How does Under Armour ColdGear technology work. What are the best Under Armour ColdGear products for men and women. Why is Under Armour ColdGear Infrared superior to traditional cold weather gear. How can Under Armour ColdGear improve your winter sports performance.
Understanding Under Armour ColdGear Technology
Under Armour ColdGear is a revolutionary line of winter performance apparel designed to keep athletes and outdoor enthusiasts warm and comfortable in cold conditions. But how exactly does this innovative technology work?
At its core, ColdGear utilizes a dual-layer fabric system. The inner layer wicks away sweat and moisture from the skin, while the outer layer traps body heat to maintain warmth. This combination allows the wearer to stay dry and thermally regulated even during intense physical activity in frigid temperatures.
The original ColdGear design was engineered for temperatures below 55째F (13째C). However, Under Armour has since developed an even more advanced technology called ColdGear Infrared.
ColdGear Infrared: The Next Level of Thermal Regulation
ColdGear Infrared takes cold weather performance to new heights by incorporating ceramic-infused ink into the fabric. This soft ceramic coating is highly thermo-conductive, meaning it absorbs and retains body heat without compromising breathability or adding bulk.
The result? Exceptional warmth without the need for thick, heavy layers. ColdGear Infrared apparel offers superior heat retention while maintaining the lightweight, flexible properties that Under Armour is known for.
Top Under Armour ColdGear Products for Men
Under Armour offers a wide range of ColdGear products for men, from base layers to outerwear. Here are some top picks:
1. Under Armour Men’s ColdGear Compression Leggings
These compression leggings are a winter workout essential. The dual-layer fabric provides warmth without weight, while the compression fit supports muscles and improves circulation. The moisture-wicking properties keep you dry during intense training sessions.
2. Under Armour Men’s ColdGear Armour Fitted Mock
This versatile base layer features a mock neck for added warmth and protection against the elements. The fitted design allows for easy layering, making it perfect for outdoor activities or as a standalone piece for mild winter days.
3. Under Armour Men’s ColdGear Infrared Jacket
The Infrared jacket combines style with cutting-edge technology. Its ceramic-infused lining traps heat for long-lasting warmth, while the water-resistant outer shell protects against light rain and snow. Multiple pockets provide ample storage for essentials.
Under Armour ColdGear Options for Women
Women’s ColdGear apparel is designed with a female-specific fit and performance in mind. Here are some standout products:
1. Under Armour Women’s ColdGear Authentic Leggings
These leggings offer a perfect balance of compression and comfort. The dual-layer fabric provides warmth without bulk, making them ideal for winter runs or as a base layer for skiing and snowboarding.
2. Under Armour Women’s ColdGear Armour 1/2 Zip
This versatile mid-layer features a half-zip design for easy temperature regulation. The brushed interior traps heat while wicking away sweat, ensuring comfort during various cold-weather activities.
3. Under Armour Women’s ColdGear Reactor Jacket
The Reactor jacket adapts to your body temperature, providing optimal insulation as you move. Its lightweight design and packable nature make it perfect for travel or as an extra layer for unpredictable weather.
Enhancing Winter Sports Performance with Under Armour ColdGear
How can Under Armour ColdGear improve your performance in winter sports? The benefits are numerous:
- Enhanced thermal regulation keeps your body at an optimal temperature, allowing you to focus on your activity rather than the cold.
- Moisture-wicking properties prevent sweat from cooling on your skin, reducing the risk of hypothermia during intense exercise.
- Compression fits support muscles and improve circulation, potentially reducing fatigue and improving recovery times.
- Lightweight, flexible designs allow for a full range of motion, crucial for sports like skiing, snowboarding, and winter running.
- Layering capabilities enable you to adapt to changing weather conditions and activity levels throughout the day.
The Science Behind Under Armour’s ColdGear Infrared Technology
Under Armour’s ColdGear Infrared technology represents a significant leap forward in cold weather apparel. But what makes it so effective?
The key lies in the ceramic-infused ink used in the fabric’s inner lining. This ceramic coating is inspired by the natural heat-absorbing properties of ceramic materials. When applied to fabric, it creates a thermo-conductive layer that captures and retains body heat.
Unlike traditional insulation methods that rely on trapping air, the Infrared technology actively works to recycle your body’s own heat. This results in a more efficient and responsive warming system that adapts to your activity level and environment.
Benefits of ColdGear Infrared Technology
- Long-lasting warmth without bulk
- Improved thermal regulation during varying activity levels
- Lightweight and flexible for unrestricted movement
- Moisture-wicking properties maintained despite heat retention capabilities
- Durable performance that doesn’t diminish with washing
Choosing the Right Under Armour ColdGear for Your Needs
With such a wide range of ColdGear products available, how do you choose the right ones for your specific needs? Consider the following factors:
Activity Type
Different activities require different levels of insulation and breathability. High-intensity sports like winter running may benefit from lighter, more breathable options, while low-intensity activities like ice fishing might require heavier insulation.
Temperature Range
Consider the typical temperatures you’ll be facing. ColdGear is designed for use below 55째F (13째C), but within that range, some products are better suited for milder conditions while others are engineered for extreme cold.
Layering System
Think about how the ColdGear piece will fit into your overall layering system. Are you looking for a base layer, mid-layer, or outer layer? Each serves a different purpose in your cold weather outfit.
Fit Preference
Under Armour offers various fits, from compression to loose. Consider your personal comfort preferences and the requirements of your chosen activity when selecting a fit.
Caring for Your Under Armour ColdGear
To ensure your ColdGear continues to perform at its best, proper care is essential. Here are some tips for maintaining your Under Armour cold weather apparel:
- Machine wash in cold water with like colors
- Use a gentle cycle and avoid fabric softeners
- Turn garments inside out before washing to protect the outer surface
- Hang dry or tumble dry on low heat
- Avoid ironing or dry cleaning, as this can damage the technical fibers
By following these care instructions, you can help preserve the performance properties of your ColdGear and extend its lifespan.
Comparing Under Armour ColdGear to Competitors
How does Under Armour ColdGear stack up against other cold weather performance brands? While many companies offer quality winter apparel, Under Armour’s innovative technologies set it apart in several ways:
Infrared Technology
The ceramic-infused Infrared technology is unique to Under Armour, offering superior heat retention without added bulk. This gives ColdGear an edge in terms of warmth-to-weight ratio.
Moisture Management
Under Armour’s dual-layer fabric system excels at wicking moisture away from the skin while simultaneously trapping heat. This combination is crucial for maintaining comfort during high-intensity activities in cold weather.
Versatility
ColdGear products are designed to perform across a wide range of activities and temperature conditions. This versatility can provide better value compared to sport-specific gear from other brands.
Innovation
Under Armour consistently invests in research and development, leading to regular improvements and new technologies in their cold weather line.
While other brands certainly have their strengths, Under Armour’s focus on performance-enhancing technologies makes ColdGear a top choice for many athletes and outdoor enthusiasts.
The Future of Cold Weather Performance Apparel
As technology continues to advance, what can we expect from the future of cold weather performance apparel? Under Armour’s innovations offer some hints:
Smart Fabrics
We may see the development of “smart” fabrics that can actively adjust their insulating properties based on body temperature and external conditions.
Sustainable Materials
There’s likely to be an increased focus on eco-friendly materials and production methods, balancing performance with environmental responsibility.
Personalized Performance
Advances in manufacturing could lead to more customized apparel, tailored to individual body types and performance needs.
Integration with Wearable Tech
Cold weather apparel may increasingly incorporate or seamlessly integrate with fitness tracking and other wearable technologies.
As Under Armour continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in performance apparel, we can expect to see exciting developments in the ColdGear line and beyond.
Maximizing Your Winter Workouts with Under Armour ColdGear
Cold weather doesn’t have to mean the end of outdoor workouts. With the right Under Armour ColdGear, you can maintain your fitness routine year-round. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your winter training:
Layer Strategically
Start with a ColdGear base layer to wick sweat and retain heat. Add a mid-layer for insulation if needed, and top with a weather-resistant outer layer for protection against wind and precipitation.
Protect Extremities
Don’t forget about your hands, feet, and head. Under Armour offers ColdGear accessories like gloves, socks, and beanies to keep these areas warm.
Stay Visible
With shorter daylight hours in winter, choose ColdGear apparel with reflective elements to stay visible during early morning or evening workouts.
Adjust Your Warm-Up
Take extra time to warm up in cold weather. Your ColdGear will help retain the heat generated during your warm-up, preparing your muscles for the workout ahead.
Stay Hydrated
It’s easy to forget about hydration in cold weather, but it’s just as important as in summer. Your ColdGear will help manage sweat, but you still need to replenish fluids.
By combining these strategies with the performance benefits of Under Armour ColdGear, you can maintain your fitness gains all winter long.
Under Armour Cold Gear Jackets
Hit the slopes with an Under Armour jacket designed with technology that keeps you drier and warmer for longer. Under Armour Infrared technology heats up your jacket with your body heat to insulate you against the cold so you can take more lift rides without feeling the chill. Under Armour jackets with Reactor technology adjust to your body heat giving you more ventilation as you power through the bumps and more insulation when you are standing in line to get back up to the top of the mountain. Breathable yet water resistant, Under Armour jackets are designed to keep you comfortable as you pursue your favorite winter time activities.
Our Favorite Under Armour ColdGear jackets
The Powerline Under Armour Infrared Jacket for men, women and boys is durable and versatile for all your cold weather plans. A helmet compatible hood with adjustable straps creates a perfect fit to block out wind and snow from your neck while an elastic powder skirt prevents snow from creeping up your back. Primaloft insulation keeps you warm in both wet and dry conditions and there is more fill around your core to keep you warm while your arms stay flexible. Under Armour Cold Gear Infrared technology uses thermo-conductive webbing to keep you warm with your own body heat while Under Armour Storm technology creates a breathable yet waterproof jacket to keep you dry from the inside out. Exterior hand pockets and mesh goggle pockets give you ample organizational space for everything you need to carry on the slopes or through town. The Powerline Under Armour Infrared jacket can do it all.
The women’s Under Armour Cold Gear Reactor jacket also has Under Armour Storm technology along with lightweight, quick drying performance. The Under Armour Reactor technology adjusts to your body temperature to keep you comfortable all day long and when you are ready to take it off it can store right into its own chest pocket. This Under Armour women’s jacket is great for heading across town, mild days on the cross country ski course or winter hikes in the woods.
Top Under Armour ColdGear Infrared Apparel – The Full Review
If you are at all into athletics or outdoor sports/activities, it’s safe to say that you’ve heard of Under Armour. Under Armour or UA, was founded in 1996 as a sports clothing and accessories company. The brand has certainly come far, now producing its own footwear and having quickly risen to the top in popularity.
Unlike other brands that have questionably expensive products, UA consistently produces high-quality apparel and accessories that really make them stand out from the competition. The company has a few different apparel lines named after the technology used in the design. One of their most popular lines is ColdGear. However, they’ve since developed a technology even more impressive.
UA ColdGear Infrared Technology
The original ColdGear design uses double-layered fabrics made to wick away moisture while also circulating body heat to protect the wearer from the chill. For temps under 55F, ColdGear is going to work very well. Despite the success of this line, UA decided to improve it further with their ColdGear Infrared tech.
Imagine all of the advantages of the original ColdGear, with even better heat retention. Essentially UA used their ColdGear fabrics with the addition of ceramic-infused ink within the clothing. It sounds a bit crazy but this soft ceramic coating is extremely thermo-conductive.
It naturally absorbs your own body heat without affecting breathability and wicking properties. In fact, the Infrared line offers no extra weight or bulk over the original ColdGear line.
Just like the first ColdGear line, Infrared technology is available in men’s, women’s, and kid’s apparel. Clothing-wise there are plenty of selections of fleeces, jackets, shirts, pants, leggings, and more. UA even has sport-specific Infrared apparel for snowboarding, golfing, and more. Accessories like hats and gloves are also available.
Top UA ColdGear Infrared Apparel
If you’re interested in trying out Infrared’s impressive capabilities, here are four of their best styles to choose from. Actually, those who are diehard UA fans may want to pick up all four for a complete Infrared layering system.
UA ColdGear Infrared Long Sleeve Shirts
As the name would suggest, UA is well-known for its base layers. The Infrared LS shirts are one of the popular items in the line and for good reason. UA’s base layers fit well, are incredibly stretchy (some say as a second skin), and seem to magically wick sweat away without making you feel chilled.
The men’s LS base is simply named after the line with while the women’s is labeled as the Infrared Crew. They are virtually the same in design and offer the same benefits.
Mens:
- Available in Black, Steel, Legion Blue or High-Vis Yellow, in sizes SM to 3XL
- Loose cut
- 4-way stretch ColdGear fabric for maximum mobility
- UA’s Moisture Transport System technology gets rid of moisture while maintaining body heat
- Has duo anti-odor and antimicrobial properties
- Polyester/Elastane blend
Womens:
- Available in Carbon Heather, Blue Knight or Rebel Pink, in sizes XS to XL
- Fitted, ‘next to skin’ fit
- Ribbed cuffs for style
- Polyester/Rayon blend
If you were only going to get one thing from the Infrared series, you’ll want to get one of these base layer shirts. Many find that these shirts are so warm they can easily wear them solo in fairly chilly weather if they are actively moving. These shirts are perfect for sports as well as casual wear. They look great and are incredibly durable.
UA ColdGear Infrared Leggings
In addition to the long sleeve shirt, the Infrared leggings are a final base layer. These leggings are seriously warm and offer some compression. The women’s are simply labeled as leggings while the male equivalent are called Infrared Fitted.
