Fabric Armor Tested - AKA: Why Dull Swords Fail

www.medieval-m...
This is where you can find historical reproductions of gambesons and padded jacks. Thanks to SPES Medieval Market for supplying me with the test pieces!
Apparently my standards for sharpness were still too low... Seeing this result did surprise me.
The weapons used in the test:
1.) Thorpe falchion by Angus Trim
• Thorpe Falchion, Fixin...
2.) The Knecht Kriegsmesser ("war knife") by Albion
• Review: The Knecht kri...
3.) Viking bearded axe (unknown maker)
ww4.aitsafe.com...
4.) Lee's Rajah II by Cold Steel
amzn.to/2ydZ4BB
5.) Lee's Soldat by Albion
ww4.aitsafe.com...
6.) Danish axe by Arms & Armor
ww4.aitsafe.com...
7.) Town Guard sidesword by Arms & Armor
ww4.aitsafe.com...
8.) Type XVIIIb longsword by Lockwood (dedicated thrusting blade)
ww4.aitsafe.com...
• Longsword, Gladius, Da...
9.) 12th century spear by Arms & Armor
/product.asp?item=AA146&name=Arms+%26+Armor+12th+Century+Spear
10.) Benchmade Azeria
amzn.to/2x3JSqs
11.) United Cutlery M48 tactical kama
amzn.to/2xNi34I
Thank you to the HEMA instructors Lee Smith, Richard Marsden, and Erik Bailey for doing the test cutting.
www.bloodandiro...
/ @bloodandironhema
www.phoenixswo...
/ @swordpals
You can support the channel on Patreon or by purchasing shirts and other merch:
/ skallagrim
teespring.com/...
skallagrim.spre...
********************************************************************************
Get in contact or see a list of my video uploads:
/ skallagrimyt
/ _skallagrim_
My second channel (for gaming, rants, vlogs, etc):
/ @skallcave6324
My favorite online store for buying swords (worldwide shipping):
ww4.aitsafe.com...
Some recommended knife makers on Amazon:
amzn.to/1qjwMNL

[@Jesses001]

Even the low end one offers rather decent protection, turning many major mortal wounds into a broken rib. I will take a broken rib over my chest laid open any day.

[@RockerMarcee96]

And then consider the difficulty of not only hitting but hitting someone in a way that it would cause major damage while they are resisting and trying to murder you as much as you are trying to do it on them. Suddenly a gambeson seems to make you even safer than demonstrated here.

[@Jesses001]

Right. Me standing still and having them full force hit me is worst case situation anyway. Most of the time I will be trying to stop them from doing so, so decent protection indeed.

[@kontrarien5721]

@@Jesses001 - And this is where the armor really shines - turning those glancing blows that get through into nothing rather than death by a thousand cuts. And infection.

[@riograndedosulball248]

@What' Ev meh, still better than *open chest*

[@hardfugoo1]

What' Ev under very specific circumstances. Even in yonder days they weren’t often fatal. You’d need severe splintering and organ perforation.

[@drops2cents260]

So the lesson we have learned today is: A dull sword just doesn't cut it. I'll see myself out, thanks.

[@tyrtex5108]

*mic drop*

[@recless8667]

The other lesson learned is STAB STAB STAB STAB STAB.

[@beans1557]

Drops2cents No, stay, we need more humour in this world

[@LightPresident95148]

Lesson i have learned today. People like to go out and cry for mama because of nothing

[@astralsailor]

I am blocking you

[@aurourus6894]

I seriously underestimated how much sharpness matters. This is what i subscribed for, keep content like this up!

[@suomusintti]

@Koala Tux But you have a different name

[@johnrollex680]

Thing is, only knights could have realistically kept their blades that sharp. And if people were regularly cutting through padded jacks why would anyone wear them? Sure sharpness is important, but this level of sharpness is probably not historically accurate.

[@aurourus6894]

@@johnrollex680 What else would they wear if padded jacks were this easy to cut through by everyone? It's not like they had better options regardless of how effective they were against sharp swords.

[@johnrollex680]

@@aurourus6894 they might just wear regular clothes so that they don't suffer heat exhaustion, since that's also a big concern on the battlefield. Plus it's cheaper, and a prolonged war is won by logistics not battle.

[@marucanah_8915]

*Sharpness V intensifies*

[@seanosburn]

Skallagrim please try testing fabric armor that has been repeatedly soaked in brine. It was a method used in South America to harden the cloth. Basically creating salt crystals within the fabric.

[@memk]

But that also means some crappy armor is still better than none

[@f.b.lagent1113]

Gambesons is not “crappy”

[@The_Viktor_Reznov]

Well, depends. It can weigh you down and hinder your movement.

[@jooot_6850]

@@f.b.lagent1113 by crappy he meant the lower quality, more affordable recreation that they were testing

[@cerebraldreams4738]

@@jooot_6850 - Cloth armor has always been cheaper and less effective than mail or full plate. Still saves you from a dull sword, though.

