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Parts of Medieval Armor: A Complete Guide to Pieces, Their Function, and Historical Evolution
Armor is not just steel: it is forged history covering every seam and every rivet. Imagine the knight dismounting his steed at dawn: every buckle he unfastens, every piece that falls to the ground, tells a story of design, of a compromise between mobility and protection.
A first glance: what are the parts of a medieval armor
The parts of medieval armor are not randomly listed; they obey an anatomical and tactical logic. In this article, you will learn to identify each piece, understand its function, how it evolved throughout the centuries, and what materials and techniques were used to manufacture them.
What you will find here:
Breakdown by zones: head, neck, torso, arms, and legs, with historical examples and variants.
Clear chronology of the evolution of the pieces (from the High Middle Ages to the Renaissance and the parallel evolution in Japan).
Materials and techniques that explain why armors changed.
Replica and pieces: how each element is reinterpreted today without losing authenticity.
The parts of the armor over time
The transformation of body protection was gradual but relentless: each new weapon demanded a response in the form of a plate, visor, or reinforcement. The following chronology summarizes the milestones that marked the appearance and consolidation of the pieces we recognize today.
Era
Event
Antiquity and High Middle Ages
Late Bronze Age
Ancient Greeks used bronze plates for chest and limbs; the idea of segmented protection was already present.
1st century BC – 4th century AD
The Roman Empire developed the Lorica Segmentata: overlapping metal strips that protected the torso and allowed mobility.
11th – 13th Century
Conical helmets emerged and chainmail dominated; loose plates for knees and greaves appeared.
Late Middle Ages and Renaissance
14th Century
The cuirass and breastplate standardized; articulated plates increasingly covered the body.
Circa 1420
Complete suits of articulated plates developed: helmet, gorget, pauldrons, couters, vambraces, gauntlets, breastplate, and tassets.
15th–16th Centuries
The armet, sallet, and close helmet became popular; armor reached its maximum sophistication before firearms changed warfare.
Parallel Development in Japan
Heian–Kamakura Periods
The ō-yoroi, lamellar and asymmetrical armor, protected the mounted archer with skirts and ornate kabuto.
15th–16th Centuries
Contact with firearms and European tactics drove the transformation of Japanese armors (tōsei gusoku).
High Middle Ages
Initial protections: Conical helmet, chainmail, small shin reinforcements.
Renaissance
Full armor: Articulated plates covering chest, back, arms, and legs; movable visors and rigid gorgets.
Head and neck: the art of protecting what is most vital
With the head protected, the warrior remained standing. The pieces intended for the head and neck not only offered defense: they projected identity and rank. Below, we analyze each component, its function, and historical variants.
Helmet or Helm
The helm (or helmet) is the first line of defense. Its shapes change according to the era: from the conical helmets of the High Middle Ages to the sallet, the armet, or the close helmet of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Visor, barbote, and crest
The visor allows viewing and ventilation, the babera (or barbuta) protects the beard and jaw, while the cimera (or crest) adds structural rigidity and, in ceremonial contexts, symbolism.
Bascinet and barbute
The bascinet is a light and versatile evolution of the helmet. The barbute offers partial facial protection with better vision. These pieces show how the weapon determines the shape: more projectiles → more closed visor; more foot combat → greater visual mobility.
Gorget and Gola
The gorget (or gola) covers the throat and the connection with the breastplate. It was articulated in two pieces to allow movement and was the first piece to be placed over the gambeson.
Torso: the breastplate, the fauld, and the cuirass that guard the organs
The torso concentrates vital organs. That is why the pieces here are the most developed and often the most ornate in ceremonial armors. The design seeks to deflect blows and distribute energy.
Breastplate and backplate
The breastplate protects the chest; the backplate covers the back. Together they form the cuirass. In some models, the plates are forged as a single sheet, in others, they are articulated sections to improve breathing and movement.
Fauld, tassets, and skirt
The fauld protects the lower abdomen area; the tassets guarded the hips and thighs. In mounted combat, the skirts and tassets were crucial to prevent a spear or sword from tearing the flank.
Arms and hands: balance between defense and dexterity
A hand that cannot hold the spear or wield the sword turns the knight into prey. That is why arm protections evolved to allow the complexity of movement.
Pauldrons, couters, and vambraces
The pauldrons deflect blows to the shoulders; the couters protect the elbow with articulated forms; the vambraces cover the forearm and wrist.