Mens:
- Available in Black sizes SM to 3XL
- Fitted cut with compression
- Made with ColdGear Evo fabrics
- 4-way stretch
- Same Moisture Transport System as the LS shirt base
- Has anti-odor properties
- Elasticized waistband
Womens:
- Available in Carbon Heather sizes XS to XL
- Flat, yoga pants-style waistband
- Ribbed cuffs on the ankle cuffs
The UA Infrared leggings essentially serve the same purpose as the long sleeve top. If you are going out in cold weather you will be happy to have these under your normal
UA ColdGear Infrared Zippered Fleeces
The UA Infrared series has quite a few different fleeces available in various styles. Fleeces are a popular type of outerwear. They are often incredibly soft and warm enough to keep you comfortable on mild to moderately cold days if paired with a good base layer.
Unlike the other pieces of clothing featured, UA doesn’t have matching men and women’s styles for their fleeces. However, the men’s Infrared Fleece Hoodie and the women’s Infrared Hybrid Full Zip are quite similar.
Mens:
- Available in Academy, Steel, Greenhead or Cobalt, sizes SM to 3XL
- Has a loose, full cut for easy layering
- Made of a brushed fleece on both sides
- Protective woven inlays in hood, chest, and shoulders for durability
- Designed with Moisture Transport System for wicking
- Mesh hand pockets
- Elastic cuffs and hem for trapping body heat
Womens:
- Available in Veneer, Black or Ox Blood, sizes XS to XL
- Has a loose, relaxed fit
- Made with a textured microfleece
- Protective woven inlays in neck and pockets
- Slouch collar for extra warmth
- Has UA’s Moisture Transport System
- Drop tail hem for back coverage
- Extra-secure zippered hand pockets
Although the women’s fleece featured doesn’t have a hood, UA does have other hooded fleeces with Infrared technology. These fleeces are super lush and made to last. They are also very well priced compared to some high-end fleeces that don’t offer nearly as much warmth.
UA ColdGear Infrared Micro Jacket
An improved take on the traditional winter puffer-style jacket is the UA Micro. This sleek jacket is perfect for winter sports and casual wear alike. It is surprisingly warm, despite the lack of bulk. This isn’t a rain shell but it’s resistance to water is impressive. Added touches like the slightly extended collar for additional warmth is welcomed.
Like the other apparel choices, the Micro is available for both genders.
Mens:
- Available in Black, sizes SM to 3XL
- Has a loose cut (or size up for layering under)
- UA Storm DWR finish makes this jacket water repellent
- PrimaLoft Silver Insulation used (80g in the body and 60g in the sleeves)
- UA MagZip zipper stays puts and clicks closed
- Double hand pockets + left chest pocket for audio tech
- Compresses down into hand pocket
- ColdGear cuff inserts and hem drawcord for keeping out the cold
Womens:
The women’s jacket is nearly identical to the men’s version with just a few differences.
- Available in Black or Ivory, sizes XS to XL
- Has a fitted cut and tailored fit
The Micro is a great all-around cold weather jacket. It isn’t going to keep you warm in a blizzard but you’ll be quite a toasty solo in chilly weather or with the Infrared LS shirt base under it for frigid temps. Women should size up if they plan to layer under this model, however.
If you’ve never worn any of this brand’s apparel before, you should really give it a try. Whether worn casually or for sport, Under Armour produces some of the best-designed base layers and outerwear.
It’s not surprising that their ColdGear Infrared line has been popular and well-received. Those who remain active throughout the winter months will be glad to have this lineup to rely on.
Sam Hardy is an outdoor enthusiast with a penchant for survival skills. He writes about the great outdoors and his favorite equipment here.
I Tried Under Armour’s New Temperature-Regulating Jacket to See If It Lived up to the Hype
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Under Armour
A common problem when venturing into the outdoors is that bodies have a different ideal temperature at rest than when in motion. Somebody skiing wants a comfortable jacket for the slowly rocking chairlift as much as they do for the energetic moments spent zig-zagging down the slopes. But the jacket can only do so much.
However, big-name companies with big resources are looking for a way to change that by engineering their own adaptive materials. For The North Face, it’s the Ventrix, which uses micro-vents to trap and release heat depending on how much the fabric is stretched.
For Under Armour, it’s the ColdGear Reactor collection, which uses adaptive insulation and an updated quilting pattern to trap heat better without sacrificing airflow.
Both use adaptive materials, and the end goal is the same: dump heat when the body is in motion, retain it while at rest. In other words, outsource the temperature regulation from the wearer to the garment.
But while The North Face has applied this to one great jacket, Under Armour has created an entire line of clothes meant to use the ColdGear Reactor intelligence.
I recently had a chance to try out the ColdGear Reactor Jacket in Mako Blue (which looks just as electric and beautiful in person) and my overall impression is very positive. It isn’t the warmest ultra-light jacket I own, but there are a few reasons why I’m glad for that, and the most important one is that it made layering and breathability better.
Under Armour ColdGear Reactor in Mako Blue, $149.99
Under Armour
I’ve worn it with a light sweater as my only layer in 30 degrees at rest as well as in motion and felt comfortable, and its light construction means it can easily adapt to colder or warmer weather. My guess is with high-quality materials layered it could go a lot colder than that.
It’s thin enough to be used as its own layer, and that plus its water resistance makes it a good candidate for a shell. When I wore it out in a light rain I was pleased to see the droplets beading rather than being absorbed.
The breathability is great, and that combined with the design is what makes it most worthwhile to me. The Mako Blue is the best blue I’ve seen in a jacket in a while, and the fit is flattering without being restrictive or overly boxy. I could (and would) take this out on a winter hike happily, and I’d wear it to happy hour just as gratefully. For the urban dweller, it’s nice to have a jacket exactly like that. I’ve found myself grateful for its appearance and design in bars especially, where thanks to limited space and lots of bodies, a bulky jacket is a nuisance.
On top of that, you’ll find a thoughtful design in smaller features like the zippers. The MagZip zipper has a puzzle carriage design and magnets that help guide the zipper together seamlessly every time, so you don’t have to waste time fumbling with cold fingers in the wind. The arms have a fitted liner to keep wind and elements from traveling up, and the lower hem is adjustable if necessary.
It also comes with an integrated carry bag, which is great in terms of travel and to show you just how packable your ColdGear Reactor can be.
All in all, I loved it. It’s breathable and lightweight, which makes it easy and advantageous for layering, and its style makes it even more appealing and versatile.
If you’re looking for gear that works with your body to regulate temperature, your options aren’t going to be perfect, but you do have solid options like the Ventrix and the ColdGear Reactor. All in all, it depends on what you’re looking for when it comes to look and warmth. The Ventrix is nearly the same cost and warmer overall, but the look is more technical and therefore less versatile. The ColdGear Reactor Jacket I tried was less warm overall, but, depending on how you use it, that can be a good or bad thing. Both perform well, but for my life, I’d probably opt for the ColdGear Reactor Jacket again thanks to its ease of layering and versatility in an urban setting like New York City. For even more comfort and warmth, you’ll probably be drawn to the Ventrix.
You can find a few of the best-selling ColdGear Reactor options below.
Shop the Men’s ColdGear Reactor Collection here.
Shop the Women’s ColdGear Reactor Collection here.
Shop all Under Armour ColdGear Reactor gear here.
Best Cold-Weather Running Gear – Winter Running Clothing
Winter has always been a homebody’s heaven. And this winter, staying at home as often as possible is one of the best things you can do—for you and everyone else. Except, that is, when it comes to your daily (weekly? monthly?) workouts. Don’t stay at home. In fact, don’t stay inside at all. Listen, I know it’s hard to feel motivated when its 15 degrees out and your bed is seductively whispering for you to crawl back under the covers for five more minutes. Nothing presents you with more excuses to finagle your way out of getting in some much-needed exercise than less-than ideal weather. I get it. Too cold out? Too snowy out? Too, uh, sunny out? Sure, man. Whatever you say.
This winter, be the change you want to see in the world. (Or at least, like, buy it.) Why not ditch the treadmill you ordered at the beginning of lockdown in a delusional and laughably short-lived burst of motivation and tackle the elements head on? Yes, it can get chilly, and maybe a little bit wet. But when done right, safely venturing out into the world—to the streets, to the trails, or to the tracks—can be a far more engaging way of getting in those steps than toiling away in claustrophobic agony indoors. Provided, of course, you kit yourself out appropriately.
Hell, I’d even go so far as to say investing in the right winter-ready gear might be the key to actually looking forward to your early-morning runs this season. So, from heat-retaining tees to the best compression tights money can buy, here’s everything you need to make sure you keep hitting new PRs, rain or shine or snow or whatever.
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UV Protection Sports Cap
Keep those long, scraggly locks out of your eyes on the go. (And consider a haircut, you hippie.)
Vertex Micro Crew Ultra-Light Cushion Socks
It’s time to invest in some socks designed to keep your feet toasty no matter the time of year.
Run Wool Crew Socks
I’m serious. Your toes deserve better.
Standard Issue Beanie
As any any hardcore running enthusiast will tell you, the extremities—i.e. toes, ears, fingers—are always the first parts of your body to feel the chill. On your next run, pull this guy low over your ears and soldier on.
Heat Keepers Everyday Underwear
L.L.Bean’s long underwear wicks away sweat and keeps you warm, no matter how you choose to wear it.
Waterproof Multisport Crew Wool Socks
Because trust me: cold weather running is about protecting your toes like you’re on the set of a Tarantino movie and about to get your big break.
Airknit Performance Tight
ColdGear Armour Compression Mock
As always, layers are your friend. Start with a ColdGear top from Under Armour, because yes, it’s a wee bit nippy out there.
Own the Run Hooded Wind Jacket
Like the good people at Team Adidas said: own the run (by rocking a lightweight layer made entirely out of a water-repellent recycled polyester).
Therma Essential Running Pants
The pants you should wear for any and all leisurely runs this season (and then maybe to run a few errands afterwards, too).
Base Layer Long-Sleeve Top
If all-synthetic-everything isn’t your thing, this merino-blend top takes advantage of the natural fiber’s temperature-regulating properties (and its impressive comfort factor).
Greenlight Tights
Brooks didn’t establish itself as a premiere name in the running game by skimping on the details. The brand’s Greenlight tights promise chafe-free comfort no matter how long you’re heading out for.
Tech Sweats
But if you’re the type of dude that doesn’t want to commit to tights straight from the rip (fair enough) a pair of performance-minded sweats might be right up your alley.
Stability 2-in-1 Athletic Tights
And hey, If you like stocking up on shorts and tights in one fell swoop, Alo makes the single-package deal for you.
Surge Warm Full Zip
Lululemon’s signature warm, sweat-wicking fabric makes for the sort of layer you won’t want to take off long after you’ve kicked off your running shoes and slipped back into bed.
Session Mesh-Panelled Stretch-Jersey Hooded Jacket
Tracksmith’s breathable stretch-jersey jacket is specially designed to keep you toasty, but not suffocatingly so, while you’re on the move.
Trail Breaker Jacket
Ditto On’s sleek, water-repellent number.
Wooler Jacket
You just know any brand that has the sheer audacity to name itself after the most famous magician of all time is coming through with some product that’ll leave you straight speechless. Houdini’s Wooler jacket lives up to its namesake.
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Jonathan Evans
Jonathan Evans is the style director of Esquire, covering all things fashion, grooming, accessories, and, of course, sneakers.
Avidan Grossman
Avidan Grossman is the Style eCommerce Editor at Esquire, covering men’s fashion, shoes, grooming, and accessories.
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Save on thousands of products during Sport Chek’s annual Friends & Family sale (Photo via Sport Chek)
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Do you have your sights set on a new pair of winter boots? What about a parka or a raincoat? If you’re looking to give your wardrobe a winter refresh, we suggest checking out Sport Chek’s massive Friends & Family sale.
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Best Sport Chek deals: Women’s
Helly Hansen Women’s Kirkwall II Helox+ Windproof Waterproof Belted Rain Jacket (Photo via Sport Chek)
Protect yourself against less than perfect weather with this updated Helly Hansen Fisherman’s raincoat. Windproof and waterproof, the woman’s coat is on sale for $40 right now in six stylish colours.
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Get your winter wardrobe in gear and save 25 per cent on this top-rated Columbia women’s winter jacket. Sport Chek shoppers call it “good quality” and say it “keeps me warm, blocks the wind, and looks great.”
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Under Armour HeatGear Armour Long Sleeve Shirt (Photo via Sport Chek)
While this performance base layer is a winter workout staple, it also doubles as an everyday thermal, thanks to the brand’s HeatGear technology.
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Keep your toes dry and warm this winter with these best-selling Sorel boots. The shoes come with 100 grams of insulation and a waterproof exterior to keep the snow and slush out.
Story continues
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Whether you’re an outdoor runner or hitting the gym, this Nike jacket comes with a large hood and mesh lining to help you stay dry and comfortable in style.
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Best Sport Chek deals: Men’s
Nike Sportswear Tech Fleece Full Zip Hoodie (Photo via Sport Chek)
For added warmth without the extra weight, this Nike tech fleece will get the job done. The men’s sweater is available in sizes XS to 2XL and five unique colour patterns.
$119 $158 at Sport Chek
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Right now, Sport Chek shoppers can save 25 per cent on these classic Adidas men’s sneakers and take them home for just $64, a $21 discount from their original price of $85.
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The North Face Men’s Junction Insulated Jacket (Photo via Sport Chek)
With an average rating of 4.3 stars, Sport Chek shoppers call this men’s The North Face jacket “warm but not bulky” and say it’s “amazing quality.”
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DC Woodland Leather Boots (Photo via Sport Chek)
Conquer the cold in style this winter with these sherpa-lined DC men’s boots. Sport Chek shoppers rave the cold-weather-friendly shoes are “very comfortable.”
