Medieval Armor

For several hundreds years in Medieval times Knights reigned supreme. Medieval times went from 1066 to 1600, from the end of the Dark Ages and ended at the beginning of the Renaissance. Over this time the medieval armor and medieval weapons went through significant changes. Armor was more than just for protection but also reflected the status of the Knight. The quality of the armor was a statement to the position of the Knight in society.

The medieval armor initially was chain mail. As the Maximilian period progressed the armor continued to improve and become thicker. This was in response to the improvements in weapons of that period. However without the introduction of the water-powered trip hammers then plate armor would not have been as popular as it was since the water-powered trip hammers made the formation of plates faster and cheaper. Not only did the armor improve but so did the battle shields. The armor wasn't just for the Knights but also for the warhorses. The armor for warhorses is known as barding.

In the early 1300's the armor evolved into plate armor. Initially the medieval armor of this period was only made of a few pieces of plate armor. But as the weapons got better the armor became full suits. Surprisingly the weight of chain mail and plate armor are about the same. The average weight was about 45 to 55 pounds. However since plate armor fit better and the weight was distributed better it was much easier for the Knight to wear it. Plate armor always had padding under it to protect the Knight from heat and cold. In the 14th century Knights wore both chain mail and plate armor and had a tough time moving around given the weight of the two. As time progressed into the 15th century the armor was mainly plate armor and the Knights were able to get around quite a bit easier. In the 16th century the plate armor was highly refined and the Knights were able to move with relative ease.