[@jooot_6850]

@@cerebraldreams4738 i'm referring to the lower quality recreation, not actual gambeson. I know how potent a few layers of linen or cloth can be

[@giggityguy]

Your videos have taught me a lot about how strong armor is, and cleared up a lot of misconceptions for me. Recently I was rewatching the Game of Thrones episode "Blackwater," where on two separate occasions the Hound cuts someone in armor fully in half. Now I can't help but laugh.

[@bloodfrog8657]

Sure it's not realistic, but hell, the scene is still badass.

[@Zamolxes77]

It would have been a lot more badass if the sword would have clanged useless like in real life and the "victim" would have made a joke at his expense, like "didn't your momma taught you not to swipe at folks in armor?"

[@SeleenShadowpaw]

no, no it wouldn't. That would actually be quite lame. It's a fantasy epos not a scientiffic diessertion or documentation. And the quip you suggested would make it pathetic. Being right and correcting others isn't fun or badass, especially if you're smug about it.

[@Vanzgars]

+Радован Кубурић Speak for yourself. Knowing the truth won't keep me from enjoying ridiculous over the top fights full of impossible feats.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

Sorry.......if the sword clanged uselessly and the victim made a joke at his expense, then the hound thrust his blade into the back of the guys skull through his mouth, saying "Oh shut up, you sound like my ex wife" it would have still been badass. :) Reality works fine, it just requires writers who are willing to do the front end work.

[@shadiversity]

Oh man this is so awesome, you're a legend for doing these tests and might I say ever so humbly that this 100% confirms what I've been saying about Gambesons for a while now, that sharpness of the blade will play a major role in cutting through the layers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXW2aJ6pl6eFq6c

[@Tadechicotah]

Shadiversity look who's here!

[@CreeperKiller666]

Yep. Shad makes the hypothesis, and Skall does the testing.

[@CHSchneeWolf]

As skallagrim sayed, what about Thrusts, i needet to think about your meme Shad xD

[@Mehno97]

I knew you would comment here ;D

[@josephvisnovsky1462]

And Skall doesn't erase comments who disagree with him like Shad does :P

[@stevengood1812]

I still can’t believe I had an Elizabethan reenactor try to tell me swords had rounded edges. I had to walk away . They claimed that one strike with a sword into a wooden spear shaft would snap the blade. And that since clothes were woolen they were impervious to cuts .

[@ntpgmr]

@vin 950 Although one can easily grab the blade and be fine, so long as the hands don't slide. In other words, he could grab the blade even if it was battlefield ready sharp but it wouldn't exactly be advantageous nor would it really help, when they've got all the leverage.

[@edwardelric717]

Some swords are rounded. Mostly used by cavalry. Though by the mediaeval ages they were uncommon. The Roman Spatha used by cavalry had rounded end to avoid stabbing their own legs because they didn't wear lower body armour often.

[@edwardelric717]

@vin 950 if you are wearing gloves and if you managed to bring the sword to a halt it should be possible.

[@RiderOftheNorth1968]

@@edwardelric717 Those are usually not service sharpend. You did that first when you where about to be sent into combat, not before. Sword exercise dulls a sharp blade to much to be bother with in the camp/barracks.

[@iusethisnameformygoogleacc1013]

@@edwardelric717 All the caveats about wearing gloves and relying on the blade not actually being sharp are pretty bizarre. You know what channel you're on, right? And that you can literally watch this guy shave his arm hair with a sword, then immediately after without any editing hold it by the blade and smash things with the guard as hard as he can? Half-swording and related techniques rely on technique, not the bizarre idea that your leather gloves are going to protect you from something designed to cut through leather.

[@johnwulffe]

2:46 I'm so shocked by this nasty word he said. I can't sleep tonight.

[@dankbro799]

Its just funny the way he says it.

[@theblancmange1265]

Still has ads.

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

Fawk!

[@Hurricane047]

That picture tho

[@johnwulffe]

Hurricane047 Have we met before?

[@ragamuffin7570]

So a gambeson is great to have, but you would definitely want mail or plate on top of it if you could afford it

[@DistantOnion]

thank you captain obvious

[@7dayspking]

Skallagrim has never tested a gambeson. You shouldn't always draw completely definitive conclusions without a fully authentic medium.

[@AstralS7orm]

And you have never been to the museum and seen how gambesons are made. The thick one is quite accurate "typical" model. There are some more accurate out there, but strength will be similar or lower. Earlier historical one would use wool instead of cotton for padding which is weaker. I'd expect a fully linen gambeson to be much stronger than this. (Say 16-20 layers.) Quite expensive to make. It should be able to take slices with all blades, maybe even a stab. Especially a very thick one like 30 layers would do it.

[@Taeerom]

What I learned, is that if you stand still and get hit by someone who have the time and ability to strike you properly, textile armour (of this kind) does very little to keep you alive. But if you are fencing, the armour is there to stop you from dying to the less well aimed hits and keep you in the fight long enough to take out the other guy.

[@r3load3z34]

An even then, a properly shaped stab can ruin your day with mail, as it breaks the iron rings. Ill stick with padded armor, with metak segments pinned into it. Or even better. Plate.

[@gozer87]

This is the reason that mail over padding was such effective armour for so long.

