Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Richard Furrer · 2nd November 2008, 04:03 PM

Hello All,
I think the work "The Knight and the Blast Furnace" by Dr. Alan Williams has some interesting info on quality of various armors.

BUT

I believe the gambison (padding) in some time periods and areas (I'll need to check with an armor specialist friend) was stated as being "two finger widths thick of hard packed horse hair" in addition to the quilted cloth on both sides.
Let us not count out the usefulness of denting and displacing pieces of armor which were designed to allow movement. Picture the squires running up to a knight with late medieval "jaws of life" to remove and bend bits which have become damaged and immobile.

Also the halberd could transmit an immense amount of energy and focus it on a small point..no shock wave needed when a spike is sticking three inches into you...also good for removing one from the horse and slowing mobility...and hitting the ground in any armor would still mean that you hit the ground...from height and with speed.

I agree about arrows...I seem to recall that there is no documented case of a fully armored knight being killed by an arrow; some of arrows entering open visors and definitely the "Porcupine effect" of being stuck with a few, but, no deaths. (Pointless side note...In Japan the samurai had on occasion left the field to be stripped of arrows which had imbedded in the armor.)

Ric

2nd November 2008, 04:03 PM	#9
Richard Furrer Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Posts: 163	dents Hello All, I think the work "The Knight and the Blast Furnace" by Dr. Alan Williams has some interesting info on quality of various armors. BUT I believe the gambison (padding) in some time periods and areas (I'll need to check with an armor specialist friend) was stated as being "two finger widths thick of hard packed horse hair" in addition to the quilted cloth on both sides. Let us not count out the usefulness of denting and displacing pieces of armor which were designed to allow movement. Picture the squires running up to a knight with late medieval "jaws of life" to remove and bend bits which have become damaged and immobile. Also the halberd could transmit an immense amount of energy and focus it on a small point..no shock wave needed when a spike is sticking three inches into you...also good for removing one from the horse and slowing mobility...and hitting the ground in any armor would still mean that you hit the ground...from height and with speed. I agree about arrows...I seem to recall that there is no documented case of a fully armored knight being killed by an arrow; some of arrows entering open visors and definitely the "Porcupine effect" of being stuck with a few, but, no deaths. (Pointless side note...In Japan the samurai had on occasion left the field to be stripped of arrows which had imbedded in the armor.) Ric