OurDecay's English Knight, c.1265

1. Broadsword (secondary weapon)* - a heavy weapon, at this point it is slightly aged and is not the most current style. Now features a pointed thrusting tip and is fully fullered, but is still a cutting weapon. It is not a true cut-and-thrust weapon of the contemporary design, however. Sword fittings include a subtly curved crossbar that is primarily straight and a wheel-shaped pommel (still a fashionable style for the time). Fittings of sword and wood leather-wrapped scabbard are of brass. When on horseback the rider would instead use a lance (in the couched position) for an initial charge. With the advent of plate armour, the usefulness of such a weapon diminished when fighting a knight with similar armaments.

2. Dagger (arming dagger)* - a sword-hilted dagger that matches the broadsword. Used for close and desperate combat situations, not the same as the eating knife.

3. Bec-de-corbyn (primary land combat weapon) - As armour evolved into all-encompassing plate considerable leverage and a pointed tip were needed to exert the necessary force to puncture armour. With an almost 6-foot reach and a working end that features essentially a war hammer fitting, this weapon was devastating in almost all situations during this era. Because of the protection afforded by the plate armour, shields were redundant and fell out of favor years prior during the transitional period (14th century). This opened up a second arm to be used for offense and thus two-handed weapons such as pollarms and two-handed swords became more practical and common.

4. Double-wrap Sword Belt* - chromed black leather matching the finish of the leather scabbards. Features nickel fittings and is designed for the wearer to have the sword positioned vertically slightly to the front of the hip (per effigies from the period). Lower wrap is worn low on the hip. Belt also carries a dagger frog* on the right hip.

5. Milanese Full Plate Harness (with jousting attachments) - Based largely on the effigy of Richard Beauchamp, the Earl of Warwick (England), who died in 1450 AD. Being an earl, the actual suit would almost certainly have been gilt (gold-plated) and lined with fine materials such as imported silk. This harness is not that of an Earl, but of a minor noble, so instead of silk there is a felt lining on the plates (and no gold!). This type of armour is a representative example of the armours produced for export by the Missaglia family to wealthy nobles in the provinces of France and England. These armours were known for their rounded shapes, clean lines, and utilitarian style. Their primary competition of the day were the so-called 'gothic' styled angular armours produced in Germany that featured excessive fluting and a premium on appearance (while still remaining functional).

The suit of armour is sum of many specialized parts and components, each with a specific purpose. In the future I will have a visual chart that explains the different components and how they interact with each other. The helmet that is part of the harness is called an 'armet'. What is particular about an armet is that it is a close helm that has hinged cheek pieces that meet at the cleft of the chin, and are both covered with a visor. Essentially the helm folds in around your head, giving it 360-degree protection. The neck is covered by a maille aventail or mantle, although for full jousting situations an additional neck guard would be added to the front of the helmet to protect against the points of lances. This particular suit features removable jousting attachments that include extensions for the pauldrons (shoulder armour) and an exaggerated couter (elbow armour) on the left arm. Both the breastplate and backplate are made up of many pieces and are articulated to afford some range of motion. Arms and legs are both almost fully covered, with the only exposed areas being the back of the knee and the inside of the elbow.

6. Arming doublet (with maille gussets) - This handmade garment serves as a mounting garment for the plate armour, including both the upper and lower body, and for maille gussets to protect exposed areas. Very little archaeological data exists for these garments, and only one extant doublet still exists to this day, the doublet of Charles Du Blois. Unlike previous aketons that needed to be thickly padded to absorb the shock of mass weapons underneath armour, this padded garment was relatively light but needed to be very sturdy indeed. This doublet could also be called a pourpoint, as it is being used to suspend the upper leg armour of the harness directly. Pairs of threaded ties called arming points hold the cuisses (leg armour), the rebraces (upper arm armour) and pauldrons (shoulder armour). Because of the requirements placed on this garment to support so many pieces and still allow mobility, it is very much a custom-fitted garment and is individualized to the wearer. The effectiveness and safety of the plate armour begins and ends with the arming clothes worn underneath. The gussets are constructed of 5/16" butted 14-ga galv. maille and are also attached with points. This piece is currently in the planning stages.

7. Cape (heraldric) - This calf-length elaborate cape is cinched with gilt fittings and has a single clasp to join it. The back of the cape features a large version of the knight's heraldry dominating the garment. This garment (made of a double layer of linen in this case) was richly constructed and with the dyeing of the linen to black represented a rare and fine piece. This piece is currently in construction.

8. Leggings* - These are of made of a light wool blend that breathes well and has a bit of elasticity to it. While it is a modern material, the appearance and characteristics are not dissimilar from what actually was worn. The big difference between these garments and their medieval counterparts was that in period there were two separate stockings (one for each leg) that were suspended by ties from a roll along the waistline that was part of the braies (undergarments). For convenience, comfort and modesty I have selected to construct them more like a pair of loose-fitting tights, with a hidden elastic waistband to keep them up. Since this area isn't visible at any times to the public, this shortcut is a good way to cut down on the complexity of the harness.

11. Boots (soft leather)* - These simple lace-up suede boots are tall, riding on the upper calf. In actuality, they are a pair of modified moccasins. Eventually they will need to be replaced with turnshoes.

If you have any questions, dead links to report, or anything else to request, feel free to email me at:

ourdecay@cox.net

Last Updated: 11.16.04 (new host!)

Date Created: 04.20.03

Warrior's Hall of Honor:

John
Varangian Guard

Mike
The Anglo-Dane

Shawn
The Rus Trader

Ian
The Hersir

Ryan
The English Knight

Dan
The Thing Man