Names Of The Armor For Knights

Both the knight and his horse used to wear plated armor.

A medieval knight's armor was both a means to protect himself and to display his social status. Padded clothing and chainmail was worn before plated armor was developed. A knight's suit of armor had to be tailor-made, as any incorrect sizing could hamper the knight's ability to fight, resulting in very dangerous situation. The quality of the knight's suit of armor also indicated the knight's social importance.

Chainmail Armor

Chainmail is among the earliest metallic armor worn by soldiers and knights. This armor consists of tens of thousands of interlocking rings, hand woven to form a shirt, coif or leggings. Each ring was riveted to keep it from spreading and opening under the weight of the piece. A knight would usually wear a padded garment called an aketon or gambeson under the metal armor.

After the development of metal plated armor, chainmail was often worn around the waist, around the neck and over the shoulders and head to give protection while retaining mobility. This enabled the knight to do movements like turning, running and getting on his horse that stiff plate armor would prevent.

Feet and Legs

Sabatons or solarets are shoe-like armor for the feet and were the piece of plate armor that knights put on first. It consisted of riveted iron plates on the boot. Knights often wore spurs over their sabatons to spur the horse on during battle.

Pieces of plate armor called greaves were worn over the shin and calf. Each consisted of two pieces of plate armor, attached by a hinge and fastened with a pin after it was fitted around the knight's leg. The knight's knee cap was protected by plate armor called poleyns, and the thigh was protected by plate armor called cuisses.

Hands and Arms

Gloves called gauntlets covered the Knight's hands, with ringed metal plates over the fingers. A gauntlet was often constructed by attaching iron and brass to animal skin with rivets.

Plates covering the arms were called the rerebrace (for the upper arm) and vambrace (for the lower arm). Gardbrace covered the shoulders separately, and the rings protecting the elbows were called couter.

Besagues (the French word for armpit) are small round shields, used to protect the armpit. These were laced to the mail at the shoulder and were designed to slip under the knight's arm and cover the armpit when he raised his sword in battle.

Chest and Body

The knight wore a back plate and a breastplate to cover his chest and back, which were strapped together over the shoulder and then fastened on either side with a pin and hole arrangement. Breastplates were most often decorated with the knight's family crest. Rings of armor called faulds were attached to the breastplate to protect the hips, abdomen and lower back.

Head and Neck

A helmet was usually fitted over the head. There were different designs. Chainmail was sometimes worn as a hood with the helmet fitted over it, but a 13th-century helmet, the bascinet featured a skirt of mail called an aventail to protect the knight's neck.

Salet helmets featured ridges on the top to strengthen the top of the helmet and deflect weapons to protect the knight's skull from the full blow. Breathing and vision holes were made in all helmets.

Some helmets had visors, a detachable piece of plated armor which could be clapped down to protect the face and eyes in battle and pushed up to improve vision.

Armor Weapons

The knight's dagger (called a roundel) and sword were attached to his belt. He carried a shield for defense, which usually displayed his heraldic crest. Gadlings (spikes) were attached to his gauntlets' knuckles.

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