How A Knight Shall Be Armed

In this video, my good friend and fellow reenactor Mitch showcases his mid 15th Century knights harness. Wearing a reproduction of the Sir John Cressy armour (d. 1443AD), this video shows the armouring process for both the knight & the squire, and all necessary checks that must be made throughout the armouring process.
A special thank you to both Mitch & Jess for featuring in this video, please check their historical Instagram pages below:
/ mitchofthefyrd
/ historywithjess
Enjoy!
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[@scholagladiatoria]

Great video - always a pleasure to see Mitch's armour.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Much appreciated :)

[@Tohma_Ed]

Omg it’s Matt

[@NCC_74656]

Jedis probably suffer when they see full armored knights, because fear leads to hate and hate leads to suffering.

[@Man_fay_the_Bru]

Downer

[@shastasilverchairsg]

Full armour made of cortosis

[@relivinghistory710]

Excellent armour, it fits well & has the correct proportions. Looks great with a well made tabard over it too. Can't falt the girl either, Excellent kit.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Yes this is indeed one of the best reenactment kits in the UK, there are a group of us who are looking to push UK Historical reenactment to a whole new level of authenticity and quality.

[@thehappy_spearman1389]

@@relivinghistory710 He even brings this level of stellar kit and authenticity to larp where its entirely optional and its honestly impressive, they're both superb reenactors and lovely people.

[@Megiddo501]

I absolutely adore when armor (whether soft padded garments or hard steel plate) has the proper historical wasp waist shape, instant subscription!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Ayy thank you much appreciated, unfortunately in the UK the average age for reenactors tends to be in the 40s - 50s so the wasp waist is usually long gone by then haha.

[@ZacharyEvans]

Great work everyone!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Ayy thanks!

[@spartstar45]

Me: okay, now lets sleep. (Now it's 4am)

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

I also fall into armour rabbit holes by watching video after video 😆

[@richardhowell2168]

Spotted myself in the intro to this, I was the red squire at Framlingham! Great video and lovely harness!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Haha very nice. Yes I remember seeing the Warwickshire warriors at Fram back in 2022 I believe.

[@user-sf4io3tp8l]

great video love the plume on the helmet reminds me of more modern Prussian and German empire noble uniforms

[@JarethDuLac]

Video was recommend after watching one by Dequitem. Glad it was, because it was super fascinating seeing what actually goes into putting on armour. 👍 Subbing because I need to see more history stuff 😁

[@84eGrenadier]

I love the armour and nice steel. Am always thinking how hard is be when a lot of hard things is on your body

[@franciscomoutinho4390]

discovered this channel today. It's criminal you're not more popular, just subscribed. Best of luck and keep doing the amazing work you've been doing!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Haha well I guess I make a lot of rather niche content which doesn't attract many viewers but oh well, I have fun!

[@franciscomoutinho4390]

​@@AlexTheHistoryGuyand if you're happy doing what you're doing that's already more than half of the big creators we have on the platform rn

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Very happy indeed :)

[@RoundaboutVintage]

That's a very nice looking suit of armor! Very well made! Did they have all the hinges and buckles back then?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Yes, medieval folk and even dating much further back - they loved their fancy buckles and hinges. Great care and attention were put into the little details of life back then and medieval people specifically loved to decorate anything and everything they could get their hands on!

[@RoundaboutVintage]

Amazing!​@@AlexTheHistoryGuy

[@angryeliteultragree6329]

Beautiful armor. Im not really an Italian style enjoyer, and I like more range of movement. But I’ll find what works for me.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

There are plenty of configurations to wear this armour, you could simply purchase spaulders or spaulder plates which would go with the arms and allow for much more movement. Whilst English armours were often heavily inspired by Italian works, the English style (featured in the video) was still unique !

[@fayeworman9552]

Thanks for the video. Can see now how the chivalrous Boucicaut could scale a wall and even dance in his light armour.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Knights were generally much fitted than we given them credit for. Their entire lives were dedicated to fitness, stamina, agility, and skill

[@mythal0620]

Great video! You can see quite clearly how pleasant it feels, naturally... But if you want to be strong, you have to be able to suffer.