[@breaden4381]

Very sharp = eh, shaving sharp = total destruction. I think one thing we might be missing about a gambeson’s is missile weapons. We’ve already seen how well lighter bows and crossbows don’t work, as well as Mike Loades’ test with a gambeson and a longbow.

[@stefanodogg280]

If it was wetted I'm betting most arrows won't get through

[@fa5382]

They'd have to find an archer that can draw 150 lbs. I bet it will go through easily, but I'd also like to know how far and if it would hurt the person severely.

[@maelgugi]

F H OR... use a crossbow. There's a reason why crossbows were temporary banned in Europe!

[@fa5382]

maelgugi Oh yeah I'd like to see that too!

[@breaden4381]

Gambesons have already been tested against 130# bows and I’m pretty sure that the crossbow ban was pretty early in period of crossbow usage, so it wouldn’t have been so powerful.

[@NurseValentineSG]

So... a sickle against cloth and a club against armor.

[@porgy5978]

Not quite. A Club against Armor and a Sickle against Capitalism

[@jgonzalez5884]

lol hows that going for Venezuela

[@icarusmakarov9365]

mace against everything

[@asahearts1]

Hasdruvaal Saveskul Bear mace against bears.

[@IISocratesII]

You still have to fight the person, i'd rather have a bit less damage and use a spear to keep distance and outreach them, you're still going to do more than enough damage with a nice sharp spear.

[@peaceandloveusa6656]

Videos like this are incredibly helpful for my writing. Being able to *see* how various weapons perform versus different types of armor makes it so much easier to depict combat vividly and accurately. Thanks a bunch!

[@MedievalGenie]

I would be fairly happy on the battlefield wearing even the thinner one with maille and brigandine.

[@steelwarrior105]

Pc Genie yeah, two layers of steel over that would be great

[@nathangachepain7423]

yeah. I would be happy to be in a tank too.

[@MisdirectedSasha]

If you've got plates on you really only need a double layer of linen and mail at the joints. That way the mail actually allows airflow under your breastplate/coat of plates/brigandine that keeps you cool. This works because the under-clothing is thin enough to allow heat to leave the body. I know a lot of people who wear actual padded coats like the ones in the video under mail and a brigandine and their armour doesn't breath at all. If I had to fight them for real, my preferred way to beat them would be to leave them in the sun for ten minutes.

[@aenorist2431]

People regularly underestimate Armor. Its really good. This is why swords are backups / civilian wepons, actual Warfare uses Lances, Maces, Polearms, or hits youin the face, underarm, other weakspots or just wrestles you and bashes and tramples until you are dead. Swords are good at cutting down unarmored peasents or civilians, maybe get someone in the face or legs if those are unarmored. Otherwise, simply not that good a weapon, even if you get a few swings while its sharp enough.

[@maelgugi]

Nathan Gache pain Beat me by one hour, damn! On the other hand a BMP/APC will do it too.

[@giovannipinazza]

"Went test cutting with Richard Marsden" Man, you lucky dog...

[@Skallagrim]

Yeah, I know. :)

[@UnHellequined]

Really interesting tests. Great footage. I imagine experiences like this may have also contributed to how commonly used spears were. Not only were they fairly effective without extensive training and had reach, but are also effective against readily available armour of the time. And while the razor sharp sword was devastating, spears would be much easier to maintain in numbers for an army.

[@RockerMarcee96]

Just don't forget people maintained their own stuff. Even in Roman times you were required to buy your own gear and maintain it by yourself, this is doubly true for the middle ages. So army or not it comes down to the individual.

[@reanamet1901]

"Bleeding" test dummies for extra demonetisation!

[@heinzke8512]

Rea Namet big oll’ blob o ballistic gel

[@RiderOftheNorth1968]

Now with TWICE the demonitationability than before!

[@dragos7puri]

No offence to your skills Skall, but I love the videos where you invite the experts. Could use a bit more commentary on their parts though.

[@basteala525]

I really enjoy these practical demonstrations with different weapons, attacks, and gear. They're visually entertaining and pretty damn informative.

[@gafferthecheese]

Imagine being a medieval farmer getting drafted into the kings army.

[@farstrider79]

Now imagine being a dark ages cobbler being asked to work as a theoretical physicist.

[@viorp6982]

Emm... that didn't happen?

[@farstrider79]

Angel Dust Going a bit too dark there bub.

[@Riname-K]

I think microwaves will do

[@Zamolxes77]

Farmers were not drafted in the army, they were needed to work the land to generate income for the lord who owned that land.

[@GoulouMalouku]

You should try a cutting test against a good quality military grade peacoat, the ones they use in the Marine(or at least used to use).Those are thick and I'd be curious to see what happens

[@brianwyters2150]

So that's why Renaissance manuals show people wearing puffy clothing.

[@kaczynskis5721]

Fashionable anyway but versions also gave protection during fighting.

[@Redbaron_Gaming]

One of my favourite videos of yours for a while. Much awesomeness

[@mirgjankupi128]

lesson learned: stay away from the guy with the kusarigama

[@kevinlobos5519]

It's a kama, a very flashy kama. Kusarigama is the kama with a chain and a weight attached to it.

