A piece of leather or wood tied to the shoulders, its purpose was to display coat of arms rather than protection.

A quilted and padded armour.  This if often the only piece of equipment a levy could expect to be issued by his feudal lord, as a result it would often bear his lord's coat of arms. The Aketon was used by knights, the padding made wearing chainmail and later fullplate more comfortable. The Aketon was also effective at absorbing bludgeoning blows such as a mace strike and could save the wearer from a serious injury or even death from arrow piecing, since both forms of attack could kill a chainmail clad knight.

Armour used to protect the wearer's back, best used in conjunction with the breastplate.  Sometimes the backplate is replaced by sturdy leather straps. 

This is ancient in origin, amongst the first to wear it were the Greek City States, the typical 'Muscled' breastplate was common amongst the Spartans and Corinthians. The Romans wore the breastplate and was often very ornate in appearance. The Breastplate faded in disuse with the fall of the roman empire, however was revived again in the mid 1300s and was becoming vastly popular in the Western Europe and stayed ever since, and was used in actual combat right up to the First World War. Breastplates are still common in royal or state ceremonies today, the British Royal Household Cavalry being a fine example of this.

Brigandine was very popular in the high and late middle ages, made from a bottom layer of leather a second layer of metal plates and another layer of leather over the metal plates, because of this brigandine was a cheaper alternative to chainmail and didn't take as long to make either, it was often men-at-arms and lesser nobles and knights who favoured using this type of armour. Another bonus in using brigandine was that even if it were to be badly damage the wearer could fix it with more leather and plates, and if metal plates were unavailable it was replaced with hardened leather   

Perhaps the most popular form of armour throughout the world, chainmail began as several large rings linked together this was called ringmail, in the west it was further developed into the segmenta hamata and was issued to roman auxiliaries. Chainmail wasn't very common in the dark ages as the skills to make it and resources needed were both in short supply, also not many people could afford it either. Chainmail can take up to at least 6 months to make by hand, hence why it was costly and rare. Chainmail is popular now a today too, butchers and shark divers use it in their trades. Its worth noting that several forms of chainmail exist too, for example butted mail and riveted mail.  Butted is more popular amongst historical enthusiasts because its cheaper, easier to maintain since most butted mail is either galvanised or zinc covered to prevent rusting, however chainmail was never made completely out of butted rings, those rings were only used to patch up broken links while a knight or man-at-arms was on campaign.  The second kind is riveted this is more 'historically correct' than butted however is harder to maintain because it rust more often and isn't as eaily mended as butted types. It is also worth knowing that chainmail was never called 'chainmail' that was something those Victorians made up, chainmail was often called either 'Maille' or refered to as a 'hauberk'.

This is the shining example of romantic poetry at its best, knights and kings riding into battle clad head to toe in iron and steel to slay the dragon and save the damsel in distress, that after they get winched into their saddle first! Yup, you guessed it, it's those nasty Victorians again, filling your mind with lies and slander again.  It is true to say Kings and some better off lords and knights could afford fullplate but not every knight had it.  Its true to say that its heavy to wear but lest we forget when the full plate harness was in widespread use a noble would be trained to bear such weights, from young as 7 a noble child would wear chainmail for most of the day and train to fight wearing it, ride in it and by the time he was of age he'd probably already had some experience wearing pieces of plate armour, so he was more than ready to bear the weight. That said fullplate was something only the master armourer could make and as such the armourer made it to fight so perfectly it was like a second skin.  In Fullplate it is possible to run, jump, fight, ride and dance, only thing that could not done in fullplate was swim, because the weight of the steel. Fullplate is also called 'Fieldplate' and referred to as a 'Harness'. Although for you who are now rocking the corner in a nervous disposition, the myth about having to be winched on your horse has a slight hint of truth.  It was because the Tudor King Henry VIII was too immense in size and weight was too encumbered by his fullplate to mount his horse.  Embarrassing indeed.

A correctly made fullplate should be made of 18 pieces

1) Skull                2) Sight                3) Visor                4) Breaths        5) Gorget         6) Pauldron        7) Besagew        8)Breastplate/backplate

9) Cowter        10) Vambrace        11) Gauntlets        12) Fauld Lames 13) Codpiece        14) Tasset        15) Cuisse        16) Poleyn        17) Greaves        18) Sabatons

Fullplate faded from the battlefield when firearms were in widespread use, since even the mighty plates of steel could not stop the tremendous force of black powder.    