$90 $120 at Sport Chek
Under Armour HeatGear Armour Tights (Photo via Sport Chek)
This men’s Under Armour performance base layer is sweat-wicking and stretchy and is made from an anti-odour fabric so that you can wear it for hours on end.
$30 $40 at Sport Chek
Helly Hansen Tromsoe Waterproof Windproof Seam Taped Insulated Winter Jacket (Photo via Sport Chek)
Meet the ultimate winter coat for freezing temperatures. This Helly Hansen men’s jacket is waterproof, windproof and breathable and has earned an average rating of 4.7 stars from Sport Chek shoppers. It’s “very warm and extremely well made,” raves one user.
$263 $350 at Sport Chek
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Best running jackets for men 2021: Waterproof and lightweight winter windbreakers
To the uninitiated, running in winter doesn’t sound that appealing. It’s often cold, any wind brings with it a gust of chilly air, and there’s a good chance you might get caught in a shower. But if you’ve got the right kit to keep you warm and dry, it’ll help you retain the running momentum that you’ve built up throughout the year – even in the depths of winter.
Like gloves and running tights, a winter running jacket is essential for anyone who plans on running all year round – and much more than a glorified long-sleeved top. An extra layer to be worn over a T-shirt, a running jacket’s main job is to keep you warm on colder days when the heat generated from running alone isn’t enough to keep the chill off.
Most jackets offer some sort of water and wind resistance, while others include reflective detailing – handy when running after dark. A good winter running jacket’s most important characteristic, however, is its breathability; get this wrong and the build-up of sweat on the jacket’s inside will soon leave you cold and damp, and worse off than not wearing one at all.
How we tested
For this article, we tested a variety of men’s winter running jackets to find the best you can currently buy online – whether you’re looking for something for commuting, for tackling changeable conditions, or an all-out trail-specific top layer. We tested the jackets throughout autumn as the seasons changed from the mild end of summer to the cold start of winter, and took any opportunity to put them through their paces in windy and wet conditions.
To be considered, the jacket had to do what it claimed it could do, and keep us comfortable and dry throughout our sweat sessions.
Read more:
The best men’s winter running jackets for 2021 are:
- Best overall – Montane spine waterproof jacket: £250, Montane.com
- Best for sub-zero temperatures – New Balance reflective impact run winter jacket: £120, Newbalance.co.uk
- Best for commuting – Proviz classic men’s active running jacket: £99.99, Provizsports.com
- Best for changeable conditions – On Running weather jacket: £190, Sigmasports.com
- Best for trail running – Salomon bonatti 2.5L: £150, Salomon.com
- Best for Gore-Tex protection – Arc’Teryx norvan LT hoody: £350, Arcteryx.com
- Best lightweight jacket – Columbia FKT II windbreaker: £90, Columbiasportswear.co.uk
Montane spine waterproof jacket
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
Unless you’re a masochist or an all-weather commuter, the chances are that the varying temperature is the main challenge you’ll face when running from autumn through to spring. Rather than having multiple jackets, it’s best to buy something that can keep you warm on those sub-zero starts, but that also won’t cause you to overheat after you’re warmed up.
The spine waterproof jacket from Montane is the ideal running partner from September through to late spring. Its Gore-Tex active shell construction gives you peace of mind if there’s rain (or worse) forecast, but it’s the breathability that’s second to none. The fabric helps to prevent typical hot spots (under the arms and the back) and, if it’s mild, you can manage your temperature courtesy of two mesh-lined pockets and two popper buttons on the full-length front zip, which enables you to get the full benefit of a breeze without the jacket flapping around you. Its £250 price tag might put some people off, but the lifetime guarantee means you’re making a sound investment.
Buy now £250, Montane.com
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New Balance reflective impact run winter jacket
Best: For sub-zero temperatures
Rating: 9/10
This deep-winter jacket from New Balance is great for keeping the cold at bay when not even interval training is enough to get you breaking a sweat. Its wind-resistant outer stops the chill in its tracks and a heat grid lining provides a warming layer, without leaving you too toasty. An athletic fit leaves you with the freedom to swing your arms, too – we liked the jacket’s neat touches, such as the handy drop pockets for keys and a feature at the end of the left sleeve that allows you to check your running watch without having to expose your arm to the elements. It comes into its own after dark though, as its all-over reflective print transforms you into an unmissable beacon.
Buy now £120, Newbalance.co.uk
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Proviz classic men’s active running jacket
Best: For commuting
Rating: 7/10
If you’re running to work, you want something that can handle an array of conditions (whether that’s wind, rain or just the cold). Proviz is renowned for its uber-visible reflect360 jacket, but its new active running jacket is an ideal commuting companion if you don’t want something too flashy. Breathable and waterproof, it kept us comfortable throughout – even when running with a bag – and its low-profile hood protected us from the odd shower. Its reflective detailing keeps you visible and its positioning means it won’t get blocked by a rucksack. Two side pockets enabled us to store essentials on the go, while its oversized zip pullers were easy enough to operate while wearing gloves.
Buy now £99.99, Provizsports.com
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On Running weather jacket
Best: For changeable conditions
Rating: 8/10
Dressing for running in autumn and spring can be a quandary. The forecast might call for a belt-and-braces approach to your kit choice, but mild temperatures can soon leave you drenched. Historically, this has meant having to bunch up your jacket, tie it around your waist or just suffer through the sweat-fest. The weather jacket by Swiss brand On Running solves this issue and has a handy trick up its sleeve (well, in its pocket). The lightweight wind and water-resistant shell can be packed away into its chest pocket, while an integrated strap provides a simple and comfortable way to carry it on the move.
Buy now £190, Sigmasports.com
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Salomon bonatti 2.5L
Best: For trail running
Rating: 8/10
When heading out on the trails, you want a running jacket that can keep you protected in poor conditions, is easily stored in a bag when breaking into a sweat on the ascents, and can be seamlessly whipped back out again to keep you warm on exposed ground. We found the Salomon bonatti 2.5L to be just that jacket. It held its own during the heaviest autumn shower, ensuring that our top half stayed bone dry, and could be packed into its own chest pocket, which allowed us to compactly stuff it into a hydration vest before we started overheating on technical terrain.
Buy now £150, Salomon.com
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Arc’Teryx norvan LT hoody
Best: For Gore-Tex protection
Rating: 9/10
Gore-Tex is synonymous with waterproofing: the American fabric is seen as the gold standard when it comes to protecting you from the worst of the elements, and any jacket that is constructed from its high-tech materials is worthy of your attention. The norvan LT hoody by Canadian brand Arc’Teryx uses Gore-Tex’s innovative C-Knit backer technology, which basically gives you all the protection of a standard three-layer design, but in a lighter package. The result was a jacket where rain simply beads on the surface while we remain comfortable on the inside thanks to its breathability.
Buy now £350, Arcteryx.com
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Columbia FKT II windbreaker
Best: Lightweight jacket
Rating: 8/10
A lot of winter running jackets claim to be lightweight, but nothing comes close to Columbia’s FKT II windbreaker. At just 81g (in size medium), it offers coverage against the wind and rain in a package that weighs less than an easy peeler. Its 100 per cent nylon construction uses the brand’s water-repellent technology to keep the elements at bay, and in practice we were impressed by how good it was considering its small stature. A lack of a hood is where it was marked down, but that’s not necessarily a priority if your focus is solely on weight, or you’re the kind to wear a waterproof cap.
Buy now £90, Columbiasportswear.co.uk
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The verdict: Men’s winter running jackets
The Montane spine waterproof jacket’s reathability means it has become a firm favourite in our winter running wardrobe, whether we’re heading out for a short blast or longer endurance session. The On Running weather jacket is an ideal companion for milder days, while the New Balance reflective impact run winter jacket comes into its own on those frosty, freezing runs in the depths of December.
Voucher codes
For the latest discounts on running shoes and other sports essentials, try the link below:
You’ve got the jacket and the shoes – now check out our review of the best running belts for carrying phones, water bottles and keys
IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.
Military Boots, Combat Army Boots & Tactical Boots
Tactical Boots, Military Boots & Duty Boots
Tactical Boots
Tactical boots are designed to handle any challenge while in training, on duty or in combat. No matter if you are in law enforcement, military service or public safety, tactical boots are an integral part of your uniform. They protect your feet from hazards while also providing extra comfort and stability, so you’re always ready for peak performance.
Patriot Outfitters offers a large catalog of tactical boots in different colors and styles, such as waterproof boots, hot and cold weather boots, patrol and duty boots, and army and military boots. We also feature specialized AR 670-1 compliant boots and Berry compliant boots.
AR 670-1 Compliant Boots
For military personnel to be within uniform standards, their boots must be AR 670-1 compliant. Luckily, there are many styles and brands of tactical boots that are AR 670-1 compliant, giving soldiers the opportunity to find the boots that fit best. For a boot style to be considered AR 670-1 compliant, it must meet certain criteria.
AR 670-1 Compliant Boot Requirements
- Coyote tan in color
- 8 to 10 inches in height
- Made of tan or coyote flesh-side out cattle hide leather
- Plain toe
- Soles match the color of the coyote tan upper materials
- Rubber and polyether polyurethane are the only outsole materials that are authorized
- Sole not to exceed 2 inches in height, when measured from the bottom of the outsole, and will not extend up the back of the heel or boot or over the top of the toe
- Exterior of the boot upper will not contain mesh but will be constructed of either all leather or a combination of leather and non-mesh fabric
These specifications can be found under Army Regulation 670-1. For more information about AR 670-1 compliance regulations, please visit DA PAM 670-1for details.
Popular AR 670-1 Boots
Patriot Outfitters has a wide selection of AR 670-1 coyote boots for sale from the top brands of tactical footwear manufacturers that will help complete your uniform.
The Oakley Light Assault Boot 2 is designed for first responders and soldiers. It’s lightweight, durable and breathable, giving you get a lighter load as well as flexibility and airflow.
The Nike SFB Gen 2 LT Boot is a unisex Nike military boot engineered for military personnel, law enforcement and other public safety professionals. It offers locked-down support, complete comfort and durable traction. These boots are perfect for running and ruck marches.
Berry Compliant Military Boots
What is Berry compliance? Simply explained, a boot is considered “Berry compliant” if it is 100% made in the USA, from materials to construction. This standard helps ensure military products are at a premium quality, because failure is not an option.
Patriot Outfitters is proud to offer Berry compliant military boots that features:
- Moisture wicking
- Enhanced Insulation for cold weather
- Durable leather
- Breathability for hot weather
- Flame-resistant material
Our selection of Berry compliant boots are available in coyote tan, black and sage green. We carry styles from the most trusted brands, including Belleville, Reebok and Rocky.
Popular Berry Compliant Combat Boots
The Belleville USA Approved Vanguard Desert Combat Boot is a USA made boot designed for extreme conditions and multiple military branches. With durable leather, thick Polyurethane center and AR 670-1 compliance, this Belleville boot is a perfect fit for any military personnel.
The Rocky SV2 Tactical Boot is a USAF approved boot. Along with being approved for the Air Force, it is also Berry Compliant. There are many valuable features of the Rocky S2V boot such as the durable, triple-stitched construction which helps it stay together through wear and tear. In addition, the Roll-Stop Ankle Stability reduces ankle injuries with added ankle support.
Duty Boots
Duty boots are an integral part of public safety uniform. From walking the beat to pursuit, duty boots provide added foot support, protection and comfort on and off duty.
Finding the best black duty boots can be difficult. No matter if you are a woman or man, there are certain features that you look for in a duty boot:
- Leather or nylon construction material
- Plastic or metal hook or shoe eyelets
- Slip and oil resistant outsoles
- Steel toe or composite toe
- Side zippers (YKK)
- Waterproof
- Moisture wicking
Popular Duty Boots
With the large selection of brands and styles of duty boots available, it can be intimidating choosing the perfect pair.
Men’s and Women’s 5.11 Tactical Black 8” ATC Side Zip Boot – The 5.11 Tactical Black 8” ATC Side Zip Boot was specifically designed for routine patrol shifts. This 5.11 boot has a lightweight construction, polished leather toe, oil and slip resistant outsole, moisture-wicking fabric, YKK side zippers and even covert pocket for storing a small knife or handcuff key. A Women’s 5.11 Tactical Black 8” ATC Side Zip Boot is also available.
The Galls 8” High Gloss Duty Boot is a uni-sex high gloss duty boot that provides police officers a boot packed with premium features at the lowest prices. It features a Texon stability platform, hi gloss PVC and 900D nylon upper, classic molded midsole and outsole, nylon shank, and PU foam collar with gusseted tongue. This black duty boot comes in a variety of sizes and widths.
Products That Go Well with Tactical, Military & Duty Boots
There are many clothing items that help military and law enforcement professionals be dressed for any type of assignment or environment. Patriot Outfitters offers a large selection of tactical clothing and duty gear.
The 5.11 Tactical Taclite Pro Men and Women’s Ripstop Pants are easy to take care of, reliable and affordable for any budget. These pants feature a fade and wrinkle resistant fabric, reinforced knees and seat, gusseted crotch, two side cargo pockets, and action waistband. These tactical pants are available in a variety of colors and sizes.
The Propper I.C.E Performance Short Sleeve Polo is a performance polo perfect for men and women on and off-duty. This performance polo offers moisture wicking, gusseted underarms, PROPPER I.C.E. technology, and fade and wrinkle resistant fabric, as well as a longer tail in back to help keep the shirt tucked in. This uniform polo is available in multiple colors and a variety of sizes.
Complete your tactical uniform by equipping yourself with the best tactical gear. Patriot Outfitters features a large catalogue of personal equipment that perfectly complements your duty boots, including tactical duty belts, flashlights, tactical gloves, concealment holsters and much more.
