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Fighting in Armour

Russ

Istar
Apparently some folks have decided to study this question scientifically and have found you can do a lot more in full armour than most people think. This article discusses the study and has some fun videos showing some of the things they tried and proved a fit person can do in period armour.

New Study Busts the Myth That Knights Couldn't Move Well in Armor

I fought in armour for a while and even as a class warm up we would do somersaults, flip tractor tires and practise springing from a prone position to standing in a big hurry. It is really amazing what one can do in full plate and chain.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
First, obvious question: is the make-up of the metal a factor here? Are we using lighter, mainly because stronger, metal in the armor?

Less obvious question:can you vault onto the back of a horse in full armor and is your name Marshal Boucicaut? ;-)
 

Russ

Istar
First, obvious question: is the make-up of the metal a factor here? Are we using lighter, mainly because stronger, metal in the armor?

Less obvious question:can you vault onto the back of a horse in full armor and is your name Marshal Boucicaut? ;-)

Personally, the groups I participate in require period materials as far as practicable, and if not they cannot offer a weight advantage. For, for instance, my maille is stainless steel and but it weights just as much as period maille or perhaps a tad more.

Vaulting onto horseback? Not I? Then again I struggled with the summersaults, in or out of armour :)
 

SeverinR

Vala
I make maille, I don't notice much weight difference in Galvy or stainless. maille looks nice but really isn't very helpful in a fight except maybe knives. The sword, even if the maille prevents the cut, you still got hit by a hard heavy club.

Working on a "ceremonial" hauberk of 17 gauge aluminum. A fingerless glove of steel (18 gauge) weighs more then the shoulder area of the shirt. (both using electric fence wire)
 

Malik

Auror
Mail disperses blunt force trauma by spreading the impact out in waves, like ripples from a stone tossed into a pond. It takes progressive levels of force to move each wave.

Mail with sufficient padding beneath -- a gambeson with a leather or felt tabard, say -- is outstanding impact protection. This is why the SCA allows mail and considers mail -- or used to; it's been a while -- to be ample protection. These guys fight with heavy rattan swords and axes; it's all blunt trauma.

I used to fight in a long mailshirt and gorget, and for a gambeson I used an old rally jacket, horsehide with padding at the shoulders and elbows, and a coat of plates skirt under it. It was hot, but mobile enough that even with articulated steel arms and legs I could get up on my toes and use my boxing footwork. I could take one hell of a beating in that getup.

I agree that mail against skin, and even plate against skin -- as we see in so much ridiculous fantasy art -- is useless. Yee-owch. If you don't believe me, put a piece of metal on your forearm and then have someone hit it with a bat and tell me how it feels. Just have 911 on standby, though.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
> put a piece of metal on your forearm and then have someone hit it with a bat

Not to mention what it feels like under a hot sun.
Not to mention what happens when hit at short range by a crossbow bolt.

Agreed, it's not just silly it's d*mn silly
 
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