[@mirgjankupi128]

yeh i know, but a lot of people underestimate the kama part of the kusarigama and as shown here its extremely lethal

[@recless8667]

And the kusarigama meets a very large drawback of the kama: reach and mobility. If you can entangle your opponent and restrict his movement enough, it can be very easy to close and land a killing blow.

[@beans1557]

Yeah! I think it’s just a kama tho

[@jooot_6850]

lesson: wear plate or use the almighty spear

[@jorgejohnson875]

Skall, thank you so much for this video. Not just because of the test results, but also, because the website that supplied you with these pieces, is also the only place that I've been able to find a good Morgan Bible gambeson. I finally can conclude my search. Thank you once again.

[@gekul8400]

6:26 Toe Shoes!!

[@thomashongshagen4912]

Gekul Your profile picture is delightful

[@gekul8400]

Thomas Hongshagen thanks

[@ArthurC42]

Toe shoes are the best

[@amar7777]

ArthurC42 wtf

[@rorschach4089]

ArthurC42 what is wrong with you ??????

[@LawkzBro]

skall got a taste of what TRUE sharpness feels like, expect more sharpening videos in the near future

[@Nusma]

"Hey, a weapon wich is mostly a blade! Let's use it dull!"

[@RockerMarcee96]

I have to say Skall's swords are already quite sharp. Just not sharp enough, now I know why stropping was done and 8-10k grit stones got almost overmined in Europe.

[@Manweor]

Great video, really informative. In a video by Shad he found a source saying that historycal linen was much stronger than modern, because the chemicals in modern treatment ruin the natural robustness of linen.

[@legoman7041]

So basically the best sword is the Giga Drill Waifu Nippon Steel katana, with an edge so sharp it rips a hole in space-time.

[@samprastherabbit]

Hey Skal, fair play to you / mad props to you for going to all that trouble to get historically relevant materials for the tests you guys did :) Would be awesome to see a part 2 with a gambeson made of solely linen like medieval market do at their higher end :-D

[@RJLbwb]

You watch this stuff and wow, this is all interesting in the technical details, but it's just wow, would utterly disgusting it if was done for real.

[@HiddenEvilStudios]

That's what medieval warfare was, for the most part. Up close, barbaric and disgusting. Then firearms came around and took all the fun out of it.

[@Tadechicotah]

Thanks for the great video. I think the conclusions are quite valid and important. The thing with the sharp swords is also corroborated by historical documents stating that some nobles sometimes took dozens of swords into battle. It wouldn't be necessary if said swords were dull.

[@howdoilogin]

But D&D told me Padded Armor only gives +1 AC and no damage reduction.

[@Vlugazoide]

D&D also tells us that a gambeson, aka thick linen jacket, gives disadvantage in stealth checks, so...

[@UnintentionalSubmarine]

Next up the Y13 I would think. Linnen on linnen on linnen 20 times. And if rotated 45 degrees for every layer it should create a stupendously strong defense. Saw a guy post up some picture of a test with only 12 layers some years ago, and it was really impressive how the rotated layers improved the resistance over even layers. Besides, yes cotton wasn't unknown (though the Medieval Europeans thought it was a tree with little sheep as it's fruits, hence the name of cotton in the Germanic languages tend towards the meaning of 'tree-wool'), but linnen was perhaps less expensive, or at least more widespread in it's use.

[@Menselot]

SCREW SWORDS GIVE ME A HAMMER !!!! It last long it do the job perfectly and it has no need for sharpening If your handle breaks you just replace it !!!

[@araknas3981]

I came to this channel for swords but I can feel myself shifting towards warhammers more and more every day. Have that and a buckler and you're unstoppable [in melee].

[@sahlabslave]

That's why many Viking, Straight Arabic swords (look it up), and certain European arming swords were quite blade heavy and Sharp. 2 things get through this kind of armor, sharpness and weight. Combine that with a skilled strong man, it can do horrific damage to an opponent when wearing gambeson.

[@RockerMarcee96]

Well as it stands sabres are even more blade heavy in general and about just as sharp.

[@sahlabslave]

High Master Johannes Liechtenauer but straight heavy broad blades are "choppers", while sabers are "slicers". There's a reason both Europeans and Arabs used the same type of heavy straight blade for the medieval time. As time went on, blade styles changed.

[@RockerMarcee96]

Noah Sabouni for all the stop signs in the galaxy. Cease and desist.

[@sahlabslave]

High Master Johannes Liechtenauer ok

[@Novusod]

Although Viking and Arabic swords were "sharp" they were not shaving sharp as this video demonstrates.

[@handmade3681]

From the sparring footage I’ve seen, as well as the times I’ve done sparring. It seems like you’d have a hard time hitting as hard as is shown in the video. However such hits seem to be very easy to pull of on the arms. Could be wrong, that’s just an observation.

[@daltonevans3412]

Thank you for half swording without gloves. I needed that footage. I had a friend tell me that you couldnt do that cause you would slice straight through your hand and literally called me insane when i insisted it was infact possible and done in history.