90,000 types, descriptions. Knight armour. Medieval knights. The truth about armor
In the good old days, which, as you know, were very difficult, clothing was a matter of life and death: simple, fragile fabric was common, leather was considered a rarity, and for wealthy gentlemen only armor played an important role
…
Armet Henry VIII, known as the “Shell with Horns”. Innsbruck, Austria, 1511
There are several versions regarding the appearance of the first armor.Some believe that it all started with robes made of wrought metal. Others are sure that protection from wood should also be considered, in this case we need to remember truly distant ancestors with stones and sticks. But most think the armor came from those difficult times when men were knights and women languished in anticipation.
Another strange carapace mask, from Augsburg, Germany, 1515.
A separate article should be devoted to the variety of forms and styles of medieval shells:
Either armor or nothing
The first armor was very simple: roughly cut metal plates designed to protect the knight within them from spears and swords.But gradually the weapons became more and more complicated, and the blacksmiths had to take this into account and make the armor more durable, lightweight and flexible, until they acquired the maximum degree of protection.
One of the most brilliant innovations was the improvement of chain mail. According to rumors, it was first created by the Celts many centuries ago. It was a long process that took a very long time until the gunsmiths took over it, who took this idea to new heights. This idea is not entirely logical: instead of making armor from strong plates and very reliable metal, why not make them from several thousand carefully connected rings? It turned out great: light and strong, the chain mail allowed its owner to be mobile and was often a key factor in leaving the battlefield: on a horse or on a stretcher.When plate armor was added to chain mail, the result was stunning: the armor of the Middle Ages appeared.
Medieval arms race
Now it is difficult to imagine that for a long time a knight on a horse was a truly terrible weapon of that era: arriving at the scene of a battle on a military horse, often also dressed in armor, he was as terrible as he was invincible. Nothing could stop such knights, when they, with sword and spear, could easily attack almost anyone.
Here is an imaginary knight reminiscent of heroic and victorious times (drawn by the delightful illustrator John Howe):
Bizarre Monsters
The battle became more and more “ritual”, which led to the knightly tournaments that we all know and love from movies and books. Armor became less useful in practice and gradually became more of only indicators of high social level and well-being. Only the wealthy or noblemen could afford armor, however, only a truly wealthy or very well-to-do baron, duke, prince or king could afford fantastic armor of the highest quality.
Did this make them especially beautiful? After a while, the armor began to look more like dinner clothes than equipment for battle: impeccable metal work, precious metals, elaborate coats of arms and regalia … All this, although it looked amazing, was useless during the battle.
Just look at the armor belonging to Henry VIII: aren’t they a masterpiece of the art of the day? The armor was designed and manufactured, like most all armors of the time, in the size of the wearer.In the case of Heinrich, however, his costume looked more noble than intimidating. And who can remember the royal armor? Looking at a set of such armor, the question arises: are they invented to fight or to show off? But honestly, we can’t blame Henry for his choice: his armor was never really designed for war.
England comes up with ideas
There is no doubt that the armor suit was a terrifying weapon of the day.But any days end, and in the case of classic armor, their end was simply worse than ever.
1415, northern France: French on one side; on the other, the British. While their number is a moot point, it is generally believed that the French outnumbered the British by about 10 to 1. For the British, under Henry (5th, forefather of the aforementioned 8th), this was not at all pleasant. Most likely, using the military term, they will be “killed”. But then something happened that not only determined the outcome of the war, but also changed Europe forever, as well as doomed the death of armor as the main weapon.
The French did not know what struck them. Well, in fact, they knew, and this made their defeat even more terrible: after all, it was they, the “cream” of the equipment of the French infantry, going to an obvious victory, their chain mail and plates sparkling in the sun, their monstrous metal armor and the best defense in the world …
Arrows from Henry’s secret weapon began to fall on them: the English (Welsh, to be precise) longbow. Several volleys – and the French were defeated by the enemy, which they could not even approach, their precious armor turned out to be pin cushions, and the army was trampled into the dirty ground.
Clothes say a lot about a person. And for a very long time, armor was the most versatile garment of that time, suitable for almost all occasions. But times are changing. In our case, this was greatly helped by a few people with few bows and arrows.
Armor of the First World War
Brewster Armor, 1917-1918:
In the Middle Ages, the helmet was the invariable and most important attribute of knightly armor.In addition to its main purpose – to protect the head of the owner, it also served to intimidate opponents, and in some cases was a badge of distinction during tournaments and battles, where it was difficult to make out who was who in the general crowd. For this reason, gunsmiths tried to endow each of their products with features inherent only to it, and often real works of art appeared in their workshops.
Helmets of the inhabitants of the Ancient World
The oldest prototypes of future knightly helmets, dating back to the III millennium BC.e., discovered during excavations of Ur, the largest city of the Sumerian civilization. Their appearance in that era became possible due to a fairly high level of metal processing technologies.
However, helmets made of gold and copper were extremely expensive and inaccessible to most warriors. Therefore, the bulk of the warriors used special headdresses made of leather and linen, reinforced with copper plates only in the most vulnerable places.
The birthplace of iron helmets, which appeared in the VIII – VII centuries BC.e., there were two states of the Ancient World – Assyria and Urartu. There, for the first time, gunsmiths began to abandon bronze and preferred a cheaper and more durable material – iron. The workshops made steel sphero-conical helmets, however, they were able to completely supplant their bronze predecessors only in the 1st millennium AD. NS.
Armor as a symbol of the era
Historians note a very paradoxical fact: the flourishing of the production of knightly armor, and in particular helmets, falls on the period of the Late Middle Ages, that is, the XIV ─ XV century, when chivalry itself has already lost its significance as the main fighting force …
Thus, numerous armor presented in various museums around the world and sometimes being genuine masterpieces of the art of arms, for the most part are only decorative attributes of the era and indicators of the high social status of their owners.
The appearance of steel helmets in Europe
The early Middle Ages are considered to be the beginning of widespread distribution in Europe of protective equipment made of iron, which, as it is commonly believed, came after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476.Fighting helmets, created in the early period of this era, had a characteristic feature – they were based on a frame made of thick steel strips, on top of which metal segments were attached. This design provided them with reliability and simplified the manufacturing process, but also significantly increased the weight of the product.
Only in the 6th century, European gunsmiths abandoned the frame structure and switched to the manufacture of a new type of helmets, riveted or welded from several segments. Often, masters supplemented them with nasos – narrow, vertically arranged metal stripes that protected the warrior’s face.This novelty was first used by the Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons, and only over the next two centuries did it spread among other European peoples.
The emergence of new models of helmets
In the XII century, knight helmets with a cylindrical crown came into use, which soon transformed into a new independent type, which received the name “topfhelm” for its characteristic shape, which means “pot helmet” in German. They survived until the XIV century.
Around the same period, one more original type of helmets appeared – chapels, which were metal caps with brims, the shape of which often varied depending on the taste of the master and the wishes of the customer.
Since the main advantage of the chapels was their relative cheapness, they were used mainly by the infantry and the poor equestrian knights. By the way, in the XV ─ XVI century one of the varieties of this type of helmets was used by the conquistadors ─ the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors of the New World.
Further developments of gunsmiths
The most widespread were the so-called cerveliers ─ iron hemispherical helmets, tightly fitting the head and resembling a modern helmet. They were deprived of any external protective elements, with the exception of the nasos, but at the same time they had an important advantage: on their inner side were attached gaskets made of thick shock-absorbing material and covered with fabric. They softened the blows received by the warrior in the head.
Cerveliers held out in service with the largest European armies until the beginning of the XIV century, after which they were supplanted by domed or hemispherical bascinet helmets, equipped with a chain mail aventail, and had many varieties.It is known that initially they, like the cerveliers, were designed to be worn under the larger topfhelma helmets, which were discussed above, but over time they received independent use.
Many original helmets of this type, equipped with visors of various designs, have survived to this day. Some of their samples are equipped only with nose pads or generally have a design that did not provide for face protection. The common element has always been the chain mail frame, which protected the warrior’s neck and shoulders.
Knights sung by poets
About knightly armor and their transformation over the centuries, modern researchers receive information not only on the basis of those copies that make up the collections of the largest museums in the world, but also from the literary monuments of the Middle Ages, among which French poems occupy a special place.
Their authors paid great attention to describing not only the exploits of the heroes, but also their armor, the decoration of which sometimes had both decorative and heraldic character.For example, knightly helmets often adorned not only plumes of feathers, but also rather complex structures in the form of horns and crests of fantastic animals, as well as elements of the generic coats of arms of their owners.
The appearance of helmets equipped with a visor
An important stage in the history of protective weapons was the appearance in the first quarter of the 13th century of helmets that completely protected the head and were equipped with only narrow slots for the eyes. The effectiveness of this design pushed the gunsmiths to further develop it, and about a century later, knightly helmets, equipped with a visor, a movable part designed to protect the warrior’s face, came into use.In the middle of the XIV century, they became an integral part of any combat armor.
When studying helmets from different eras, a characteristic difference inherent in Western European samples is striking. It is noted that open structures were characteristic of Asia in all centuries, providing warriors with wide visibility, the same can be said about the helmets of Ancient Rome. In Europe, on the contrary, knights preferred reliable deaf protection of the head and face, even in those cases when it created certain inconveniences.
“Dog’s Hood”
The gunsmiths sought to combine reliability with comfort in their products. An example of this is the form of helmets that appeared in the XIV century and firmly established, which bore the characteristic name “hundsgugel”, which means “dog’s hood” in German.
Its peculiarity was the presence of a cone-shaped visor extended forward, in shape that really resembled a dog’s face. This design served two purposes. Firstly, it made the warrior’s head more protected from arrows and spears of the enemy, which ricocheted down an inclined surface, and secondly, it made it possible to make more ventilation holes on the increased surface of the visor, and thereby facilitate breathing.
Models of helmets of the Late Middle Ages
In the 15th century, despite the fact that the importance of heavy cavalry in battles decreased significantly, the design of armor continued to improve, as the custom of holding knightly tournaments remained throughout Europe. At this time, the most interesting novelty was a helmet with a visor, called “armet”.
Unlike the cone-shaped structures that existed at that time, this helmet had a spherical shape and a chin that opened into two halves, fastened with a pin during the battle.In addition, he was equipped with a second visor that moved to the back of the head and special devices that reliably protected the throat and collarbones.
Another knight’s helmet, which became widespread in the Late Middle Ages, is also very interesting. It is called “salade” and is a distant relative of the bascinets described above. A characteristic feature of these designs was the back piece ─ the part of the helmet pulled back, not only protecting the warrior from blows from the rear, but also preventing him from being pulled off the horse with special hooks designed for this purpose.Salads were made with or without visors. In the first case, they were intended for mounted warriors, in the second, for the infantry.
Combat and tournament helmets
Medieval helmets, like all protective weapons, developed in two different ways, depending on their purpose. For tournaments, heavier and more durable samples were forged, providing greater safety, but not allowing them to be in them for a long time. In particular, the widely used tournament model “toad’s head”, which was one of the most reliable in the history of chivalry, but lacking proper ventilation, was designed only for short-term use, not exceeding 5 minutes.After this period, the supply of air in it dried up, and the warrior began to choke.
Combat weapons, which included the entire set of armor, were made in such a way as to allow the owner to be in it for a long time. Based on this, in its manufacture, the gunsmiths tried to give all the details the least weight. This requirement fully applied to helmets. Without sacrificing reliability, they had to be extremely lightweight, well ventilated and provide good visibility.
There are places where history buffs cannot be dragged by the ears.
One of them is the Arsenal in Graz (Austria).
This is one of the largest, and perhaps the largest in the world, collection of edged weapons and armor – despite the fact that Austria itself does not shine at all in size.
Arsenal Graz – The Landeszeughaus is not just a museum.
This is exactly the warehouse where combat, ceremonial, tournament armor and weapons are kept. In the old days, 16 thousand soldiers could arm themselves here at a time.
Times were turbulent then – the Ottoman Empire strove for world domination. Graz is located at the foot of the Alps, and in fact, became the main obstacle on the way of the Turks to the Danube Valley. And that means to Central Europe.
There were several such arsenals as in Graz. All of them faithfully served the townspeople, but time passed, and it was decided to centralize the defense of the Austrian lands. In 1749, Empress Maria Theresia ordered to leave only one arsenal of all – Gracevsky.
So we can thank her so much for that.
Although we must thank not her, but actually the inhabitants of Styria – the land in which Graz is located. It was they who were able to convince the empress to keep the useful building as a monument reminiscent of the bravery of their ancestors in the fight against the “eternal enemy of Christianity.”
In total, about 32 thousand exhibits of the late 15th – early 19th centuries are kept in the Arsenal!
I don’t know about you, but personally to me from Arsenal in Graz it resembles a repository of terminators …
Arsenal today
Now let’s take a walk through the museum.Virtually so far, but who knows if someday you will do it with your own feet? ?
So, all four floors of the building are divided by original wooden ceilings. It is believed that it is wood, or rather the wooden floors and walls of the arsenal, that absorb moisture and prevent iron from rusting.
There is a vaulted cannon hall below.
The first floor is dedicated to everything that hastened abandonment – a heavy flintlock and a pistol, as well as more modern types of firearms.
Here is another old gun – from a different angle, already in a very close-up:
How exactly all this fired is not immediately clear. And yet, loading an old gun is a whole science! There was no scent of modern rate of fire at that time, the process of preparing for firing was more like lighting a pipe.
By itself, the firing mechanism – the “lock” shown in the photo, is somewhat different from that in the video, but it’s not scary. Somehow, something like this, it was:
Knight’s helmet Arme and King Henry
On the second and third floors of the Arsenal, you can see in detail the armor and, which are medieval during tournaments and hostilities.And not only knights.