[@mikebass3721]

Well done & great content ….i can even see the pennant on the finial of my tent over your left shoulder 🎪

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Haha ayy nice, thank you!

[@hardlyheroic114]

The often forgotten most important garment, a big hat to protect against the sun!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

A most fashionable hat, no less!

[@staceygallard7999]

Very detailed and interesting

[@RisumiesNewGen]

Interesting choice of armor!

[@HauntedandAbandonedNorfolk]

Great video Alex - and congratulations on a high number of views - thoroughly deserved 👍🏻

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Thank you, much appreciated:)

[@samurguybriyongtan146]

I am in awe of the process of arming almost as much as the beautiful kit you have. So well done! As an observer, pointes seem so woefully fragile to hold all the bits of heavy steel! Granted, they work in concert with buckles holding the armor close to the body, but wow!! Do they break often or wear out quickly? Do. we have evidence from existing gambesons/jupons /arming coats or whatever or do we only have written records naming them but not describing them?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Thanks! The points are surprisingly durable. They are entwined with strength in mine so they are pretty difficult to snap. Of course, they do fray over time but the beeswax also helps keep them strong for longer. Luckily they are cheaply replaceable so you can easily replace them when you begin to see fraying. And, not only do we see Points mentioned in texts, we see them featuring in artwork AND we even see them made out of stone in medieval effigies. I have a video planned where I discuss medieval effigies in more depth.

[@samurguybriyongtan146]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy Thanks for the response! Fascinating stuff.

[@marcelschultz4033]

The fit seems very nice on this one. I would like to see a more polished finish and I am not aware of a source for a leather rim on the mail collar. I had one too because I saw it at someones elses collar but later checked the sources and didnt find a hint to something like that.

[@thehappy_spearman1389]

Ah my beautiful sweet Mitchell... A surprise to see one of my mates who I larp and do Early Medieval reenactment with in my recommendations, pretty surreal tbh 😂

[@norwich_hema_society]

Great video. That's a really fancy armour!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

ayy thank you :)

[@Naturbursche469]

Really beautiful armor.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Thanks!

[@BellumCinematicsTotalWar]

Mitch of the Fyrd is goated

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

He is indeed

[@oldensteinrider5677]

Great Armour and Video of it. I hope the people will start to see the difference between quality armour and the China ones at the filmset's. Love it and Subcribed

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Yes! Well that is what myself and Mitch are working towards - we want to show how accurate Historical Reenactment should be and increase the level of authenticity and commitment to reenactment specifically in the UK. My authentic harness is currently in the works and unfortunately will take two more years to finish!

[@tatumergo3931]

The problem with film production is one of a budget and not so much of not wanting to be historically accurate. Now if they were smart about it, they would hire reenactment groups, but that in itself is another problem. Most reenactors have regular jobs, so they might not be available for filming. Film production is hectic and unsteady, one week you are filming and the next you are sitting at home waiting for a call. So one way to solve this and go about it is to do it like the japanese have done for samurai films. You start a film production company solely dedicated to this types of films. Then you can have teams of people well verse in HEMA and armour use. This teams in turn are assigned to an actor with whom they would practice all of the stunts and scenes. The team gets to play the roles of the bad guys and die in the scenes. In this fashion you always have a surplus of equipment and qualified extras ready to be hired for any film production. P.S. Some people have already started doing this in the continent, like Adorea Olomuc, Frates in Armi, Moscow Fight & Film and others I have forgotten to mention.

[@hishamg]

Great video and beautiful armour. I wondered why you decided not to wear a bevor though?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

He does have a bevor which he attempted to wear however it's made by a different armourer so the new cuirass and pauldrons haven't been made to fit with the bevor, so he decided not to wear it due to discomfort. He will be purchasing a new one made to fit in the future.

[@martinkukumberg1908]

Gargeous! One of best about knights Armour.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Much appreciated:)

[@tatumergo3931]

Gorgeous???

[@martinkukumberg1908]

@@tatumergo3931 Yes.Sorry.Many greetings from Slovakia.😋

[@tatumergo3931]

@@martinkukumberg1908. Yes greetings, just helping you out with English...is difficult at times.