Is very much like Brigandine but unlike Brigandine Lammellar armour tended to be strips of leather stitched together.  This was more popular in the Near and Middle East, where it was deployed by the Byzantine Empire, Turks and Saracens.  Since leather does not bother the wearer as much as iron chainmail does in the intense heat.  It was also very popular amongst the nomadic steppe peoples such as the Avars, Magyars, Mongols and Timurids.

Very similar to the Surcoat in that it was used to display the wearers identity but the length of the material was much sorter than a Surcoat.

Although not a piece of armour in anyway the Surcoat was every important piece of medieval kit, it was in effect the wear's identification since a surcoat would display the wearers coat of arms allowing those around him to tell if he was friend or foe. Besides identification the surcoat had several practical uses, when worn over chainmail or even plate armour it would offer some protection from harsh weather such as rain and snow and extreme heat, since the surcoat can lessen the rusting effect and is able to shade the armour from extreme heats.

Often referred to as the knightly sword.  Used between 1000AD and 1350 AD.  It is a straight blade double edged often had a 'crucifix' hilt and a rounded pommel, but other design variants did exist.

German styled Arming sword, used between the 15th Century and 17th Century.  This sword was 75cm to 65cm in length and is straight edged, the hilt is in a '8' shape.  This Arming sword was a close quarter weapon used when pike formations clashed and when room was limited.

The standard sword used by infantry between 1450 AD and 1700 AD.  It was versatile enough to dispatch armoured and lightly armoured foes.  This was also a straight blade with a double edge.  The Side Sword led to the development of the Rapier.

 

The sabre was a weapon that was absent from Western Europe up until the 1700s However it flourished in Eastern Europe.  The Sabre has no single appearance save that it has a thick false edge and that the blade tends to have gentle curve thought to have been introduced to Eastern Europe by the nomads like the Huns, Magyars, Avars, Tartars, Turks and Mongols.

This is a shortened sabre used by infantry and artillerymen.

A short naval sabre first used by the English navy in 1594 believed to be an enlarged version of a Italian knife.

This is was the Western European equivalent to the sabre.  Originally a domestic tool, it was a hybrid between the cutting power of the axe and the handling of a sword.  It was a useful weapon for war since it could hack through armour. In the 13th Century with the Mongol invasion of Europe and Asia the Falchion changed in appearance it's blade began to curve, much like the scimitars and sabres carried by the nomads. Because of the simple design blacksmiths were able to churn out hundreds of them, making them very popular and cheap.

This was a 17th Century cut-and-thrust used by the Dragoons during the English Civil War.  Some Mortuary swords were basket hilted and were up to a metre in length.

This was the Germanic version of the Falchion.  It was used for menial work, it too was cheap and easily made by the local blacksmith.  However the Grosses Messer was replaced by the superior Dussack in the 16th Century

The broadsword is no single sword rather a term for a sword in a period of time, for example, the Longsword, Sabre, Dao, Katana, Side Sword, Basket Hilt Claymore were all called broadswords.

This sword has been dated in use from 1300 to 1700.  It changed little during its 400 years of use.  A long straight double edged blade and was 140cm in length.  Although popularised to be Scottish in origin the Claymore is in fact Irish, brought to Scotland by the Irish nobles of the Scotii tribe, the sword they brought was named the Gallowglass after the Irish nobles themselves.  That through time grew longer but remained the same. The movie 'Braveheart' shows William Wallace using a claymore, although not impossible the sword shown is 16th Century in date clearly shown by the presence of the secondary leather grasp on the blade making the 'Hand and a Half' style of fighting easier. The myth of the Claymore being too heavy to fight with is false since a properly made claymore show weigh only 2.5kg, modern replicas tend to weigh far more than that it replicates. The two handed claymore gave way to the single handed basket hilted Claymore used by the Highlanders and used during the Jacobite era and used during imperial campaigns involving Scottish regiments.

The term given to the largest swords used due to their length they needed to be used in two hands for proper use.  Examples of these are the German Zweihander and the Scottish Claymore very popular in the gothic age when the shield hand became free of the largely redundant shield.