[@crestfallensunbro6001]

This is why *EVERYTHING* is weak to thrusting damage. (In dark souls)

[@randomknight6056]

;)

[@RdClZn]

This is why I love the Halberd, just combines a scythe, an axe and a spear and you got such an excellent polearm

[@hawks1ish]

According to the comments section anything short of total decapitation is only a scratch these would be major wounds stop saying they're not commenters

[@thomas.cloutier-guay]

decapitation is only a flesh wound.

[@jameshebbert7064]

Depends on your goal. If your goal is to kill your target, a lot of these "minor" wounds would do the job. If your goal is to stop your target from doing the same to you then you better do more than an inch or two of penetration. Keep in mind that a whitetail deer will often run about 100 yards through dense forest after having an arrow pass directly through their heart. There are only three ways to end the fight. Central nervous system hit, cause blood pressure to drop enough that the brain is no longer getting oxygen, typically takes about 10 seconds if a major artery is severed, potentially minutes for a smaller artery, and lastly incopasitation by severing tendons preventing continued fighting (sword hand wrist, hamstring, etc) and even then they may not be totally out of the fight.

[@Thrand11]

This is Thrand! Great video Skallgrim loved it and well done! You should try cutting with tip cuts as well have had great success with these style cuts going as deep as 3 to 4 inches in and even cutting through a car hood with Viking age sword.

[@Skallagrim]

Yes, tip cuts are always more likely to make it through, but in my tests so far I've found that they don't penetrate far, while the hewing cuts really tear into things with a sharp enough edge.

[@Thrand11]

I plan on doing more extensive test with Textile armor and gambesons in the future I shall compare results of both from my previous test I found the reverse but we shall see. Great work and love this episode!

[@RockerMarcee96]

try 7.75 oz linen.

[@iraqigamer2407]

Goodness, Skall. :o Your actually improved your body a lot.

[@mukkaar]

There's actually some super hard plastics that you could make really light and effective armors out of. I can't remember the name, but it performs almost as well as steel. Imagine making medieval armor out of that and maybe some transparent metal eye protection.

[@cedricchiu9763]

And Folks... that is why in DnD rules, Cloth Armor only protect against Slash but not Pierce Damage

[@TheCompleteMental]

I do wonder if a rapier would do the job

[@gab10181]

probably one of my favourite cutting videos

[@jonmakar5646]

Just a reiteration really: I think that this is the final proof that we need...Sure, not all medieval swords would have been shaving sharp - some of the anti-plate, Type XV-XVIII ones come to mind - and, sure, blade contact from parries and binds can cause more damage to a finer edge, but, seeing as the shaving sharp blades would have been that much more effective against fabric-armoured foot soldiers in battle (where arming gambesons, "aketons", or pourpoints were used as primary body armour) or in civilian duels (where many cloth layers were worn, as it was fashionable, and where fashionable padded pourpoints or doublets were not uncommon), it seems like shaving sharp would have been a necessity to ensure a more likely victory against one's adversary. case closed. period. . . . ... . . period. .

[@kidthorazine]

Except most swords we have from that period aren't hardened enough to hold that sharp of an edge and if you through hardened a blade so that it could using medieval steel, it would be extremely prone to breaking.

[@RockerMarcee96]

Depends really on which swords we are speaking of. 14-15th century swords very often are ~47-50 HRC (at the edge) and many are through hardened and then tempered. While a few wootz steel swords for example don't even get to the Rockwell C scale and most of them are below 25 HRC. Hell Japanese swords have 40-65 HRC edges

[@kidthorazine]

Japanese swords have a lot of design trade offs that allow them to have that hard of an edge and maintain durability though which aren't seen on western swords very often,, and you really don't start to see consistently high hardness ratings in European swords until ~15th century, at the very end of the medieval period. So the idea the medieval swords in general are were shaving sharp is fairly dubious. You also have to look at the fact that the vast, vast majority of swords from this period are designed to very capable of thrusting, and thus didn't even need to be shaving sharp.

[@jonmakar5646]

kidthorazine The point isn't about a sword that holds an edge forever, it's about constantly upkeeping an edge on a more flexible sword designed to parry and bind. This sword must also cut through potentially thick padded armours, and, therefore, must be sharp. There is a lot of evidence of high levels of sharpening present on medieval historical sword specimens - to the point of the profile of many blades possibly being altered by said sharpening (example, the inference by some scholars that some Type XV's were originally Type XVIII's, reground and sharpened to the point of the slightly convex edge becomes straight and triangular in profile).

[@DeDraconis]

Yay for sickles! I don't care if they're not major historical players, or that Lindy made a whole video stomping on my fond childhood memories of fantasy novels with reaper-esque characters. I

[@maelgugi]

Can you test it with the crossbow? Thanks

[@Skallagrim]

Yes, I'm just waiting for the 1000lb crossbow to arrive.

[@maelgugi]

Skallagrim Nice!

[@adrianjezierski8093]

And I thought my 175 lbs crossbow was cool

[@merlball8520]

The like to dislike ratio on this video is reflective of the quality of testing we are seeing here. Well done. Send this video to Scholagladiatoria.