In the photo – knightly, which is called arme. At one time, this helmet was very popular, and even when more comfortable models changed it during the war, it was still worn for tournaments as one of the most reliable.
At first glance, it is difficult to understand how they put it on the knight’s head, or rather, how the knight poked his head through the narrow neck. But, in fact, the arme, like the chest, opened simply. I have prepared a video for you on this very topic:
As you can see, Arme is really a very reliable helmet.But even he did not give one hundred percent guarantee of life.
Take, for example, the incident that took place in July 1559. The French king Henry II gave his daughter Elizabeth to the ruler of Spain, Philip of Valois. In honor of this event, a three-day knightly tournament was held.
On the evening of the second day, the bride’s father, King Henry, was to fight the Earl of Montgomery. The opponents dispersed, there was a blow, then the crunch of breaking spears and …
King Henry went limp in the saddle.The debris passed through the viewing slot of the royal arm and stuck into his eye.
The king died a few days later. Soon after, someone remembered the prediction of a certain Nostradamus, then still unknown:
“The young lion will surpass the old,
On the battlefield in a single duel,
Having struck his eyes in a golden cage,
Which will lead the old lion to a painful death ”
From this quatrain, his glory began, although Nostradamus himself repeated more than once that he did not mean the late King Henry at all …
Medieval knights.The truth about armor
How comfortable was this equipment in battle?
Is it true that the knight who fell on his back could not continue the battle?
Was the knight’s helmet really so heavy that the head could barely hold it?
Especially for you – field trials of full knightly armor. Dimensions, weight, thickness of armor – everything is observed exactly.
So everything that these French lads do could be repeated by medieval knights, being dressed in full armor:
Horse Armor
Medieval knights are gentlemen not only in armor, but also on horseback.
And what is a knight’s horse – without special equestrian armor?
There are several horse suits on display in the halls of the Arsenal, and here is one of them.
In fact, horse armor, like human armor, consists of many different elements. Each of them has its own name:
The iron breastplate is also called “peitel”, and the headpiece is called “champhron”. It could be supplemented with a special lattice to protect the eyes:
By the way, for tournaments and war they used not only different armor, but also different horses.
The tournament knight had to be high and heavy. His whole task is to jerk off, reach the maximum speed as quickly as possible and give his rider the opportunity to ram the enemy with a spear.
It is clear that if such a horse were in the war, it would not last long. It required endurance, mobility and the ability not to be afraid of battle. And a horse with all this was also very expensive.
It’s like in our modern life, where a “cool car” has taken the place of a horse.You can see expensive foreign cars in traffic jams, the same Lexus or the same Infinity, but never a Formula 1 car!
Now let’s have a taste of which the museum is also rich in.
Halberd – ceremonial and combat.
The Halberd is a cross between a spear, an ax and a boat hook. Filmmakers often present them to the guards who watch the king’s peace. Among her ancestors was one of the most terrible types of medieval weapons.
There is more than one halberd in the Graz Arsenal, and there are completely different specimens.
For example decorative. Beautiful, delicate, but in battle with them it will not be too comfortable – the slotted decor weakens the structure:
There is also such a halberd, decorated with a pattern:
To be honest, such a beauty is not a warrior’s dream either – the hook structure is weakened by a number of holes. But decorative is enough. Halberd, primarily a weapon and its place among warriors:
Well, we will digress from the halberd and turn our attention to other types of long-tree weapons, which are presented in the Graz Arsenal.
Line Arguments – Protazan and Glaive
In general, medieval thought was inexhaustible for the beautiful and deadly.
In the next photo, the weapon is also decorated, but its construction is strong and reliable. Before us are veterans. The shaft of each of them is covered with metal stripes extending from the tip – specifically, to protect against being chopped off by the enemy.
Imagine the first row closest to us. From left to right – two protazans, a glaive and a spearhead.
The fighting age of the protazan was relatively short-lived. Protazan appeared in the 16th century, and a century later it degenerated into an attribute of the palace guard.
Now about the third sample from the left, the glaive. A glaive is such a large knife on a shaft, reaching 40-60 cm in length and 5-7 cm in width.
She served as a weapon of the Burgundians, and proved to be excellent as a combat weapon, with the help of which a detachment of soldiers could stop the enemy’s horse attack. Like the halberd and the protazan, the glaive was at one time a weapon of the palace guards, and then sank into oblivion.
The army that fought with all this wealth could look something like this (pay attention to the peaks of the soldiers – the shape of their tips is the same as in the photo from the Arsenal)
?
Two-handed sword “Flamberg” and its brothers
There are quite a few two-handed swords in the Graz Arsenal. Many with a waved blade:
The very word “flamberg” (translated from German as flame) clearly speaks of the appearance of the sword. To some, his wavy blade reminded a tongue of flame, and since then it has been the custom.But not every two-handed sword is a flamberg – it all depends on the appearance of the blade itself.
For some reason, it is believed that a two-handed sword is some incredibly heavy thing, close in weight to a railroad track. Indeed, the sword is very long, and could well reach human height. But weight is different.
You and I live in a three-dimensional space, where, in addition to length, there is also width and thickness. So the two-handed sword could not boast of them.
Imagine having to file bread with a file.This is inconvenient; a thinner tool is needed to cut bread. For cutting the body – too. Therefore, a two-handed sword had a very thin blade, and, for example, in the 15th century weighed 3-5 kilograms, depending on its length.
Flamberg two-handed sword from Styria (late 16th century).
The parameters of some two-handed swords are given in the article “The Weighty Issue of Two-Handed Greatswords”, which was written by not the last weapon expert John Clements. I ranked them by weight – from lightest to heaviest:
- Germany 1475-1525
Sword length 1382 mm, blade length 1055 mm, weight 1550 g. - Sweden, 1658
Sword length 1010 mm, blade length 862 mm, weight: 1735 g. - Germany (Solingen), early. 17th century.
Sword length 1350 mm, blade length 961 mm, weight: 3010 g. - Ceremonial sword. Germany, late 16th century
Sword length 1817 mm, blade length 1240 mm, weight 3970 g. - Germany, end. 16th century.
Sword length 1790 mm, blade length 1250 mm, weight 4630 g.
And here I recall the story of one two-handed sword, which you will certainly be told in the museum of the Dutch city of Leeuwarden. Right next to the display case where it is stored. Its length is 215 cm and its weight is 6.6 kg.
It turns out that this two-handed sword was a ceremonial, so-called “outboard” (it was put on display on special occasions). But one day it was taken over by a former farmer turned rebel and pirate, Pierre Gerlofs Donia. Local residents still revered him as a fighter for independence.So this folk hero took the gigantic two-handed sword as a trophy and used it in battle. One can only guess what monstrous dimensions this Pierre Gerlofs Donia was, who went down in history as “Big Peter”.
I will definitely return to the topic of two-handed swords in one of the articles of the cycle and will reveal it in more detail. So stay tuned to the site.
Longsword and One-Handed
In addition to two-handed swords, there are also more modest examples in the Graz Arsenal.Many of them are typical, intended for use by ordinary cannon fodder.
But there are some very wonderful ones, dear ones. How do you like this pattern on the blade?
The camera pulls back and we see a wonderful long sword against the background of probably hundreds of simpler swords:
Like a commander in expensive gilded armor against the backdrop of his army!
Battle Drums
And the exposition of the Arsenal ends on the fourth floor, where musical instruments of military bands are presented.For example, these are the drums.
Well, once the exposition is over, let me introduce you to one interesting person.
Meet Thomas Storm, director of the Arsenal restoration workshop. This is a person who has round-the-clock access to all the exhibits of the Gracev Arsenal. Much of what we saw in the photo today passed through his hands. I’m sure many readers of this article would like to be in his place.
Photo taken from the museum’s Facebook page
First, how do you like the name of the city – Graz? It is clearly foreign to the Germanic languages.Frankfurt, Berlin, Salzburg, Basel. It still sounds normal. But Graz … Somehow does not fit, right?
And right. The city was founded by the Slovenes. These are the inhabitants of the disintegrated Yugoslavia, one of the Slavic peoples. However, at a time when the Gracevsky Arsenal had not yet become a museum, there was no talk of any Yugoslavia. And the city was simply called a city – in Slovenian it sounds like Hradec. So they still call him, despite the official name.
To this day, many Slovenes live in Graz, and it is less than an hour by car to Maribor, one of the largest cities of the now independent Republic of Slovenia.
And more. Do you know that it was in Graz that Arnold Schwarzenegger began to engage in bodybuilding? He lived in the nearby village of Tal and traveled to town on a bicycle to train. But he was swinging with a barbell, not a two-handed sword.
The exposure is crazy!
But to photograph there, if I don’t confuse anything, unfortunately it is impossible. Although I may be wrong, and the policy of the museum is to change. In any case – stay with us, subscribe to VKontakte or Facebook, because there are many interesting things ahead))
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I photographed without problems.In my opinion, I didn’t even pay anything.
Generally speaking, the museum is unique!
There must be a must! I was in Graz 3 times. And every time I go there again. The feeling that this is exactly what “TOUCH TO HISTORY” should be.
… shelves with weapons, armor … not piece exhibits, but a whole ARSENAL … exactly as it was (in my mind) several centuries ago.
It’s like looking at one soldier and seeing whole regiments …
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And also a monument to Schwarzenegger was erected in Graz.Interestingly, does he also have a little Slavic blood in him, since he is from a place where the Slavic diaspora was originally strong?
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Plate armor has long become one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages, being the hallmark of knights and personifying the power and wealth of the owner. The most incredible and ridiculous myths constantly arise around lat.
Plate – armor made of large metal plates, anatomically imitating a male figure. Compared to other types of armor, the manufacture of such armor was the most difficult and required a considerable amount of steel, and therefore the art of making armor began to actively develop only from the middle of the XIV century.
Because of these difficulties, plate armor, even in the 15th century, was not cheap and was often made to order. Of course, only representatives of the nobility could afford such a luxury, therefore armor became a symbol of chivalry and high origin. So how effective is such an armor and was it worth the money? Let’s figure it out:
MYTH 1: THE LATS WEIGHED SO MUCH THAT THE DROP KNIGHT COULD NOT RISE WITHOUT OUTSIDE AID
This is not so. The total weight of full combat armor rarely exceeded 30 kg.The figure may seem large to you, but do not forget that the weight was evenly distributed throughout the body, moreover, the men at arms, as a rule, fought on horseback. With this in mind, we get the approximate weight of modern army infantry equipment. Heavier varieties belonged to tournament armor, deliberately sacrificing mobility in favor of increasing the thickness of the armor, which reduced the risk of injury when hitting a spear or falling from a horse.
Modern reenactors have repeatedly proved that in a replica of full armor one can not only run fast, but even fence and climb stairs.
MYTH 2: BRASS ARMOR COULD BE EASILY PUNCHED WITH NORMAL WEAPONS
And that’s a lie. The main distinguishing feature of plate armor is its excellent resistance to all types of damage. Cutting blows do him no harm, except that the knight at full gallop will substitute himself under the blow of the reed. The piercing blows could pierce soft, poorly hardened steel, but later armor held up well the blow of the sharp end of the war hammer. In addition, the armor (contrary to the opinion of popular culture, which loves to decorate armor with spikes and ribs) was made as smooth and streamlined as possible in order to evenly distribute the energy from the impact and thereby increase the strength of the entire structure.Daggers, which, due to the shortest possible attack distance, are the easiest to hit the joints of the armor, and two-handed swords, specially created as countermeasures against heavy infantry and cavalry, were really effective means against the armored man.
In contrast, videos are often cited in which the tester pierces a plate breastplate with a Morgenstern or Lucerne Hammer. It should be noted here that in theory this is indeed possible, but it is very difficult to strike a direct blow with a wide sweep at an ideal right angle during a fight, and otherwise the armored man has every chance of completely or partially avoiding damage.
MYTH 3: JUST ENOUGH TO GET A VULNERABLE PLACE AND LATNIK WILL BE DAMAGED
This is a moot point. Yes, there are several weak points in plate armor (belt garters, gaps in the joints and joints), hitting which will in fact inflict significant damage on the enemy. But it was not easy to do this:
Firstly, under the armor the knights wore at least a gambeson, consisting of several layers of dense linen fabric. It provided good protection on its own, being surprisingly strong and light, and most knights did not hesitate to pull chain mail over it.Thus, the weapon had to overcome several layers of armor before reaching the body.
Secondly, the gunsmiths, who quickly realized the main weakness of the armor in a battle, tried to protect the knight from the threat as much as possible. All belts and garters were hidden deep inside the armor, special “wings” (an extension of the cast plate of armor) served as a shield for joints and joints. All parts of the armor were adhered to each other as tightly as possible, which in the hustle and bustle of major battles significantly increased the chances of survival.
SO WHAT WERE THE BAD ARMOR?
The main disadvantage is the demand for care. Due to the large area of the armor itself, the metal quickly rusted, and it had to be protected from corrosion. Over time, gunsmiths learned to burn armor, which made them darker and gave good protection against oxidation. In marching conditions, the armor was oiled, and in peacetime it was stored in isolated conditions, as a rule, wrapped in several layers of cloth. Otherwise, the armor was much more effective than any analogues – frayed straps can be quickly and easily replaced, and it is much easier to correct a dent on a solid plate than to repair chain mail or replace segments in lamellar armor.
However, at times it was almost impossible to put on plate armor on your own, and being wounded, it was just as difficult to take off. Many knights managed to bleed from a trifling wound, which incapacitated them for the entire battle.
The end of the golden age of lats came with the beginning of the era of firearms. When the firearm appeared in service with the regular armies, armor began to gradually disappear from use. The lead bullet pierced such armor without much problem, although in the early stages, when the power of firearms was low, they could still serve as very effective protection.