[@MartinBavin]

Very nice indeed. Splendid video

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Ayy thank you much appreciated

[@yoeyyoey8937]

How does one “defeat” this kind of armor? Do they try to cut the components holding it together or go for the exposed parts of the legs? At what point is this not just a wrestling match between equally armored opponents? I don’t think most of the modern tourneys we see really capture how they really fought since they are wearing heavier than usual armor and aren’t actually allowed to kill each other. Would love to learn more about this thanks

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

You may be getting medieval reenactment mixed up with modern Buhurt. Generally, the armour we are wearing today (assuming you have purchased it from a reputable armourer) are the same weights as the real armours of the period. Even with full plate armour, a knight is still not immune on the battlefield. For example, the plate armour is designed to protect the western from glancing strikes or strikes that weren't hit with full power and precision...a perfectly accurate strike from a Warhammer with decent power behind it can still go through plate armour and injure or kill the knight. Also, due to a constant trade-off between protection versus mobility, there will always be some exposed parts of the body that cannot be protected by plate armour such as the groin, back of the legs, joints, and armpits - these are prime targets for opponents to focus their attacks on. It is also true that these vulnerabilities are more exposed if the knight is debilitated, so grappling with the knight to get them down on the floor would give you a great advantage over them, so grappling and wrestling would have definitely been prevalent on the battlefield.

[@tatumergo3931]

You use a can opener 😅😅😅

[@antoniogivaldri5184]

​@AlexTheHistoryGuy You mean a hit with the spike on a warhammer, right? Cuz the blunt end will not go through plate. Even so, from all the tests I've seen, the spike will not pierce the front of a cuirass, or the front of the helmet, depends on the helmet of course, sometimes it couldn't bite, and just glanced off, or it managed to bite, but only left a dent, or a minor hole. Where it did pierce, was the sides and back, some hits did not go through the arming doublet, while others pierced deep enough to reach skin, but not enough to leave a serious wound. And the big problem was, that the warhammer usually got stuck in there. From my knowledge, and the tests I've seen, it was almost always better to hit articulated plates, to try and dent them enough, to limit mobility, or hit the sides of the helmet. I'm a curator at the arms and armor section of the National Military Museum, in Bucharest, Romania. I do not claim to be an expert, or anything like that, just very passionate about my work, and history as a whole. I may be wrong about what I said, this is from what I learnt over the years and the tests I've seen, both at the museum, with accurate replicas, but mostly on KZbin from people from the community of the sword. Thank you very much for the video!

[@tatumergo3931]

@@antoniogivaldri5184 . How do you get a job like that, what kind of college courses do you need? Does military experience and history knowledge helps? Ofcourse speaking several languages, and love of history has to be a must. Mulțumesc foarte mult.

[@antoniogivaldri5184]

​@tatumergo3931 Hello. So, the first thing you need is a master's degree, in my case, one in history. I got mine at the university of Babes-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca.You'll also need extensive knowledge of history, and at least some basic understanding of chemistry, and some restoration techniques, public relations are also important. You do not need actual, real military experience, what I work with are 14th- early 17th century arms and armor, including military tactics. When I present a weapon to the public, I need to know what it's made of, from where it is, how it was used, at least how we think it was used, but there are plenty of historical manuscripts that have clear descriptions of how a halberd or poleaxe should be used. Since the museum has many collections, if you would like to work with, let's say, modern armor (tanks) mostly ww2 tanks, then maybe military experience would be a plus, but still not required. As for languages, you need Romanian and English. Either German, French or Hungarian, is a small plus, but really not required at all. So at the end of the day, extensive history knowledge is the most important thing, of course, a deep passion and love for history are also necessary. You could find a job as a curator, at a smaller museum with only a bachelor's degree, but the salary will definitely reflect that. Dacă aveti alte intrebari, sunt bucuros sa va raspund. Am scris in Engleza, in cazul in care si altii sunt interesati.