[@12brunni]

The interesting part for me was how effective the hand scythes were. Makes me wonder why more effort wasn't made to weaponize them...

[@MAWLR93]

It would be cool to see this sort of test with bayonets! Skall, would you consider bayonet fighting as HEMA?

[@ME-hm7zm]

I consider it HEMA (but my personal cutoff extends currently to the first half of the 20th c.)

[@jaden2758]

Does anyone know if sickles and scythes were used in actual combat and if there are manuals for them. ive always loved scythes and it would be cool to see if they were actually effective

[@aidannguyen7386]

the unforgiven ones scythes are most likely not. It was originally a farming tool so probably not, but who knows? Sickles were definitely used.

[@jaden2758]

Aidan Nguyen oh ok. Would be cool to see if a scythe made for combat would be any Good

[@migueeeelet]

I belive there's manuals for scythe combat, but they should be more about self-defense rathern than full offense. If you want a battle scythe, use a Polearm with a spike head.

[@quint3ssent1a]

Japanese has them, but it was weird two-handed sickle-scythe hybrid. At least one woodprint of 47 ronins by Kuniyoshi depicts samurai wielding this weapon. Peasants used scythes as makeshift spears (for example, in Hussite wars), but it was less a scythe and more a glaive.

[@danilooliveira6580]

the manuals for scythe defense are more for exhibition duel, since it uses scythe blades with straight shaft. while war scythe have the blade mounted straight forward like a polearm. as for sickles there is the kusarigama, I don't know how common it was, but there are historical pieces that were found and a martial art that is alive to this day as a compilation of historical techniques.

[@Hellspijker]

Cool vid, can't wait to see the rest of the testing,

[@ozgurdiyarkozan2264]

In GoT, Northerners wear leather with metal in order to make the armor more powerful and keep themselves warm. What do you think about that? Is it realistic?

[@Sweatykeyboard]

i mean if you wear it under the armour where it's in contact with your skin or the gambeson you have underneath i'd say it's just practical. To my knowledge french cuirassiers (from the french "cuirasse" which means "breastplate") did that in Russia, but it is another period entirely.

[@Sweatykeyboard]

Another thing is that you don't want the bits of your armour to dig into your skin when it is broken inwards. So of course leather helps.

[@ozgurdiyarkozan2264]

Baptiste Lehmann Broken armour thing was pretty logical, thank you!

[@ozgurdiyarkozan2264]

Dragon50275 I have no doubt that GoT writers care about fashion but It looks reasonable anyway :D

[@SantomPh]

Dragon50275 the Northerners tended to wear leather partly due to GRR Martin wanting them to be distinct from other people, especially the knights of the Reach, Westerlands and Stormlands with their bright , colorful mail decorated with gold, paint and jewels.

[@samevans8922]

The chain mail would be great against the cutting and the stabbing , but the Gambison would be good against the forces that went through the chain mail and would also help to stop any projectiles or blades that would make it through the chain mail.

[@tranduong4139]

What about jorerg's dagger ?

[@StutleyConstable]

I would be very interested to see gambison vs arrows or bolts and maybe even a pistol ball. Perhaps do shots at varying distances. Looking forward to your next installment.

[@bolieve603]

A lot of people asking "Would a common soldier be able to sharpen his sword to that level of sharpness?" Why do we care? Civilians in medieval military encampments often outnumbered soldiers, I'd be quite surprised if a few of those guys didn't know how to repair arms and armor. I'm sure I've read about it, maybe someone can find a source.

[@juliuscrister]

In the southern island of the Philippine archipelago are the Bukidnon(means mountain dweller or people of the mountains). I saw online pictures of old post cards with warriors wearing cloth armor. Would love to see you talk about them.

[@Daves-not-here]

So hey Skallagrim I know you have done a video about non metal weapons. However would you be willing to talk about swords made of wood specifically petrified woods. There is a light novel series I am reading and one of the main characters has a sword made of wood from a tree that for all intents and purposes was petrified. I want to know if this could be realistically done.

[@junichiroyamashita]

Infantry Gaming what is the novel

[@Daves-not-here]

Junichiro Yamashita it is the sword art online light novel during the most recent ark of the story. The main character gets a sword made of wood that is "harder then steel" so I related it to petrified wood as you need diamond bit axes to naw through them. It is fantasy and I know he likes both making fun of and recreating fantasy swords. If you want a picture of it look up sao alicization ark kirito the sword he has that's all black and not the elucidator that he has covered before is the one I'm talking about. It actually looks practical in the book.

[@junichiroyamashita]

Infantry Gaming i remember native americans using a wooden sword Also the japanese eku while being an oar was quite sharp and was called the sword of fishermen

[@Marshnomp]

Infantry Gaming Petrified wood is basically either carbon or silicium with difference degree of oxydation/reduction. But it's way too brittle to be used as a cutting weapon, it's like making a sword in quartz or obsidian, very sharp but easily broken. Better make a mace with it.