The armor of the knights of the Middle Ages, photos and descriptions of which are presented in the article, went through a difficult evolutionary path. They can be seen in weapons museums. This is a real work of art.
They surprise not only with their protective properties, but also with their luxury and grandeur. However, few people know that the monolithic iron armor of the knights of the Middle Ages dates from the late period of that era. It was no longer protection, but traditional clothing that emphasized the high social status of the wearer.This is a kind of analogue of modern expensive business suits. By them it was possible to judge the position in society. We will talk about this in more detail later, presenting photos of knights in medieval armor. But first about where they came from.
First armor
Weapons and armor of the knights of the Middle Ages evolved together. This is understandable. Improving lethal means necessarily leads to the development of defensive ones. Even in prehistoric times, people tried to protect their bodies. The first armor was animal skins.It defended well against non-sharp weapons: sledgehammers, primitive axes, etc. Perfection in this was achieved by the ancient Celts. Their protective skins sometimes withstood even sharp spears and arrows. Surprisingly, the main emphasis in defense was on the back. The logic was this: in a frontal attack it was possible to hide from the shells. Backstabs are impossible to see. Flight and retreat were part of the combat tactics of these peoples.
Cloth armor
Few people know, but the armor of the knights of the Middle Ages in the early period was made of matter.It was difficult to distinguish them from civilian civilian clothes. The only difference is that they were glued together from several layers of matter (up to 30 layers). It was light, from 2 to 6 kg, inexpensive armor. In an era of massive battles and primitive chopping weapons, this is an ideal option. Any militia could afford such protection. Surprisingly, such armor could withstand even stone-tipped arrows that pierced iron with ease. This was due to the cushioning on the fabric. The more prosperous instead used quilted caftans stuffed with horsehair, cotton wool, and hemp.
The peoples of the Caucasus used similar protection until the 19th century. Their cloak, felted of wool, was rarely cut with a saber; it withstood the hit not only of arrows, but also of bullets from smooth-bore guns from 100 meters. Recall that such a weapon was in our army until the Crimean War of 1955-1956, when our soldiers died from European rifled guns.
Leather armor
Leather armor of medieval knights replaced the cloth. They were widely used in Russia as well.Leather craftsmen were widely regarded at the time.
In Europe, they were poorly developed, since the use of crossbows and bows was the favorite tactic of Europeans during the entire Middle Ages. Leather protection was used by archers and crossbowmen. She protected from light cavalry, as well as from fellow-in-arms of the opposite side. From long distances, they could withstand bolts and arrows.
Buffalo leather was especially prized. It was almost impossible to get it. Only the richest could afford it.There were relatively light leather armor of the knights of the Middle Ages. The weight was from 4 to 15 kg.
Evolution of armor: lamellar armor
Further evolution occurs – the manufacture of armor of medieval knights from metal begins. One of the varieties is lamellar armor. The first mention of this technology is observed in Mesopotamia. The armor there was made of copper. In a similar protective technology, they began to use metal. Lamellar armor is a scaled carapace.They turned out to be the most reliable. They could only break through with bullets. Their main drawback is their weight up to 25 kg. It is impossible to put it on alone. In addition, if a knight fell from a horse, he was completely rendered harmless. It was impossible to get up.
Chain mail
Armor of medieval knights in the form of chain mail was the most common. Already in the 12th century, they became widespread. Ringed armor weighed relatively little: 8-10 kg. A complete set, including stockings, helmet, gloves, reached up to 40 kg.The main advantage is that the armor did not hinder movement. Only the most prosperous aristocrats could afford them. The spread among the middle class only occurs in the 14th century, when wealthy aristocrats donned plate armor. They will be discussed below.
Plate
Plate armor is the pinnacle of evolution. Only with the development of metal forging technology could such a work of art be created. It is almost impossible to make plate armor of knights of the Middle Ages with your own hands.It was a single monolithic shell. Only the richest aristocrats could afford such protection. Their distribution occurs in the Late Middle Ages. A knight in plate armor on the battlefield is a real armored tank. It was impossible to defeat him. One such warrior among the army tipped the scales in the direction of victory. Italy is the birthplace of such protection. It was this country that was famous for its masters in the production of armor.
The desire for heavy protection is due to the tactics of the battle of the medieval cavalry.First, it delivered a powerful swift blow in closed ranks. As a rule, after one blow with a wedge against the infantry, the battle ended in victory. Therefore, in the forefront were the most privileged aristocrats, among whom was the king himself. Knights in armor almost did not die. It was impossible to kill him in battle, and after the battle, the captured aristocrats were not executed, since everyone knew each other. Yesterday’s enemy turned into a friend today. In addition, the exchange and sale of captured aristocrats was sometimes the main goal of the battles.In fact, medieval battles were similar to them. The “best people” were rarely killed, but in real battles it still happened. Therefore, the need for improvement constantly arose.
“Peaceful Battle”
In 1439, in Italy, the homeland of the best blacksmiths, a battle took place near the town of Anghiari. Several thousand knights took part in it. After four hours of the battle, only one warrior was killed. He fell off his horse and fell under his hooves.
End of the era of battle suits
England put an end to the “peace” wars.In one of the battles, the English, led by Henry XIII, of which there were dozens of times less, used powerful Welsh bows against the French aristocrats in armor. Marching confidently, they felt safe. Imagine their surprise when arrows began to pour down from above. The shock was that before that they had never hit the knights from above. Shields were used against frontal damage. The close formation of them reliably protected from bows and crossbows. However, Welsh weapons were able to penetrate the armor from above.This defeat at the dawn of the Middle Ages, where the “best men” of France died, put an end to such battles.
Armor – a symbol of aristocracy
Armor at all times has been a symbol of aristocracy not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Even the development of firearms did not end their use. The coat of arms was always depicted on the armor, they were a ceremonial uniform.
They were worn for holidays, celebrations, official meetings. Of course, ceremonial armor was made in a lightweight version.The last time they were used in combat was in Japan in the 19th century, during the samurai uprisings. However, firearms have shown that any peasant with a rifle is much more effective than a professional warrior with a cold weapon, dressed in heavy armor.
Armor of a knight of the Middle Ages: description
So, the classic set of an average knight consisted of the following things:
Weapons and armor were not the same in the entire history of the Middle Ages, since they performed two functions.The first is protection. Second, armor was a distinctive attribute of high social status. One complex helmet could cost entire villages with serfs. Not everyone could afford it. This also applies to complex armor. Therefore, it was impossible to find two identical sets. Feudal armor is not a uniform form of soldier recruits in later eras. They differ in personality.
90,000 Armor is … What is Armor?
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Armor
Armor – special clothing designed to protect the wearer from weapons, most often from cold and throwing weapons of the pre-powder era.
In Europe, up to the 17th century, with rare exceptions, only edged weapons were used in wars, it was it that caused up to 90% of all losses in battles, and the outcome of the battle was decided in hand-to-hand combat.Therefore, armor was an effective and expedient form of protective equipment. Subsequently, with the transition to mass armies and the increasing role of hand-held firearms and artillery, armor in European armies was largely abolished, which process was mainly completed by the beginning of the 18th century, although for some time after that they were common as an attribute of social status. military class. In other regions of the world, armor might not have lost its relevance until the end of the 19th or even the beginning of the 20th century.
Before the proliferation of firearms, it was armor that distinguished the warrior, and the word “weaponry” meant it. This is due to the fact that armor, as a rule, was less accessible than edged weapons due to the complexity of their manufacturing technology and the amount of material required, and also often not comfortable enough for everyday wear. The presence of a relatively inexpensive sword or other weapon in a person, in principle, did not mean anything, or, in some countries and eras, could mean belonging to a privileged class – while wearing a bib, helmet or shield immediately made it clear that this person is going to soon use weapons against a similarly armed enemy.
History
A person’s natural defense does not surpass the quality of his natural weapons, therefore, a person began to think about protection from weapons immediately after its appearance. Defensive weapons developed in parallel with offensive melee weapons so as to provide the greatest protection with existing technologies, and at the same time provide mobility acceptable for the type of combat accepted in a given culture. It has come a long way of evolution: from protection from animal skins, horns and bones, through armor made of metal scales or rings, to a complete knightly armored man, who does not leave an inch of such a vulnerable human body open.See the history of armor for more details.
It should be borne in mind that in fact the history of armor did not know a certain “main line” of development; it had its ups and downs, caused both by the general uneven development of material culture, and by radical changes in military affairs, devaluing the protective equipment of the previous generation, after which its development often starts from scratch. For example, already in Rome, there was a mass production of large-plate (plate) armor, which was completely forgotten in the Dark Ages, when chain mail became the main protective equipment, and only in the XIV century the level of mass production made it possible to return to them, albeit in completely different forms.Likewise, in Japan of the Kofun period, rigid cuirasses, tied with cords or riveted from wide horizontal strips of metal, were widespread, which were subsequently replaced by lamellar armor borrowed from the continent due to their inability to mount a horse battle that had penetrated into Japan; they, in turn, having gone through a long evolutionary process, turned first into laminar armor, and then into solid cuirasses of the “gusoku” style, which, however, differed from the cuirasses of the Kofun period no less than knightly armor from the Roman “lorica segmentata” “.Finally, already today, the warrior’s protective equipment, well forgotten back in the 19th century, is being revived, but already in a completely different, high-tech embodiment.
Purpose and effectiveness
In general, any combat armor was designed primarily to protect against accidental, glancing blows, as well as from arrows, without at all canceling for the warrior wearing it the need to actively parry or evade enemy attacks. Even when pierced, the armor significantly reduced the severity of injuries received by its owner, and, accordingly, increased his chances of survival – but nothing more.
One can speak of any degree of invulnerability of the owner of the armor only in the case of European late medieval large-plate (plate) armor, and even then – only in relation to shelling from bows and cutting with a sword, which, although it left notches on the cuirass with its end, significant damage is already did not apply. The piercing swords, alshpis, halberds with narrow styloid processes and similar weapons, which appeared at about the same time (15th century), with skillful use, quite easily struck the owner of early armor in parts of the body that are poorly covered with armor, where protection, for reasons of mobility, was limited to chain mail linen or leather inserts – neck, armpits, and so on.Therefore, the increase in the area directly covered by large plates of the armor was one of the main concerns of European armors up to the mass proliferation of firearms, when the desire to ensure the bulletproofness of at least a bib came to the fore, by lightening the rest of the armor or even abandoning them while maintaining the total mass of the kit. The former main weapon of the knightly cavalry, heavy cavalry spears (lance), infantry pikes and halberds, heavy crossbows with a mechanical platoon, shock-crushing weapons, as well as specialized melee weapons created for power cutting (cleave) or piercing (estok) were still for a well-armed warrior, they are very dangerous, not to mention firearms, starting with an arquebus.
As for the mass of the armor set, it remained practically unchanged over the centuries: a complete set of chain mail protection of the 13th century, consisting of a shirt with sleeves and a hood (ober, hauberk) and stockings – shoss, “transitional” armor of the 14th century, full armor of the 15th century or “three-quarter” armor of the XVI-XVII centuries weighed about the same – about 30-40 kilograms – although, of course, the protection provided by them was different, and very significantly. Such a mass, distributed throughout the body, did not at all burden even the average strength of a warrior beyond measure (for comparison, a modern ordinary soldier carries about 40 kg of equipment, and a soldier of an elite unit like the SAS – up to 90 kg).The only exception was, perhaps, only tournament armor, which – a unique phenomenon in the entire history of armor – was not intended to protect against accidental blows and reduce the severity of injuries, but to completely prevent them as much as possible even with a “ram” blow with a spear in breast. Of course, the result of such a formulation of the problem was armor, obviously not viable as a combat one. One way or another, long-term wearing of armor was still very tiring, especially in the heat – up to heatstroke.In most cases, the warriors tried to remove their protective equipment as soon as possible.
Regarding mobility, it should be noted that even the heaviest combat plate armor fully allowed the wearer to perform any movements necessary in battle and even, as mentioned in medieval sources, perform some acrobatic stunts. However, the warrior in it, as in any dense clothing, quickly got tired during active actions, so that wearing it, naturally, required good physical fitness.That is why, in particular, European archers, even those who could afford good armor, did not wear shoulder pads – they would interfere with archery, resisting rapid hand movements, especially given the fact that completely raise your arms up or spread apart it was not possible with any design of the shoulder pad (Asian archers usually used shoulder pads of a lamellar, laminar or kuyachny design in the form of flexible sheets hanging freely from the shoulders, in which good protection was sacrificed for mobility, for example, the armpit area was practically not covered).
Outside of Europe, armor usually did not try to achieve absolute protection from armor at all: protective equipment continued to be considered as a necessary addition to the warrior’s skill, it was required to resist accidental blows well, but at the same time be thin, flexible and comfortable, not interfere with fast movement in battle … The general tendency of the eastern complex of armor and weapons towards greater lightness and maneuverability, and the gravitation towards long-range combat with the use of throwing weapons, for which flexible and mobile armor was required, and in the last centuries of the Middle Ages, to some extent, a lagging behind from Europe in the field of mass craft production.By the 15th-16th centuries, that is, during the heyday of the European armored man, in the Near and Middle East, ring-lamellar armor became the main type of armor, consisting of separate small plates connected by rings or narrow, three to five rings, by inserts of chain mail. Such armor had only a helmet, tubular bracers (bazubands), a chest plate (mirror) and, sometimes, a mantle that protected a warrior’s shoulders from chopping blows from above. Usually, a shield was also preserved, designed to actively accept enemy strikes and protect against arrows, which in Europe by the 16th century was practically out of use, since new fencing techniques made it possible to do without it in close combat with swords, the spear was taken directly on the cuirass, and the arrows to the owner of the armor were no longer particularly scary.Thus, instead of the continuous lamellar protection of the whole body of a warrior, characteristic of Europe since the 15th century, the choice was made in favor of differentiated protection: more powerful in the area of vital organs or especially vulnerable places, lighter and more mobile in the rest. In particular, thanks to this approach, armor in the East was preserved for some time after the transition to firearms – unlike European armor, they were not so complicated and expensive to manufacture, practically did not restrict movement, were relatively convenient in campaign, while giving decent protection against the still widely used edged weapons.In Europe, in the last century of widespread use of armor, they also came up with the idea of differentiated protection, but its implementation turned out to be less successful – after the plate armor was “pulled” towards the cuirass, the warrior’s arms and legs were completely unprotected.