[@sh36]

6:57 - what's the tie on the livery coat for? how does that work?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

It's just a simple bow-tie, originally it came with a lot of excess string so it's now been cut down to avoid the string flapping all over the place

[@calebgriffin4214]

This looks incredible! Why was it that the livery wasn’t directly placed on the armor? I imagine the extra protection from the coat might be useful, but it seems like it could be heavy

[@tatumergo3931]

That's what people don't understand about Ogres....ahem, I mean knights! They're like Onions, you know... with many layers. Just like the way you protect yourself from the cold winter months, by wearing layers of clothing. The knights would have worn many different layers of protection. The livery was not only a means of identification in the battlefield, but also a means of protecting the armour from the weather.

[@carolescutt2257]

Such a great upload thanks Alex ❤ for all us girls who think of knights in shining armour 😂

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Well hands off, he's taken! 😆

[@thehappy_spearman1389]

@@carolescutt2257 Please don't let Mitch see this comment, his mustache grows with his ego. Joking, I love the guy.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

😆😆

[@carolescutt2257]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy I'm absolutely in no doubt he's of the radar no offence meant to his partner its a harmless comment and appreciation for the effort put in 😇😃😃

[@andyedwards9222]

Lovely armour, very nice. English style.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

It is rather gorgeous

[@samolociaz]

where to buy such an amazing armour???

[@tatumergo3931]

There are different armourers throughout the world. You could look them up on line, or ask knight errand, his channel covers the whole subject.

[@bigmantyrone4347]

Great Content

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Ayy thanks I appreciate it

[@dmr6640]

Did not realize how much padding is between the knight and the armor.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

By the mid 15th century there is actually very little padding - most doublets were only 2 layers thick (a comfortable smooth inner layer and a tough durable outer layer). For less armoured soldiers, more layers for additional protection are sometimes opted for.

[@facundocerisola2633]

This looks amazing. Do you wear any padding beneath that mail or would that be unnecesary. Also expected to see a mail coif.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Not really no. The arming doublet is 2 layers of fabric but knights of the latter half of the 15th century rarely needed much padding due to the armour being so fine tuned to the body. Of course a little bit of padding is still necessary. Also, in the 15th century maille coifs weren't being worn by knights anymore as they just weren't required so would just be extra weight for no benefit. Some Levy's would still wear them with kettle helmets.

[@icantthinkofausername2605]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy Can I ask why the rear of the legs wasn't covered in maille like with the upper body joints? It seems like a very large weakspot and it's known that maille hose were around for hundreds of years by this point.

[@tatumergo3931]

​@@icantthinkofausername2605 . It's a matter of comfort and mobility. When you are on horseback, there's little need for protection there. Most of that area is protected by the horse and the horse's harness itself. Also it was a choice of the design at the time. In later periods and for the purpose of foot combat, you see leg armour with full leg coverage. You can compare it to today's militaries use of ballistic protection. It would be possible to have a soldier fully protected with ballistic armour, but that would make it to heavy to wear and move. On top of that, you have to carry extra equipment and supplies, like bullets and food. Also cold weather or rain gear, sleeping bag or blanket, maybe even a tent or wet weather poncho. Additionally night vision goggles, radios, batteries, maps, compass, etc.etc. Today's soldiers carry more weight than medieval knights ever carried into battle.

[@icantthinkofausername2605]

@@tatumergo3931 Ah, I was thinking of this as a foot combat harness and concerned about a bill or similar hooking into the back of the leg. Makes much more sense mounted

[@tatumergo3931]

@@icantthinkofausername2605 . Well yes that was one of the perils involved in it, but even so there's the mobility aspect also involved in it. Something that is even still discussed today in the military. Giving the soldiers so much protection, but at the same time reducing their mobility. For example: the police SWAT or SRT teams can afford to wear more protection, because they are transported to the location. They only end up spending a couple of hours at site and then get to go home and rest. Soldiers on the other hand spend weeks in a battle zone before they're pull back to the rear to recuperate and recharge. They might even have to spend months during the whole campaign, before they get any relief. A lot of the activity is done on foot, having to move a couple of kilometers from place to place. And it has to be done at a fast pace, so you want to carry as least amount of stuff as necessary. I can only imagine knights and men-at-arms having to march a mile or two in full harness and then having to fight hand to hand....exhausting!