[@animistchannel2983]

The problem with petrified wood is that it's rock, so it's heavy and brittle, and it doesn't even have the original fibrous flex of regular wood. To keep it from snapping off at first contact, it would have to be so stocky as to be awkward. Fire-hardened resined wood or bone would be better in most cases. Stone is good for relatively small attachments like arrow or spear points for hunting and other non-armor situations (or for just being a smacking hammer). Knapped stone can be excellent for applications on softer materials because a crystalline structure won't dull until it actually chips/breaks, but otherwise... metallurgy developed for a reason.

[@josharchibald4637]

I've watched this video three times now. I expect to watch it several more times in the future. Every time I watch it is under different circumstances and for different avenues of research. Each time this video gives me exactly what I need. Skallagrim, this video is top quality and is extremely valuable in my research. Thank you.

[@iraqigamer2407]

So, uhm. Sickle review?

[@TheHaighus]

I'd be very interested to see how a gambeson performs against stabs by an earlier style of sword with a more rounded tip, such as viking-era swords or swords from the 11th century. This is the period where mail was less common and gambesons likely to be at their most prevalent, so interesting to see if they would provide useful protection against these earlier sword patterns.

[@modestasbotha7815]

There is not any evidence for gambesons existing before the 12th century, but we do have many sources that tell us that the common soldier without mail would wear nothing but regular clothing. manuscriptminiatures.com/5771/21795/ manuscriptminiatures.com/4868/13187/ manuscriptminiatures.com/4357/13455/

[@RockerMarcee96]

Even then, a couple of layers of linen and wool (which would be normal clothing anyway) is significantly better at protecting you than nothing. But then again Type X blades were still popular when gambesons hit the field.

[@OGSontar]

OK, OK so you hacked Jack all to hell, but what did Jack do to you to deserve this abuse?

[@Skallagrim]

Voted for Trump. Relax, it's just a joke.

[@DeusExMachina130]

Jack is a masochist so he loves it ;)

[@alexcaffrey983]

Chris Williams You can really tell at 7:07 or am I just projecting.

[@WilliamKeloren]

It is funny how someone comes to weird conclusion from interesting testing. Armor and weapons were(are) playing sort of balance game, their craftsmen always want to completely shut down the other. But in order to wear any armor it needs to be effective in protecting person. Take as example the plate that stoped being used once guns shot through with ease. Gambesons are heavy, so they have to be effective as well. Hence what this video suggest is that wepons in periods and places where solo gambeson was used as armor were NOT razor sharp (but still sharp). While in periods and places where they were combined with other protection, they may have been. That is supported by archeological evidence. While i was investigating some 6th to 9th century swords many of them were made from material that would not even be able to hold such edge (like really really bad material that would be impossible to harden). To add to that in long campains before 13th century special troops that sharpened swords used tools with which it would be really tricky to craft such edge.

[@rickfan7]

Shad is gonna hate you

[@glass-africa]

Why?

[@bosknight7837]

Anders Engman dragons are very effective against gambesons,I believe But I also think that most swords in the medieval age were even as sharp as Skall's ones. A very rich nobleman may have had a very sharp sword,but the average knight's sword was probably not as sharp

[@cmdrsocks]

It takes about 10 minutes to learn how to properly sharpen a blade, it is a basic skill for any worker with hand tools - I am pretty sure that medieval people would have laughed at a blunt blade and considered the owner lazy, stupid and too much of a cheapskate to pay a blade sharpener. I just googled and found a professional sharpener and blade repairer about 4 miles from my home. There used to be more of them around, in pre power tool times a man could make a good living just putting edges on blades for people too busy to do it themselves.

[@bosknight7837]

Anders Engman probably,but I still doubt that it would be shaving sharp from the start. I don't think they had the tools to do that,a sharpening stone with a grain that high probably hasn't been invented yet

[@cmdrsocks]

Shrpening stones are used to shape and refine the edge, the final stage that gets you the kind of edge you can shave with is stropping on a nice piece of leather with some polishing compound on, followed by plain leather without polish. My pocket knife (which is mainly used for opening boxes) could easily be used for minor surgery (it will easily split layers of skin apart) thanks to a bit of effort with a strop. Totally overkill for opening boxes and sharpening pencils, but why have a blunt knife when for a little effort you can have one that is sharp?

[@scum1633]

Ive reinforced my gambeson with leather stitched onto weak points and it's working really well

[@TBK-iv3lo]

Hello Mr. Pommel.... Auch my face!

[@mikefule330]

Seeing these cuts with a dull sword really drives the point home...

[@KirstenBayes]

Given that a 15th century common archer would also have had a target (buckler) and sallet, and later commonly would well have mail or a brigandine, it shows how well protected they were. Explains why most battle casualties were during the routs, when this kit would be discarded.

[@kneedeepinthedoomed]

There is an account of the Battle of Svolder where it says the king had to hand out new swords at one point because the old ones had stopped to bite. Another account in the story of Olaf Haraldsson says that Thorir Hund had a seal skin armour that was bewitched to blunt a sword and take away its sharpness, IIRC. You might want to test a Viking sword against a couple layers of fur or impregnated seal skin (birch tar?).