The Far East, from Chukotka to Tibet and from the Great Steppe to Japan, for a long time practically did not know ringed and ring-plate armor; the role of chain mail here since ancient times was played by a lamellar, tied with cords of small metal plates.The lamellar cloth was slightly less mobile than the ringed one, but provided better protection, especially from arrows – albeit on a smaller area: the neck and armpits were usually left completely unprotected or poorly covered. In isolated areas, such as the Chukchi tundra and the mountains of Tibet, this type of armor remained unchanged until the 19th-20th centuries, and in later times it was often used along with firearms. Meanwhile, over time, the protective equipment of this region began to develop towards specific forms, in fact, intermediate between armor and clothing.In China and in related territories in the 13th century, it became widespread, and by the 15th-16th centuries it became the main type of armor, apparently of Mongolian origin, the kuyak, generally similar to the European brigantine in terms of design and protection provided. Similar armor was also used in Russia, in India and other regions affected at one time by the Mongol invasion. A well-made kuyak was very comfortable to wear, but at the same time provided quite decent protection against edged weapons due to the presence of a continuous layer of relatively thin and flexible metal plates installed with a strong overlap inside.In addition to internal plates, additional large shields and mirrors could also be attached outside, which strengthened the armor and redistributed the impact energy over a larger area, transferring it to smaller plates located from the inside – a principle widely used in modern body armor. In addition to protecting the torso, the kuyak could have floors and sleeves like a caftan, which made it even closer to the usual clothes for that time. Its other significant, from the point of view of the then warriors, advantage was its high decorativeness: covered with expensive fabric and decorated with large shiny heads of rivets, the kuyak looked very attractive, again – like expensive clothes.It is for this reason that, even after abandoning the armor, it remained for some time as a dress uniform, often without metal plates under the fabric.
Unique development of protective gear in Japan. Starting with a variation on the theme of a common Far Eastern lamellar, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun brought it to unusually pretentious forms, and then switched to armor made of large metal plates, somewhat similar to European ones, in later eras – even intended, like the late European armor, for protection against firearms, although lighter in comparison with the latter, without continuous plate protection of the limbs.
Wearing
Gambeson for poor warriors could also act as an independent armor.
Usually, the armor was worn on some kind of special under-armor clothing (under-armor), and within the framework of different traditions there were different ways of wearing it.
For example, Hellenistic armor was worn over a special tunic called lat. subarmalis or other Greek thoracomachus . She was quite thin and made either from dense fabric or from thin leather.It was on it that pterugi were sewn – free hanging strips of skin, which served as additional protection for the limbs and became one of the most characteristic details of the coating of the Greek and Roman warriors.
Remains of a lightweight quilted armor of the second half of the 16th century.
In medieval Europe, thick cloth under-armor (quilting, gambeson, doublet, aketon, jupon, purpuen, bambakion, tegilay, jacq, and so on) were used, worn under chain mail. They were quilted and either made from many layers of linen fabric, or stuffed from the inside with hemp, tow, horsehair and the like.The quilting not only served as under-armor clothing, but also partly absorbed shocks, and, if the situation was successful, it could even stop an arrow that passed through the chain mail. For poor infantrymen, it could also serve as an independent armor. Likewise, there were also dense padded liners that served to absorb shocks. After the transition to armor at the end of the 14th-15th century, the quilted under-armor gradually became thinner, since its shock-absorbing function became less in demand, until by the 16th century it completely disappears in this form, since by that time plate armor began to be worn without chain mail, received a soft lining where it was necessary, and could easily dress simply on tight clothes.Sometimes, on the basis of pictorial sources, they claim the existence of some kind of leather under-armor jacket, but these claims have not yet received archaeological evidence.
In Asia, as a rule, they dispensed with significantly lighter under-armor, or generally without specialized under-armor. For example, the lamellar carapaces of the nomads of Eurasia were simply worn on an ordinary rather thick robe. In the same way, the Tibetan warriors wore chain mail on a thick woolen robe, the complex of armor and weapons of which is well known, since in conditions of isolation it existed practically unchanged until the very beginning of the 20th century.They did not need a thick under-armor and armor of a kuyachny type, which in general resembled clothes in themselves – both in cut, and in appearance, and in design. On the other hand, oriental armor – chain mail, mirrors and others – often themselves had a lining made of leather or dense fabric, and sometimes lined with cotton. In Japan, the local kusari chain mail was generally worn by only in a form sewn onto a fabric lining.
The armor was also often covered from above. In Europe, at least since the era of the Crusades, surcoat played the role of the guardian, but sometimes a quilting could be worn over the armor.Over-armored clothing often bore the coat of arms of the wearer or his overlord, thus serving to identify the parties during the battle. In the medieval East, it was widespread to wear ordinary outer clothing, such as a robe, on armor.
Armor making
Organization of production
The organization of the production of armor in the Middle Ages varied greatly depending on the area.
In the armory’s workshop.
For example, in Northern and Central Europe, especially in Germany, the guilds of artisans enjoyed great power, which established strict rules regarding the number of craftsmen and apprentices, the promotion of their careers and the quality of products.It is in relation to these regions that the classic descriptions of guild craft life, known from school textbooks, are true. In Nuremberg, one master, two apprentices and one apprentice were allowed to work in one workshop. All products were thoroughly tested before being branded with the city. In Augsburg, there were no restrictions on the number of workers in the workshop, and in some of them up to 20-30 foremen and the same or more apprentices could work at the same time.However, in order to become a master, one had to work for at least four years as an apprentice, the same as an apprentice, and provide full armor as a “masterpiece”. Nevertheless, even in conditions of such restrictions, the scale of production was amazing for those years: for example, in 1295, 2,853 helmets, 6,309 round shields, 4,511 chain mail shirts, 751 pairs of plate gloves were ordered in Bruges for the troops of the French king Philip the Fair. , 1,374 gorgets and 5,067 brigandine (coat-o-plate) .
In contrast, in the Milan and Brescia area, there were no classic craft guilds at all. There were a huge number of small family workshops that could freely cooperate to fulfill large orders. This made it possible to produce a huge amount of products in a short time: for example, on the eve of the Battle of Maclodio (1427), the Milanese gunsmiths delivered 4,000 cavalry and 2,000 infantry armor in just a few days. Many families of gunsmiths became very wealthy, for example, the Missaglia (Missagalia) , which not only was directly involved in the production of armor, but also had a share in the mining and ironworking industries.Nevertheless, from the documents we know that in most cases the master armors were engaged only in the manufacture of the armor itself – they ordered the raw materials for them, including metal and leather, ready-made on the side.
Seller of weapons and armor.
Most of the mass-produced armor produced by weapon shops was not intended for any specific customer and was sold by specialized stores to anyone interested. The warehouse inventory of the store of a certain Francesco Datini, which imported Milanese armor to France, in 1367 included 45 bascinets, 3 iron hats (chape de fer) , 10 helmets cervelle , 60 breastplates, 20 cuirasses and 12 chain mail, that is , armor was a fairly hot commodity and was available in the store in considerable quantities.Such armor was relatively cheap. For example, in 1539, King Henry VIII of England ordered 1,200 sets of armor from the Cologne masters for £ 451, that is, about 7.5 shillings each.
In contrast, custom-made piece sets could cost a fortune, making them available only to kings or the richest nobles. In 1540, Greenwich workshops asked for £ 1 for a cuirass, £ 4 for a brigandine, £ 8 for plate armor, and £ 12.6 for a full piece of armor without trim.For comparison, the annual salary of a master armorer was about £ 17 and an apprentice £ 9 (£ 1 equals 20 shillings). At the price of a tailor-made for a specific figure, an armored headset, thus, it was possible to live well for a year, or even more. When working on armor of this level, the craftsmen did not hesitate to visit the crowned customer several times for fitting, and sometimes even make a wax copy of his body for the best fit.
In Asia, there were a variety of models for organizing production.For example, among the Eurasian nomads, production was strongly decentralized, since, for example, almost any tribal blacksmith could forge plates for a lamellar, along with simple tools and inexpensive weapons, while women were traditionally engaged in assembling it. Back in the 17th century, the Oirat laws prescribed that every 40 wagons every 40 kibitki delivered to the ruler two shells (apparently, just a lamellar design) under the threat of a fine by horse or camel.
Often the inhabitants of the whole area were professionally engaged in the armor business – they made chain mail, knitted lamellar shells.For example, the Turkyuts from the Ashina clan, who later played a significant role in the history of Eurasia, are first mentioned precisely as the Kunets tribe – vassals of Zhuzhani, engaged in the production of, among other things, iron armor, and the inhabitants of the Dagestan aul of Kubachi became famous as chain mail. Among the southeastern neighbors of the steppe nomads, the Chinese and Koreans, large palace workshops were engaged in mass production of armor for the army, in which thousands of craftsmen could work. Production was built on their model in the Chingizid empire.Back in the 18th century, already in the time of the Mongols-Oirats, every year up to three hundred women from nomads all over Mongolia gathered at the khan’s headquarters, who, as a duty, sewed armor for his warriors from plates or leather prepared by the court blacksmiths. In Japan, both small workshops and rather large analogs of manufactories, often associated with rich daimyo, were engaged in production.
Technology
Medieval metallurgy was able to produce in mass quantities only two types of iron alloys – raw iron and cast iron.Raw iron (the historical term, in fact – low-carbon steel) is a soft, malleable material with a very low carbon content and high impurities, it was obtained from iron ore in a furnace with a temperature of about 1200 ° C (which is below the temperature of complete melting of iron). The porous mass extracted from the furnace – a crout or bloom – was forged by hand to remove slag inclusions. The result was a forged piece of iron with a large crystal lattice and a significant content of impurities. Cast iron – an alloy with, on the contrary, a very high, about 2%, carbon content – was obtained in a large furnace at a higher temperature, about 1500 ° C.The cast iron ingots were non-forgeable, had a fine crystalline structure, and were strong but brittle.
Neither material individually is suitable for creating high-quality armor: iron is a very soft material, and cast iron is fragile and cannot be forged. Nevertheless, for a long time it was believed that it was soft raw iron that was the main material for medieval armor. More thorough studies using microscopy and radiography, however, showed that most of the surviving examples of more or less high-quality armor already from the XIII-XIV centuries were made of steel, that is, an iron alloy with a carbon content intermediate between raw iron and cast iron. moreover, often the steel has traces of heat treatment (hardening).In fact, samples of iron armor, which were previously attributed to the Middle Ages, often turned out, with the exception of the cheapest options, the latest forgeries or replicas, the manufacturers of which either took the cheapest material available, or followed the wrong conclusions of the science of their time.
Meanwhile, the widespread use of steel in armor means that medieval metallurgy was able to receive it in a volume sufficient for their production. Depending on the technology adopted, this could be achieved either by carburizing iron until it turns into steel, for which it was heated red-hot for hours in a closed volume with organic raw materials containing carbon, or, on the contrary, by reducing the carbon content in cast iron, which also turned it into steel.Apparently, the second process was mainly used to make armor, while carburized iron, the production process of which was more primitive and less productive, and the quality was unstable, was mainly used for household tools and blades.
Armor blacksmith at work. 1530s.
For example, the famous Milanese armors used steel supplied from Brescia, the process of obtaining which the famous scientist of the time Vanochio Biringuccio (Biringuccio) in his fundamental work De la Pirotechnia (c.1540) calls it “the Brescian way.” He describes it as a long-term forging of a billet composed of cast iron and raw iron, resulting in diffusion of carbon from areas with its high content to areas with low content. Of course, as a result of this process, a very heterogeneous material was obtained with an extremely uneven distribution of carbon content, as well as a large number of foreign inclusions, which is confirmed by the analysis of the surviving samples of mass armor, as well as the presence of a characteristic “layered” microstructure in it, which is a consequence of repeated folding and forging blanks in the manufacturing process.Forging the workpiece much longer, they got almost homogeneous steel, but it went only for the highest quality armor made for monarchs and the richest feudal lords.
It is curious that the study of samples of European armor of the 13th-16th centuries allows us to come to the conclusion that at that time the process of alloying steel alloys was not yet known (or did not find wide application). The slightly increased content of impurities of such elements as phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, aluminum and calcium, as well as inclusions of iron silicate, noted in mass samples of armor of the late 16th – early 17th centuries, can most likely be attributed to the low level of the technological process involved in the production of cheap armor, using cheap, but highly contaminated coal, and recycling old or damaged armor.
Final editing of the armor.
In general, the steel used in the mass production of armor was characterized by a very strong, from 0.02 to 0.8%, varying depending on the site in the carbon content, which should have made the heat treatment of such a material a very difficult and delicate process. The slightest violation of the temperature regime could lead to deformation of the metal, especially in the case of large parts, such as a cuirass or greaves. Piece armor, as well as armor produced by large court workshops, such as Innsbruck or Greenwich, which worked with high-quality raw materials that had a more uniform carbon content, which significantly increased the efficiency of heat treatment, already due to this fact alone, its protective qualities should have significantly exceeded the average level of those years.However, in practice, even high-quality armor is hardened with “spots” – with large variations in hardness depending on a specific point on the surface of the armor. Apparently, long-term uniform heating of large-sized parts caused insurmountable difficulties at that time. As a matter of fact, it is the difficulties in obtaining high-quality raw materials and heat treatment that largely explain the aforementioned large spread in price tags for mass and piece armor.