This was the trademark two handed sword used by the German Elite the Landsknechts.  The Zweihander was used to cut through pike formations and cutting down cavalry. The Zweihander weighed 5kg and could reach as much as 6 foot in length. The Zweihander evolved in the Flamberg variant, identified by the 'wave-like' appearance of the blade.

The Longsword was a sword used from 1350 to 1700, it was a multi-function sword it was well balanced allowed for one handed fighting and two, it had a narrow point for thrusting which was the main form of attack against plate armour.  Because there is no right way or wrong way to use a longsword it earned itself a unique title as the 'Bastard Sword'. The Longsword later evolved into specialised weapons such as the rapier in the 18th Century.

The waster was a wooden reproduction would be soldiers would use to train with made to resemble any weapon so a soldier could become familiar with the handling and fighting style before using a 'live' weapon.

A larger more sophisticated variant of the Basinet, the Armet tended to have a bevor and gorget built into it.  Also referred to as a 'Great Basinet'

This was either a leather cap or quilted cap worn over the head it is the simplest kind of head armour available.  Knights used Arming Caps to make wearing a chainmail coif more bearable.

The Aventail is a chainmail mantle stitched to leather strips on certain helms such as a basinet.  The Aventail was used to protect the neck, shoulders and upper part of the chest.  

An open faced helm often had a moveable visor, examples of a basinet is the pig-face and hunskull basinets.

This was an Italian helm that was considered open-faced came in two main models the 'T' faced and the revived 'Corinthian' styles.  The Barbute is also called the 'Barbut' and 'Barbuta'. 

The coif was a chainmail piece of armour that covered the head, neck, and shoulders.  It was worn over an arming cap. 

A large conical shaped helm that covered the head completely, it had small openings for the eyes and many small breathing holes in the front to provide ventilation, the Great Helm was first developed in the 12th Century and lasted until the late 14th Century.  Used frequently during the European Crusades to Outremer 'Holy Lands'. The Great Helm was extremely popular in the high middle ages amongst knights and is perhaps the most recognised helm of that era.  The Great Helm was also very popular amongst jousting knights for the protection it offered.  However when used by knights on foot it became cumbersome and restricted the wearer's sight and hearing.  As a result some variants were better made for on foot combat these had larger eye holes.  However most knights would discard the heavy great helm when they were dismounted, it was a luxury he could afford since it was common practice to wear three types of head protection.  

This was a small conical helm was used by better off levies.  It was called the 'Kettle' because soldiers would use it as a kettle when off duty.

A very popular helm in northern Europe in the mid to late 1400s, the Sallet had a visor and it left the mouth free for ventilation.  However the sallet left the wearer's mouth and neck vulnerable to attack, so it was used along with a Bevor which restricted breathing but provided needed protection.   

This helm originated from the 3rd Century Sassinid Dynasty and was brought to Europe by the Romans and Iranian nomads like the Sarmatians, and Alans.  Once in Europe the Spangenhelm stayed late into the high middle ages, it was popular with the Normans, Danes and Vikings, it was also a favourite amongst poor nobles.  The Spangenhelm was used extensively during the Norman conquests and the Crusades.  

This is a small conical metal helm that was worn either under the chainmail coif or over it and it provided additional head protection.

Large circular helm that's flat similar to the Great Helm.

The Axe is ancient tool used throughout the ages to cut and to carve, however the axe was also a superb weapon because it was cheap and quickly produced as a result it was a favourite amongst many soldiers throughout the age, it was used by the Scythians, the Medes, the Egyptians, the Germanic tribes because of its power and as a result many variants can be found.

This is the war intended axe; it was more balanced than a regular domestic axe. The Battle Axe could be used in one hand or two, the size varied depending on the model of the axe itself.  All axes were effective against than armoured foe because the force of the impact to a small area was great enough to hack through bronze, iron and steel and break the bones beneath in one swing.  Examples of these are the Danish 'Bearded Axe', the Norman two handed 'Battle Axe', the Frankish 'Francisca' and 'Mammen Axe', the Viking 'Raiding Axe' and the 16th Century Gothic 'Battle Axe'.

Axes mounted on long wooden shafts became effective anti-armour/cavalry weapons known as Polearms, examples of these are the 'Halberd' identified by its large axe head, spear point and hook.  The 'Poleaxe' was effective at crushing armoured plates and chainmail, sometimes the axe head was replaced by a hammer.