Gauntlets and mittens
The gauntlets protected hands and fingers. There were styles in mittens (more robust) and with articulated fingers (greater dexterity). Some mittens neglected to fully cover the wrists because it was noted that they limited manual dexterity.
Legs and base of movement: poleyns, greaves, and cuisses
The legs support the warrior; their protection had to preserve them without impeding walking, charging, or mounting. The pieces were articulated with internal leg harnesses and straps to avoid interfering with mobility.
Cuisses, poleyns, and greaves
The cuisses or thigh-guards covered the thighs, the poleyns protected the knee and usually had protrusions to deflect blows; the greaves covered shins and calves.
Materials and techniques: why the shape and thickness changed
Forging for a spear is not the same as for a crossbow or a musket. The materials and heat treatments dictated the design: the use of spring steels allowed for thinner plates; mild steel required greater thickness. In Japan, the combination of metal with lacquered leather and silk allowed for light and flexible armors.
Material
Characteristics
Contribution to armor
Mild steel
Malleable, economical, susceptible to oxidation
Thicker plates, impact absorption through deformation
Spring steel
Returns to original shape after deformation
Allows for thinner, lighter plates with good resistance
Stainless steel
Corrosion resistant, easy maintenance
Ideal for modern replicas and display
Lacquered leather and wood (Japan)
Lightness and cushioning, susceptible to humidity
Allows for flexible armors like the ō-yoroi
Spring steel
Use: Pieces that need to regain shape after impacts.
Benefit: Less weight without losing resilience.
How to interpret armor: attributes, marks, and important details
When you observe a cuirass, look for the hinges, rivets, and adjustment marks: they will tell you if the piece was practical or ceremonial. The points, the flare of the tassets, or the reinforced ribs indicate the smith’s intention: to deflect or absorb.
Ribs and reinforcements
A rib forged into the breastplate is not mere adornment: it increases rigidity without adding weight. The recesses and counter-plates reduce the risk of fracture from concentrated impact.
Articulations and comfort
Articulations with overlapping flaps and internal straps were the solution to allow rolling, crouching, or swinging the sword without opening a gap in the defense.
Replica and conservation: interpreting without falsifying
Today, artisans and smiths recreate pieces with historical and modern techniques. Functional replicas use treated steels and contemporary welds to achieve resistance; exhibit replicas prioritize finish and appearance. The restoration of historical armors requires minimal tints and special internal support to avoid tension in textiles.
Implicit catalog: pieces that are commonly replicated today
There are pieces that, due to their utility or beauty, are demanded as replicas: ornate pauldrons, breastplates with ribs, articulated gauntlets, or decorative helmets. These replicas help understand the original ergonomics and practice historical re-enactment techniques.
How to identify the era of a piece: signs to observe
If you are looking at a breastplate, observe its shape: a 14th-century breastplate is usually simpler and less articulated than a 15th-century one, which will show overlapping plates and ribs. The presence of a movable visor and a solid gorget suggests the 15th-16th centuries. Gilded ornamentation and fine reliefs, in addition to a polished finish, usually indicate high-status pieces or ceremonial uses.
Basic care and maintenance for replicas
For a replica to last, oxidation and tension in the straps must be avoided. Clean with a dry cloth after use, apply a thin layer of anti-corrosion oil to the metal, and store the pieces in a position that does not bend straps or fabrics. For textiles, avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight.
Armor as a symbol: aesthetics and message
Beyond protection, armor communicates: rank, origin, trade, and experience. A breastplate with gilded finishes or a kabuto with an imposing maedate tells as much about the warrior as his coat of arms. This dual function —practical and representative— explains the decorative richness of many pieces.
Highlighted pieces and their summarized terminology
Helm / Helmet: balm against sudden death.
Gorget / Gola: the articulation that saves the throat.
Breastplate: the warrior’s metallic heart.
Tassets: skirts that protect the hip and thigh.
Gauntlets / Mittens: armored hands to keep fighting.
Greaves: defenses of the base that support all movement.
Each name encompasses a technique and a learning curve. Learning them allows you to read armor like a combat book.
The journey continues: why it matters to understand the parts
Knowing the parts of medieval armor is not just cataloging pieces: it is understanding combat, economic, and status decisions. It is knowing why a piece was designed in a certain way and how that shape responded to a real challenge on the battlefield.
If you are passionate about historical reenactment, ancient smithing, or simply material history, the next time you see a helm or a breastplate, remember that you are looking at centuries of accumulated knowledge, blow by blow, rivet by rivet.