Polishing of parts of the armor.
A study of the structure of the metal of the armor shows that its crystal lattice is practically intact.This, combined with the presence of elongated slag inclusions, means that they were forged mostly hot. Cold forging made only minor adjustments and adjustments before assembly, for example, adjusting decorative elements. After that, the black, scaled parts of the armor fell to the polishers, who used power-driven wheels and polishing pastes. Often third-party workshops were involved in polishing. Apparently, they also carried out the finishing and final assembly of the armor.Often such workshops were associated with the guilds of tanners and goldsmiths. Hinges and other small armor fittings were usually supplied by the locksmith guilds, with the exception of the most expensive kits, which required the piece production of individually fitted hinges. On the contrary, in the largest workshops, such as those in Greenwich, the entire production chain was located in one area.
It is not entirely clear at what stage the heat treatment of the armor was carried out.This process probably took place somewhere between initial polishing and final finishing. It should also be noted that most of the armor in those years was finished by staining or oxidizing (bluing) to protect against corrosion and simplify maintenance in the field – only a relatively small part of the armor, often ceremonial or tournament, had a natural shine of metal. Moreover, in most cases, they were not polished to a mirror-like smoothness, but were subjected to matte polishing, which gave a rather dull surface.
Data on the hardness of the metal of historical armor are of some interest. Low-quality, mass-produced armor was usually made of iron or unhardened steel with a carbon content of less than 0.1%, which greatly simplified and reduced the cost of production. The properties of modern steel, going on nails, are approximately the same, so it is not surprising that most of the mass armor has earned the name him from ordinary infantrymen. Scheisenpanzer – “shitty armor” (ironic addition of the sound “sh” (sch) to the name Eisenpanzer = iron armor).The Vickers hardness of such armor was usually in the region of 75-110 units (VPH). Such armor was relatively easy to penetrate even with the most ordinary blades with a hardness of about 45 HRC (~ 450 VPH), not to mention more or less high quality (50-60 HRC or ~ 550-720 VPH).
Higher quality (and much more expensive) armor was made of better materials and was subjected to heat treatment, but in the XIII-XIV centuries this process was not yet fully subject to artisans, so its results could vary significantly, both depending on the specimen and depending on a specific point on the same piece of armor.For example, a Pembridge helmet made before 1375 had a surface hardness of about 430 VPH; brigandine plates of the middle of the XIV century. from the Swiss National Museum – 390 VPH (equivalent to approximately 40 Rockwell units). Topfhelm from Dargen, dating back to the second half of the 13th century, had a hardness in the region of 256 VPH, and a Munich breastplate, dating from a century later, from 330 to 453 VPH.
Subsequently, with the development of technology, it became possible to obtain better quality armor.Elements of armor from the middle of the 15th century, produced by the Helmschmid family, have a hardness of the order of 240-441 VPH (20-44 units according to Rockwell), and more evenly distributed over the surface. This is a consequence of both the better quality of the steel itself and the more advanced technology of its hardening. One of the best examples of those years can be considered the armet by Lorenz Helmschmid, forged in the region of 1492, consistently showing hardness in the region of 525 VPH (about 50 Rockwell units, which roughly corresponds to a modern medium-quality tool like screwdrivers or scissors).
It is interesting that armor dating from the 16th-18th centuries often did not have heat treatment. This is due, firstly, to a change in the requirements for armor – the mass proliferation of firearms required an increase in bullet resistance, and they were higher in less solid, but more plastic armor, capable of extinguishing the impact of a bullet due to its deformation. And secondly, with the proliferation of complex techniques for decorating armor, which implied local heating of the armor to make notches and other decorative elements, which destroyed the result of heat treatment, so they simply stopped doing it, giving preference to style rather than hardness, which still ceased be the main stat for armor.As for the later armor of the 17-18 centuries, they were mainly used for decorative purposes, serving as an adornment of the palace interior.
Russian cuirass from the times of the Napoleonic wars. All the characteristic features are visible – unpolished metal surface painted with black paint, cord edging, etc.
With the development of production, the manufacture of armor began to be carried out in a serial way. In the 18th-19th centuries, cuirasses were made by a method reminiscent of hot stamping: they took a sheet of iron, cut it in the shape of the part of the cuirass being made, heated it red-hot and put it in a cast-iron mold-matrix, after which it was knocked out with hand hammers, so that it exactly took the shape of the surface last.If the surface of the mold was sufficiently smooth, then the cuirass immediately came out of it in finished form, with almost no need to edit it by hand. After that, it remained in it to drill holes for the fittings, attach the lining, the edge of the cord and buttons for the shoulder and waist belts, and also paint it with black paint. Polished iron cuirasses were rare at that time and, as a rule, went on the ceremonial armor of the guard of honor: during polishing, the hardened surface layer of the metal was damaged, which was hardened upon rapid cooling from contact with a cold form, and its thickness also decreased.Sometimes, in order to increase the decorative properties and to protect against corrosion, cuirasses were made in two layers – the inner layer was made of thin steel, the outer one was made of brass. The protective properties of the all-steel and double-layer cuirasses were the same – with a thickness of about 1 1/2 lines (3.81 mm), they reliably protected from edged weapons and rifle bullets at the very end of the trajectory. The cuirass weighed 14-15 pounds (6.35-6.8 kg). For sappers, thicker bibs were made (without the back), which, with a weight of 15-18 pounds (6.8-8.2 kg) and a thickness of 2 1/2 lines (6.35 mm), largely protected from bullets fired at close range. [1]
The data on the protective properties of cuirasses of that time, cited in the same source, are very interesting. It was argued that the cuirass fully protected from the blows of sabers, bayonets and pikes. Apparently, the heavy cuirassier broadsword not mentioned in this list nevertheless cut through it under certain conditions. With regard to bullet resistance, the following data are given. An ordinary iron breastplate from the times of the Napoleonic wars made its way from a gun at any distance less than 75 fathoms (160 m), and from a pistol – less than 18 fathoms (approx.40 m). The steel cuirass “made of forged German steel” could only be penetrated from a gun from 54 fathoms (115 m), and from a pistol from 18 fathoms only half of the bullets could penetrate from a pistol and did not penetrate from 9 fathoms (20 m). A heavy cuirass made of one front half (breastplate), “forged from iron together with steel”, did not penetrate even from 9 fathoms, although after 18 fathoms a rifle bullet made a dent in it. It should be borne in mind that even in the 19th century, the only criterion for distinguishing iron from steel was considered the ability of the latter to hold hardening, which usually corresponds to a carbon content above 0.3%.
In Asia, damascus or damask steel sometimes went to expensive extras, which determined their relatively high strength with a small thickness of plates and a comfortable weight. Such armor, however, was even more expensive and less readily available than weapons of the same materials.
Animal Armor
Animals, such as, for example, war horses, elephants, camels played an important role both in battles and performing a transport function in the army. Naturally, people thought about how to protect not only riders, but also animals.Therefore, armor began to appear, intended exclusively for mounted animals. For the first time, the reservation of riding horses began in Greece during the period of the Greco-Persian wars, borrowing the idea from the Persians, who already armored chariot horses. Later, the armored cavalry took part in the campaigns of Alexander the Great, where the Thessalians had armored horses.
See also
Sources
References
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90,000 Weapons and armor of the Russian army of the 9-16th centuries.(p. 1 of 15)
Municipal educational institution
Lyceum No. 3
Abstract on history on the topic
“Weapons and armor of the Russian army of the 9-16th centuries.”
Completed by: student of grade 10G Glebov M.
Scientific leader: Rybalchenko V.F.
Perm 2002
The contents of the essay:
Introduction _____________________________________________________________________ 3
Archaeological information ______________________________________________________ 4
Swords ________________________________________________________________________ 5
Sabers ________________________________________________________________________ 11
Spear ________________________________________________________________________ 12
Axes ______________________________________________________________________ 13
Clubs ______________________________________________________________________ 15
Brushes ______________________________________________________________________ 15
Bow and arrows ______ ___________________________________________________________ 16
Equipment for the rider and riding horse __________________________________________ 20
Armor _______________________________________________________________________ 25
Conclusion ___________________________________________________________________ 28
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This essay is called “Arms and armor of the Russian army of the 9-16th centuries.” Why did I choose this particular theme? Because I like the history of ancient Russia, its way of life, customs, customs. I am also interested in the weapons used by our ancestors who lived in the days of ancient Russia. When I started to write this essay, I set myself the goal of studying the history of the emergence of weapons in Russia, and also try to tell as fully as possible about those types of weapons and armor that were used by the ancient Slavs.I think I did it.
Archaeological information.
The science of Russian military antiquities has the exact date of its birth. In 1808, not far from the town of Yuryev-Polsky, a peasant woman Larionova, being in “bushes for picking nuts, saw something glowing in a bump near a nut bush.” It turned out to be a helmet and chain mail, not without reason attributed by the president of the Academy of Arts A.N. Olepin to Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who threw down his armor during his escape from the Lipitsk battlefield in 1216.The Lipitsky finds signaled to the scientists of that time about the existence of a special category of objects of material culture – ancient Russian weapons. The overwhelming majority of this armament belonging to the early and mature Middle Ages, however, is devoid of a “personal” ownership address and became known as a result of archaeological work. Its study is inseparable from the accumulation and improvement of archaeological knowledge. It is important to note that fundamental works on the history of weapons and military suits appeared early in Russia, which contributed to the intensive development of Russian historical weapons science.
The ratios of archaeologically discovered “weapons of war” are not the same and are sometimes accidental. Their analysis, however, allows us to conclude that during almost the entire period under consideration, melee weapons of hand-to-hand combat (especially when compared with the objects of throwing and siege warfare) most of all influenced the result of the battle. It can be considered decisive in the system of means of the then war, which continued until the cannons and rifles transformed the entire existing system of medieval military equipment.
Since the founding of the ancient Russian state, the army was socially heterogeneous and multi-tribal in composition, which made it necessary to collect and study weapons found throughout the territory of Russia, regardless of its ethnic, urban or rural class. The finds of weapons, however, are guessed at the various strata of feudal society that owned them. Blade and defensive weapons were largely the privilege of the ruling class. Urban and rural militias were often content with a certain minimum of predominantly offensive weapons.Such a distinction in the first centuries of Russian history was not absolute, and an infantryman from the “black people” sometimes used a helmet and a sword, and a horseman, a junior soldier, used a bow and arrow. Regardless of their social affiliation, items of military equipment were improved, so to speak, at the same pace, not only on the scale of one country, but sometimes the entire Old World. New inventions were manifested primarily in the composition of knightly weapons, where ordinary and unique samples coexisted.As for the common people’s weapon, its role is assessed depending on the degree of participation in the feudal army of the social lower classes. Throughout the period under study, the people, to a greater or lesser extent, participated in military affairs, and more than once the feudal leaders turned to the help of the militias – townspeople and peasants.
Domestic finds make it possible to fully represent not only the composition of medieval weapons, but also to study its origin, development, distribution and, as far as possible, the purpose and combat use.
Particular attention is paid to the classification of material monuments. The categories of offensive and defensive weapons were systematized by type, chronology and distribution zones. The selection of the type was based on a combination of objective features, such as the shape of a thing, its structure, purpose, details of decoration. The classification turned out to be effective, taking into account not only the main features of products, for example, the device of the working part, but also small, seemingly insignificant details.They helped to guess the manufacturing center, date, and establish the direction of trade routes. The grouping of types meant their relationship, direction of evolution, innovation.
Based on the change in the shape of the items, as well as their archaeological environment, it turned out to be possible to date things with an accuracy of 50 years, and sometimes more precisely.
The evolution of weapons items can be consistently presented within the framework of partially overlapping periods – IX – beginning of XI, XI – beginning of XII, XII – first half of XIII and second half of XIII – first half of XIV century.These periods correspond to some extent to the stages in the development of Russian society that covered the time of the early feudal monarchy in the 9th and early 12th centuries. and feudal fragmentation, which has been established since the 12th century, but at the same time they differ in a number of features.
The armament of the troops of the times of the first Kiev princes can be judged mainly by the largest ancient Russian necropolises, where, according to the pagan rite of corpse burning (exceptions are insignificant), both ordinary soldiers and representatives of the nobility are buried. The concentration of finds coincides mainly with the largest urban centers (Kiev, Chernigov.Gnezdovo-Smolensk, Timirevo – Yaroslavl), vigilante camps (Shestovitsy, Chernigov region), areas of active agricultural and commercial activity (southeastern Ladoga region, Suzdal opolye). Many mounds of the 10th century. give weapons to the professional warriors-vigilantes who formed the basis of the ruling class. In these burials (547 of them were counted), weapons are not an ethnic, but a social indicator. Accurate calculations of archaeological complexes containing weapons items made it possible to state a relatively high degree of militarization of the 10th century society., in which every fifth – tenth man carried a weapon, as well as significant technical equipment of the army, in which one of the three warriors had two or three types of weapons.
Compared to the X century. the degree of militarization of society by the 11th century decreased by 2 – 3 times, which is apparently associated with a social change in the composition of the army and the formation of a closed military class. For the period XI – XII centuries. most of the finds are associated with numerous peasant cemeteries in the forest and forest-steppe zone of Russia (614 burials were counted).Here, next to the mounds of smerds, there were relatively large and rich burials of junior warriors. In connection with the Christianization, the burials of wealthy soldiers disappear, but the burials of men with weapons remain (according to the rite of corpses). Archaeological data during this period characterize mainly the weapons of an ordinary soldier and a common man, a smerd and a city dweller.