[@OBXDewey]

🎵Leaning on his everlasting arms.🎵 That's what a knight does. Relies on his arms or His arms. 😊

[@szablotukpolski5201]

Nice sword :) greting from Poland and capital of Polish saber.... szablotłuk polski

[@angryeliteultragree6329]

Damn im really gonna need to save.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Unfortunately so, this bad boi will set you back about £9,000 for everything.

[@angryeliteultragree6329]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy my sets going to be way thinner, and a lot less ornate. So maybe not 13000 dollars

[@romans883]

Beautiful armour ! Where can I buy set like that ? It's more realistic than BUHURT

[@tatumergo3931]

BUHURT is a type of sports activity in which there are rules to avoid more serious injuries. This on the other hand is a simulation or reenactment of the actual warfare period. Much like today some people participate in WWII type of reenactment events. They would strive to be as historically accurate as possible. Finally: If people in BUHURT were to engage in combat with the actual real weapons, pretty soon there wouldn't be anyone to play around with. Same thing could be said about those who enjoy playing airsoft games. Can you imagine if someone brought a real weapon and bullets to an airsoft game?

[@romans883]

@@tatumergo3931 Well buhurt is actually quiet visciouse the padding and armour thickness is simular to real 18 gauge originals - one difference in buhurt - no poking due fear of loosing eyes other than that all goes ... But they dont look as good as real historical reproductions

[@anteerceg527]

Amazing Who is your armourer?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Art Of Steel from Ukraine. Surprisingly affordable!

[@robertflanagan2335]

Where did you get your doublet? Did you make it?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Hi there, it's from Historical Enterprise

[@johntheknight3062]

I am not sure but are you pauldrons sitting maybe too high? I think it it were little bit lower, you would achieve much better mobility of your arms. All in all this is very sexy armor, this period is really the most appealing one in terms of armor looks.

[@mitchelllawrence7407]

So these pauldrons are designed to sit right up to the neck and completely protect your whole upper shoulder. There’s always a trade off with protection and mobility. These are copied directly from the effigy and the fact they sit so high is shown in the different articulation they have compared to other pauldrons. The effigy is Sir John Cressy 1443 (dodford)

[@johntheknight3062]

@@mitchelllawrence7407 Okay, still seems impractical and more like tournament type of armor but I am no expert.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

It's a reconstruction of an effigy. There are many issues that can arise from effigy reconstructions since you have to assume the sculpture knew what they were doing regarding proportions of the armour components and where they sat on the body. Medieval effigy sculptures tend to be incredibly skilled and accurate though and Mitch has been using his armour effectively since he received it so I doubt there are any issues with the armours' practicality :)

[@tatumergo3931]

​@@AlexTheHistoryGuy . True. There could also be another component that is not easily seen in an effigy, but it would have been known to wearer at the time. There's really no way to tell for sure, but at least it is a good try at recreating something lost to the past.

[@averageeughenjoyer6429]

Did knights ever cover the back of their legs?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Not really no. With armour there is always a give & take regarding protection and mobility. The inner thigh compresses and expands a lot during natural movement (walking, running etc) so adding plate armour to the inner & back of the thigh isn't really an option - for example you couldn't sit on a horse if you had plate metal on the rear of your thighs. There is also a general assumption that the only time you turn your back on your opponent and hence expose the back of your legs is when you are running away which means you've probably lost already. There are attempts to cover the back of the upper legs though - usually through the use of a maille skirt which helps prevent lucky arrow shots, hooking from polearms and ricochet strikes from injuring the legs. Also, as we approach the turn of the 16th century onwards we do see fully protected leg harnesses which rely on many overlapping lames of plate armour to achieve maximum flexibility. However, this was generally extremely expensive due to the skill needed to make it and only reserved for the richest of knights. There is a good example of fully encased leg armour at the Royal Armouries in Leeds which was commissioned by King Henry VIII for a polearm duel. Upon studying contemporary artwork & manuscripts, standard career solders seldom wore leg armour and accepted the risk of injury in exchange for being lighter on their feet and carrying a lighter load for all those excessive miles of marching they would do during campaign. I hope this answers your question! I will actually be making a more in depth video regarding this subject soon.