Sorry to say Fantasy fans, double headed axes did not exist, as this would hinder the balance of the axe making it not as swift, however it was common for an axe to have a hook on the reverse side to armour piercing.    

The mace is also an ancient weapon man has been using throughout the ages, it most likely began as a large stick call a 'Club' or 'Cudgel'.  It later got modified with metal reinforcements, added such as bronze club head then iron. The mace was used by the armoured Persian Cataphracts and then adopted by the roman Cataphracts.  It has largely a cavalry weapon, however smaller versions exist to be used on foot in either one hand or two. Variants such as the 'Flanged' mace and 'Round' head mace exist. However several weapons are also called mace which is not correct, the classic ball-and-chain is the military form of the agricultural flail, which it shares the name 'Flail' with. Also the spiked ball on the end of a shaft is known as a 'Morningstar'.

There were many shields during the medieval ages, some were ancient by their design and use, others were newer and used in a certain era and others were evolved from ancient types and some were revived ancient shields.

An easy recognised shield it size varies but the large circular shield with a metal 'boss' (hand grip) in the centre. It was very popular during the Viking, Saxon and dark ages.  It was also widely used in earlier times, Roman legionaries confronted 'barbarian' armies equipped with such a shield.  It saw wide spread use through out the ages because the shield offered good protection and it was easily used, and in the age where a levy would have to supply most of his own equipment the round shield was cheap and easily made in a short time. The Round Shield is famed for their use in the 'Shield Wall' and Dark Age 'Schiltrom'   

A Buckler is a 14th Century small rounded metal shield used for fast past fighting, however the Buckler isn't like contemporary shields the Buckler was not designed to protect the body, its size is an obvious indication to this however the buckler is used to protect the wielder's sword hand.  Alternatively the buckler is a favourite amongst aggressive fighters because its size and lightness in weight the shield can be used to punch the foe this style of fighting led to the development of some Bucklers have a large spike on the centre boss for this exact purpose.

          

The Targe or 'Target' is a small leather shield often decorated with studs and some versions were known to have a spiked boss, this is the typical shield of the highland Jacobites.  Its design could have been a mix between the aggression and speed of a Buckler with the effective protection of a small Round Shield, since the Targe was larger than a Buckler yet smaller than a Round Shield.

Also referred to as the Norman shield, it was a very effective was a cavalry shield offering good protection to a charging rider.  The Kite Shield was also very effective when used on foot.  The Kite shield is used very much like the Roman Scutum, except that the Kite shield was curved radically making it naturally immune to the shield bash tactic used by foes armed with a round shield.

The Kite Shield was a favourite amongst early crusaders and knights in the early medieval period.  The Kite Shield later developed into the smaller Heater Shield.

The Heater is the knight's shield of choice in the late middle ages it provided excellent protection and was easily used, however it was not this that made the Heater the most popular knightly shield, in fact it was the fact that the large shield allowed the knight to paint his coat of arms on the surface. The Heater was used in tournaments and remained on the battle field even long past its usefulness when plate armour was used at large, the Heater was there as a form of identification on the battle field.  In fact the Heater Shield is used even to day as an important icon of heraldry.  Since most coat of arms have in fact the Heater displaying the arms much like it did 7 centuries ago.

The Pavise Shield was a favourite shield amongst crossbowmen and archers during sieges and prolonged battles.  The Pavise was a large man sized shield more like a small section of a wall.  And it was a used to that effect; because a crossbow was slow to reload the crossbowman would take cover behind his Pavise shield to protect him from harm during the time it took him to reload.

Archers sometimes used it for additional protection when attacking fortifications, although archers do not suffer from the prolonged reload time like crossbowmen do.

The Aspis was the legendary bowl shaped shield carried by the Hoplites of the Ancient Greek City States such as Athens, Sparta and Thebes, often mistakenly called a 'Hoplon' which is a reference to his war gear than a shield.

The Aspis saw a revival during the late renaissance among the Italian City States and was known as a 'Rotella', it was a favourite amongst fencers and soldiers alike, because when the bowl shaped shield was rested upon the shoulder it offered excellent protection to the entire body leaving only the head as an open obvious target to attack.