costs around 1.5-3 Gulden, a breastplate/backplate combination around 2 Gulden and with an armored collar the combination would be around 3 Gulden. But the mail hauberk was actually still valued with 5-6 Gulden. Although it was generally not considered sufficent armor and a lot of mercenaries and city militias didn't wear them in combination with plate armor. So I guess mail hauberks were just something a lot of people had just laying around from their grandpa's or something, but newly made it was still quite expensive. Probably because there were quite effective methods to make plate armor in masses - with water-powered metal pressing devices and whatnot - but for mail you still always need some poor guy who just sits there for hours and hours to put those damn rings together. Kinda reminds me of those instruments we still have from my great grandpa. Most of my family didn't care about them and regarded them as some scrap they would sell for 50€ or something if there wasn't the emotional value of it, but they were actually well-made, handcrafted instruments you would easily pay more than 1000€ today for new ones.
WOW no armour does not disappear at the end of the 16th century. It continued to evolve in form and the roles it was used for but was still in use until around 1880 with the introduction of smokeless powder. Then it becomes a civilian self-defense item until WW1 where it came back to protect from frag and flak. Then flak armour continued to evolve until the introduction of modern body armour. You might like to look up a book on pdf called "Helmets and body armor in modern warfare" by Bashford Dean. It is free online and has some great information on armour up to and including WW1. Trust me it is worth a read.
Even in World War One armor was used, although in limited capacity. There were some cuirassiers who still wore their breastplates into battle. Not only them, but trench raiders like the Italian arditi wore a breastplate. Some machine gunners as well. They might not stop a full power rifle round at close range, but from a certain distance they could. They could reliably protect you from handguns as well.
0:150:30 look dad! We're famous! Was amazing listening to you talk so passionately about armour, very few people I know can explain their mastercrafts so well!
Armor didn’t fade that quickly. 3/4 armor was still used fairly often by cavalrymen and breastplates tassets and helmets by pikemen until the latter half of the 17th century. Even then, the cuirass remained in use by some, such as cuirassiers, until as late as the First World War.
regarding the 4th point, I assume creators of Vikings tried to place ridge helmets, but failed anyways. for me Braveheart costumes e.g. Kilts, or the plate armor pieces, and other inaccuracies at The 13th Warrior are the bigger mess. Go a bit earlier to 1978 The Norseman with Lee Majors, the vikings have plate armory, horned helmets and shields of steel ...
Me again. Do you manufacture tempered spring steel pieces? I may be interested in a commission given that my armorer's shop in Ukraine was bombed out a few months ago. My harness is French late 14th-early 15th C transitional armor with the focus on mobility.
There's a lot of it but its not stand alone. Even the early leather knee an elbow cops are extras to mail. The common leather vambraces an rerebraces often had bars added, partly as this means that the leather no longer has to be as thick and stiff.
Leather armor components were a feature of High and earlier Late Medieval armor. Leather armor like in Hollywood and vidya was likely never a thing at least in Medieval Europe.
Leather armor itself was not really a thing on western Europe. Though there were the coat of plates and later the brigandine. Bigger and later small plates of armor where put on the inside of a coat which could be leather or wool or even velvet, and from the outside you could only see the rivets.
@@mercarryn2042 Don't neglect cuir-bouilli, though. It had a heyday around 1380, particularly in lower leg protection, where the c-b greaves were in one piece, sprung around the leg, and laced shut up the medial side. Observable in art/memorial effigies by the lacing doing the job where you'd expect buckled straps, running up the inside/inseam of the greave. Lasted about one generation before being supplanted by metal; possibly reflecting whether the knight was as heavy in the purse as the next horseman.
Although an interesting thing about costs of armor in the 15th century: There are price lists for equipment for mercenaries, because they often got "Schadlosbriefe" (Letters of indemnity) which guaranteed them replacement for lost equipment after their service. And based on those lists we have some price tags for example for the area of the Holy Roman Empire where the Rhenish Gulden was used for payment. So just to give an idea for the value: a day laborer made around 14-20 Gulden per year, a journeyman in a town made around 20-50 Gulden per year and a master craftsman made around 30-60 Gulden per year; a mercenary made around 48 Gulden per year.