[@MeanBean-v3u]

war of the roses!? i live in york

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

War of the roses indeed. If you watch my latest video then you can see what the armies of the war of the roses looked like!

[@philthethotdestroyer4194]

armor looks way cooler with some type of cloth over it.

[@averageeughenjoyer6429]

Was the opposite back then cuz they loved color

[@JosefGustovc]

Great video. Buy why did you swap the greaves around?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

The greaves aren't swapped - I assume you are looking at how most greaves sweep outwards at the top but for whatever reason the armourer hadn't opted for that feature in these greaves. They still function perfectly fine though :)

[@JosefGustovc]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy Yes, I mean that :). It's quite a big oversight, if that's the case. Anatomically legs are not shaped that way, and no historical greave has hat top shape, that I now of. Very odd. But the rest of the armour looks great.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Yes the greaves and the arms were not made by the same armourer as the rest of his kit. I believe he is looking to upgrade his greaves in the future but they don't give him any issues with mobility or comfort so it hasn't really been a priority.

[@Sandwichking-hikes]

Looks like someone would sweat a lot in all that especially in battle.

[@josephbevacqua9217]

How was the video

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

how was the video? o.O

[@josephbevacqua9217]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy nice

[@JohnDoe-ek9ng]

Great armor, too bad there's no Lance rest though. But what's the first song that plays in the background? Sounds bloody lovely.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

English knights tended to favour dismounted combat, as such he is wearing his harness optimized for dismounted combat (the reenactor also doesn't ride so didn't require adding a lance rest to his reenactment kit). The song is from the KZbin audio library - Leaning on the everlasting arms by Zachariah Hickman

[@JohnDoe-ek9ng]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy aaaah, that makes sense. Must've glossed over the part of the description that provided that context. I could be totally wrong here, but if this is english kit then shouldn't there be a full hauberk underneath the plate? That could also be a thing from the 1300s or early 1400s, but I really don't know. Anyway, thanks for the song!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Italians were known for wearing full hauberks under their plate armour well into the latter half of the 15th century. By this time, the English, Germans, French, Flemish etc used to wear maille voiders (I'll have an upcoming video about maille voiders later), or no maille at all.

[@JohnDoe-ek9ng]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy thanks for the info! I'll look out for that video on voiders.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Might be a while until I post the Voiders video. It'll be part of my Handcannonier series which is currently on hold as I await my arming doublet to be finished. I can't progress with it until I have that completed haha.

[@methira]

Historical

[@wilky1189]

Is that a visor? Would they really go out with no face protection?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Yes it is a visor, he is also wearing a maille standard to protect the neck and throat. A Bevor would protect the chin and lower face however it also heavily restricts your breathing, so it is simply a matter of deciding on your balance between mobility and protection. More protection = less mobility. More mobility = less protection.

[@tatumergo3931]

Actually they did fight a lot without a visor, specially the English who fought mostly on foot. The visor would have been lowered only during the charge on horseback, mostly because of the English use of the longbow. Once they would have met in battle and the melee ensued, the visors would come up so more vision could be afforded. That would have been the time at which they were at most danger and casualties would have occurred. As most archeological findings have demonstrated, must of the death wounds appear on the skulls. It is also consistent with the styles of swordsmanship of the time, found in medieval treatises.

[@p.s.9658]

The guy at 00:07 has one of my family shields!!! 😮

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Ayy very nice

[@tatumergo3931]

Are you a Woodward?

[@p.s.9658]

@@tatumergo3931 a Thomas. They came from Welsh in Reconquista and fought side by side with templar knights under Jaime I the Conqueror. In later times their surname was castellanized and one of their shields is like the one marked, but with a golden frame. There are almost six or seven different variants (an arm with a star some times with a tower or alternate fingers position, a golden pine, the chevron one... that is the one of mines!!!), but I think the one in the video is just a little the same.

[@gryphonnystrom2973]

does he not use mail or padded coifs?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Knights of this period didn't wear maille coifs anymore, that was about 150 years earlier. He has a padded liner already inside his helmet

[@gryphonnystrom2973]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy thanks, glad to know hes not having his head smack around in there

[@ChantalLaporte-nl1oj]

Pourquoi le fleur de lys sur une armure anglaise ?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

The fleur-de-lis wasnt owned by the French during this time, it was a popular shape that featured on a lot of both French and English artistry such as furniture, masonry, tapestry, clothing and in books.