[@hypernova3527]

I really love these armor testing videos. They are very interesting

[@grayblackhelm6468]

I might have left this idea on another video of your, Skall... but sickles are *terrifying.*

[@DefaultString]

That Sickle is just devastating!

[@KickyFut]

I'm surprised I didn't see anyone doing any horizontal thrusts! I was taught by my rapier&dagger instructor to thrust with the blade horizontal to the ground, so they are more likely to slip between the ribs...😨

[@mfowlercurry]

Can't wait to see the archery version of this.

[@RetiredRhetoricalWarhorse]

Sharpening blades is a very important skill for many people. It can also be very gratifying.

[@FuriosHobbitGaming]

Damn you Skall, now I want a sword too. Really awesome vid though.

[@enigma2541]

Pretty surprised cotton an linen do so well as rudimentary armor. Combine that with some chain-link to deal with the thrusts and sharpness and you have some pretty capable and light weight battle attire.

[@TheTyjah]

So, if your foe was wearing a gam-bison your extremely sharp sword would be good, but what if they wore a gam-bison under chainmail? Then a regular cutting strike from even a very sharp sword would have even less effect and would have more chance of damaging your blade. A thrust would be best against most any armor (I believe), but then again a strong thrust is usually easier to see coming and block. Even a light armor like chainmail and padding is very effective more effective than I used to think. Also even if you had broken ribs in battle and blunt force trauma, if you were able to make it out alive your armor did its job and saved your life. Great vid! I really like your weapon testing vids.

[@patrickkearney1577]

The performance of the sickle should not be surprising. A sickle shaped claw is common in land animals throughout time. Claws are effective as cutting and piercing weapons. The layered keratin sheath allows a new sharp edge by pulling away a damaged outer layer. Against an unsuspecting opponent, or one who tries to flee, a self-sharpening sickle would be a fine weapon.

[@frailty1288]

Patrick Kearney Be careful, the weaboos are coming *_iTs a KamA_*

[@Nights_Angel]

fun fact. it was common for farmers to use wood buckets as helmets. and the jacks would be worn under leather and sometimes small plates of metal thatched in.

[@nastygollum]

Nights Angel [Citation Needed]

[@spamhonx56]

that cut at 6:59 was nasty. having been stabbed in roughly that area, with a much smaller blade, i winced- imagine that width and depth of blade sliding under your ribcage at that angle, utterly devastating. good video though, totally worth the vietnam flashbacks. you hear me, youtube? stop demonetising this stuff!

[@jako_ronin]

Feels like you'd wear gambeson to protect yourself and mail to protect the gambeson

[@LMcAwesome]

While the slicing through the material looked quite good, it seems like it might be quite hard to deliver such a blow. They also presumably sacrificed some of the kinetic force in order to get the slicing motion so effective. The blows with the blunt weapons at the start, while not cutting, looked like they would have been either debilitating or at least unbelievably painful. I wonder where the tradeoff comes for a professional soldier. A sharp edge will be damaged easily and makes no difference against metal armour, but a blunt edge can only effectively deliver impact damage when there are probably going to be situations that require more cutting ability.

[@xxlegolas]

"Swords should be sharp" Thanks for the video!

[@PlasmaStickMan]

You sure are having fun with that Kama.

[@umarabdullah5510]

I read that many of the Conquistadores adopted the padded cotton armor of the Aztecs. It would be interesting to see an ecample

[@Happyisboss]

There is a good reason this type of armor was prevalent throughout the time period, it effectively keeps you from being cut by somewhat dull blades, I dont imagine effectively mass produced common swords would be super sharp

[@Zerathzul]

Very informative, indeed! I've always been curious about the padded cloth armors. The video games of the world haven't done a very good job portraying them.

[@Giagantus]

Michael Edelson of New York longsword did a test several years ago that similiar to this and got similiar results. The Sharp and curved swords (Katana in his tests) were far more devestating against gambeson than say a longsword was. But useless towards mail.

[@MrPandafarts]

Nicely done. Thanks for the research results :)

[@NohorseRU]

Hehe, well, considering something like the .45ACP is blunt, a gambeson surely will stop it! Joking aside, pretty interesting stuff. Looks like sturdy layered cloth leaves you to mostly worry about thrusts and blunt trauma, while mail additionally protects from all but the most decisive thrusts (say, a sickle). No one thing does everything, not even platemail.

[@ME-hm7zm]

Well, 12 layers of ballistic nylon *will*, as a .45 (from the muzzle of an M1921 SMG) was one of the test criteria for the M1952 / M69 vests the US Army used (as well as the M1951/M1952 (different)/and M1955 vests used by the Marines).

[@nolancleary6875]

S 5 E 30 Tournament Round 1 forged in fire there is a thick gambeson cut through with a sword. near the end during the testing the final weapons.

[@ekoreko4271]

From tests like this i think we can assume once the advent of chainmail and plate armor came around, swords were strictly used as a sidearm for backup

[@martonbevardi2503]

Hi Skall! If you still have the dacian falx, please use it in this kind of videos. I'm really in love with that weapon. :D