According to the price lists a pike costed 1/4 Gulden, a knife 1/4-1/2 Gulden, a sword 1 Gulden and a crossbow 2-4 Gulden. A helmet (probably something like a Kettle hat) costs around 1.5-3 Gulden, a breastplate/backplate combination around 2 Gulden and with an armored collar the combination would be around 3 Gulden. But the mail hauberk was actually still valued with 5-6 Gulden. Although it was generally not considered sufficent armor and a lot of mercenaries and city militias didn't wear them in combination with plate armor. So I guess mail hauberks were just something a lot of people had just laying around from their grandpa's or something, but newly made it was still quite expensive. Probably because there were quite effective methods to make plate armor in masses - with water-powered metal pressing devices and whatnot - but for mail you still always need some poor guy who just sits there for hours and hours to put those damn rings together. Kinda reminds me of those instruments we still have from my great grandpa. Most of my family didn't care about them and regarded them as some scrap they would sell for 50€ or something if there wasn't the emotional value of it, but they were actually well-made, handcrafted instruments you would easily pay more than 1000€ today for new ones.
I love learning about armor and these videos are great keep them coming
Thank you and we will. Mr President haha ;)
WOW no armour does not disappear at the end of the 16th century. It continued to evolve in form and the roles it was used for but was still in use until around 1880 with the introduction of smokeless powder. Then it becomes a civilian self-defense item until WW1 where it came back to protect from frag and flak. Then flak armour continued to evolve until the introduction of modern body armour. You might like to look up a book on pdf called "Helmets and body armor in modern warfare" by Bashford Dean. It is free online and has some great information on armour up to and including WW1. Trust me it is worth a read.
Even in World War One armor was used, although in limited capacity. There were some cuirassiers who still wore their breastplates into battle. Not only them, but trench raiders like the Italian arditi wore a breastplate. Some machine gunners as well. They might not stop a full power rifle round at close range, but from a certain distance they could. They could reliably protect you from handguns as well.
@@Specter_1125 well, the point on a lot of plate in ww1 was not to stop rifle or pistol but to stop low velocity frag from artillery.
@@NoBSSurvivalat least with German machine gunner armor, it was rated to stop a .303 British from 300 yards.
0:15 0:30 look dad! We're famous! Was amazing listening to you talk so passionately about armour, very few people I know can explain their mastercrafts so well!
Armor didn’t fade that quickly. 3/4 armor was still used fairly often by cavalrymen and breastplates tassets and helmets by pikemen until the latter half of the 17th century. Even then, the cuirass remained in use by some, such as cuirassiers, until as late as the First World War.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I learned so much! Keep up the hard work lads
Wow - just found your channel, good to see other Aussies who love our medieval heritage.
Where can I source your work? I need some new armour.
Cheers Raymond. Look up Red Hart Reproductions on Facebook to see and source commission work. We do full reproductions based here in Australia.
Denethor slept in his mail to keep his body strong!!!!!
I think that was the King of Rohan, Théoden. The character spoke of it.
regarding the 4th point, I assume creators of Vikings tried to place ridge helmets, but failed anyways. for me Braveheart costumes e.g. Kilts, or the plate armor pieces, and other inaccuracies at The 13th Warrior are the bigger mess. Go a bit earlier to 1978 The Norseman with Lee Majors, the vikings have plate armory, horned helmets and shields of steel ...
Do you mean they mistook Roman Ridge helmets for Burganettes with the actual ridge? Cool comment
Forge On. God Bless.
Me again. Do you manufacture tempered spring steel pieces? I may be interested in a commission given that my armorer's shop in Ukraine was bombed out a few months ago. My harness is French late 14th-early 15th C transitional armor with the focus on mobility.
We do actually. Message facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063655656463 and get in contact 🙂
I'm sorry about your shop, and I hope you haven't lost even more than that. I will pray for thee.
Thoughts on leather armor for Western Europe ? (I think it hardly existed but I'm having a debate with my guild mates lol)
There's a lot of it but its not stand alone.
Even the early leather knee an elbow cops are extras to mail.
The common leather vambraces an rerebraces often had bars added, partly as this means that the leather no longer has to be as thick and stiff.
Leather armor components were a feature of High and earlier Late Medieval armor. Leather armor like in Hollywood and vidya was likely never a thing at least in Medieval Europe.
Leather armor itself was not really a thing on western Europe. Though there were the coat of plates and later the brigandine. Bigger and later small plates of armor where put on the inside of a coat which could be leather or wool or even velvet, and from the outside you could only see the rivets.
@@mercarryn2042 Don't neglect cuir-bouilli, though. It had a heyday around 1380, particularly in lower leg protection, where the c-b greaves were in one piece, sprung around the leg, and laced shut up the medial side. Observable in art/memorial effigies by the lacing doing the job where you'd expect buckled straps, running up the inside/inseam of the greave. Lasted about one generation before being supplanted by metal; possibly reflecting whether the knight was as heavy in the purse as the next horseman.
I am going to have to say hi next abbey. Your not Queensland based by any chance?