During the 17th C. century, muskets were becoming more common on the battlefield. Soldiers needed to be more mobile, causing the change from full suits of armor to the use of simply a breastplate and helmet.
Musketeers did not wear any body armor and thus were very vulnerable to cavalry charge, especially during reloading. Trained pike men were deployed to protect the musketeers, originally outnumbering them two to one. Over the course of the 1600s their use declined to one pike man for every five or six musketeers and becoming the only infantry to still use armor. Due to the decrease in use, armor construction began to shift from functional to ornamental. Only officers and the elite could afford to wear decorated armor, and the richer you were, the more elaborate the designs.
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The Norman helmet (also known as the 'nasal helmet' or the 'casque Normand') was commonly used from the 6th to the 12th century. It is one of the most recognizable helmets of the medieval period. The helmet’s aesthetic origins or influence stems from a mixture of Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon heritage. The Norman Helmet is made of 14 g steel, forged with the traditional sectional reinforcement plates and nasal guard. The Norman helmet comes with an adjustable leather liner and chin strap.
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PigFace Bascinet

The Barbuta is a design with a rich history. It was developed in Italy, originating from the Bascinet, which itself had evolved from a steel skull cap worn under the great helm. During combat most soldiers removed the great helm as to not hinder their agility and visibility. These soldiers eventually discarding it completely for the simpler and more manageable Bascinet. The Barbuta developed from the Bascinet, with a design that hearkens back to the Corinthian helmets worn in the Greek empire. This is believed to have been caused by a renewed interest in classical history and literature.

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Description pending review

~NEW~

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German Sallet
NEW item.
Description pending
Review

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Inspired from the Nazgul gauntlets in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, we have created one of the most complex and detailed gauntlets. Each gauntlet has 158 rivets with 58 moveable parts, permitting exceptional articulation. The gauntlets are made of 16 g steel (Leather gloves are included). The adjustable leather straps allows a perfect fitting.

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German, 15th C.
Originals on display at the National Germanic Museum, Nuremberg

These Medieval gauntlets are fully articulated and simply the best gauntlets we have ever offered. These gothic gauntlets are fully articulated and strapped with a pair of high grade black suede gloves. Each gauntlet has 153 rivets and 46 independent and articulated parts, offering exceptional mobility. Each finger has a 8 point articulation axis.

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German, 15th C.
Tower of London, England (Wallace Collection).

14 gauge steel.
The design for this gorget is based on a model on display in the Tower
of London from the 15th century, circa 1480. The original was crafted
by Matthes Deutsch, a German armorer based out of the ducal residence of Landshut. Matthes Deutsch was commissioned to make armors for several prominent dukes of Bavaria, such as Friedrich
III and Johann of Saxony. While most of Deutsch's armor appears relatively simple and undecorated, his ability to produce complexe yet refined designs redered him as one of the most sought after smiths of his time. His surviving works are on display in museums throughout the world.A picture of Matthes Deutsch's original work can be seen in the book 'Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight' by David Edge, on page 127.

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German, 15th C.
Tower of London, England (Wallace Collection).
14 gauge steel.

Here is another fine example of Matthes Deutsch work, reporduced from a gorget on display in the Towerof London. The gorget's and bevor's four sectional system allows for perfect mobility for foot soldiers and cavalry. The bevor can be lifted and left raised or lowered with a locking system.
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Tower of London, England (Wallace Collection).

16 gauge steel. It is based on the model made in Landshut by Matthes Deutsch, C 1480. A photograph can be found in David Edge's book "Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight" (page 127).

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14th C

These 3/4 length leg armor are designed after those of King Edward the Third of England. the Leg armor are made of 14 g. steel and ready to wear with straps and historical buckles.

Edward III lived from 1312 to 1377. He enjoyed an unusually long reign of fifty years, accomplishing much. The king was an aggressive military campaigner, taking over his father and grandfather’s conquest of Scotland as well as starting the Hundred
Years War with France. England was ravaged by the plague twice within his reign and the king was able to restore society relatively quickly after both epidemics.
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13th C. .

Leg armor that covers the knee (known as ‘poleyns’) was one of the first forms of plate armor. Poleyns were generally worn by attaching them to or over chain mail ‘chausses’ that either came to the knee or else extended down the leg.

In the 13th C, most soldiers wore a gambeson (padded jacket) covered by chain mail, with polyens protecting their legs, copts to protect their elbows, and a helmet (usually the conical ‘Great Helm’). The use of full sets of plate armor did not come into common use for another century.

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English, 14th C.
Tower of London, England (Wallace Collection)

These 14th C. elbow cups, known as Couters, are made in 18 gauge steel and come with leather straps and buckles. An additional leather strap can be used to attach the elbow cups to a Chain Mail shirt for additional stability. The gothic Couters are made of 18 g. steel and are SCA legal and can be worn over chain mail, medieval tunic, shirt, or used for

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The gambeson (or ‘arming jacket’) was designed to help shield the body from weapon blows. While a straight thrust will still cut through the jacket, glancing and side blows are more likely to bruise instead of slash through. Early gambesons were stuffed with hair – usually horse, goat, pony or oxen – or scrap material. They were sewn in a quilted pattern to keep the stuffing in pockets evenly distributed over the body instead of sliding and gathering at the bottom of the
jacket.

Gambesons are both worn on their own as well as underneath armor, either chain mail or plate.

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The arming cap was designed to keep the metal edges of helmets from chafing on the skin as well adding a cushioning effect when struck.

The cap is made with a quilted stitch pattern to keep the padding evenly distributed.

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The sallet reached its pinnacle of popularity during the 1500s, evolving differently according to date and region. Although most display German influence, other examples show more subtle feathers of the Italian style. This is an example of an early 16th century design, while in its later use the sallet developed a long flared tail that extended over the back of the wearer's neck.

The open face sallet became popular among archers and spearmen in the early 16th century. These less obstructive helmets provided much better visibility on the battlefield than their predecessors that covered most of the face with a visor or left only slits as visibility.

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1500
Nuremberg, Germany
14g.

Original on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Bashford Dean Memorial Collection).
Jousting emerged during the 12th C. from the military use of the lance by the mounted knight. During the latter part of the Middle Ages, jousting gained popularity in numerous kingdoms and was transformed into a lucrative event. Knights and nobles gained considerable wealth, prestige and land during such bouts, while merchants and artisans benefited from the ‘games’ by the distension of neighbouring populations. While Jousting spread widely across the Christian kingdom, Pope Innocent II, in 1130, at a church council at Clermont, denounced all forms of ‘Noble’ tournaments and forbade Christian burials for Nobles killed in them. According to ecclesiastical ideas of morality, the ‘games’ distracted the aristocracy from focusing on more acceptable warfare, in defense of Christianity.
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The Gothic Sallet is one of the most interesting, complex and intelligently designed helmets of the later part of the Middle Ages. Gothic Armors were designed to imitate the pleated clothing that was considered fashionable in Europe at the time. These pleads, also knows as fluting note only rendered armors more structurally sound but were also visually pleasing.

The Gothic Sallet is forged with 14 g steel and fully lined (leather). The leather liner is adjustable and also includes a chin strap.

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