[@SpreadingGospel21]

In my opinion just to make it more dramatic I think the title should be “how thy knight shalt be armed”

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Haha I did consider the ye olde language but figured that might make it more difficult for people to search for the video!

[@extraneus1630]

Can i ask who produced this armour? And how much did it generally cost to reproduce with modern standards

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Art of Steel from Ukraine. I'm not sure on the exact price but I understand it was around £5000 not including the arms or greaves.

[@sergeantsonso3490]

you're playing this cute, dainty, comely music while this guy straps pounds of steel all across his entire body in preparation of what are most likely going to be some of the most difficult few weeks of his life, burdened not by the metal but by the near certainty of the reaper upon his clavicle.

[@MrDakadaka]

Sorry for the silly question but I noticed that while German knights had bevors for their sallets English knights didn't. Is there a reason for this ?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Not a silly question at all! English knights did wear before as well, my knight in the video just chose not to. The English did prefer open faced sallets without bevors as they tended to prioritise breathing, seeing, and calling out orders over additional protection however there are lots of examples in contemporary texts regarding the English wearing bevors.

[@MrDakadaka]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy Thank you for your answer. Also what style were English full harnesses? It doesn't look very Milanese and it definitely isn't Gothic either. Just looking around at other styles since German gothic is EXPENSIVE!

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Well, you answered your own question there - the English harnesses were built in the English style! Haha. Dr Tobias Capwell has a few really good books on the subject of English armour from the 14th to 15th centuries

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

I'd personally recommend Lancaster Armoury in the UK if youre looking for high end bespoke armour, or Art of Steel in Ukraine. They made the harness in the How a Knight Shall Be Armed video

[@madhungarian3024]

But what does a knight do during the day?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

They train. Their entire lives were dedicated to becoming more skilled in combat, fitness, stamina and horse riding. In their spare time, they would often go hunting, go on Pilgrimage, assist in local charities and network with other influential families.

[@BlaBla-pf8mf]

Beautiful armour but to put it on you better not be maidenless.

[@mightyole]

What if he needs to use the bathroom after?

[@tatumergo3931]

That's why they had squires around, but hopefully it wouldn't happen at a time in the middle of the battle. This has already been discussed before in other well known channels that cover this subject. It's actually not necessary to remove the entire armour, just the parts involved in the process.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

If the knight was in a life & death situation, they would generally just go to the toilet in their armour. Their squire would be the one cleaning it anyway!

[@tatumergo3931]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy . Yeah, pretty much....😄😄😄

[@manjitahzan9577]

How would a Knight pee and poop when wearing the full suit of armour?

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

A very interesting question! Unfortunately, as far as we understand from contemporary texts - they just went to the toilet in their armour. It sounds pretty gross but if you consider it could be a choice between life and death if you remove parts of your armour to defecate then it's an easy choice to make (plus it would be their squires and servants who clean the armour afterwards anyway!) I am currently working on a video about leg armour during the medieval period and part of that will be discussing soldiers and how they often forwent leg armour in favour of being lighter, having more energy and being faster on campaign. There are texts from the Harfleur campaign in 1415 with King Henry V describing how dysentery was a big problem for the English soldiers (they contracted it during the several months long siege at the French city of Harfleur due to staying stagnant in their camps for a long time). While the English soldiers were on the march through France, they apparently had the backs of their hose undone so they didn't have to stop to defecate. The English soldiers were riddled with diarrhea yet still managed to march over 25 miles a day during the march from Harfleur to Agincourt. I discuss this a little in my Battle of Agincourt video which is in my Historical Battles playlist - looks of great armour in that video too!

[@manjitahzan9577]

@@AlexTheHistoryGuy Thanks for replying my question ! I agree about choosing between safety and hygiene and most people tend to prioritise safety first, at least for a short amount of time. For longer periods of time, it will become a massive problem regarding the health issues.

[@fredericmari8871]

Tying up more knots than a sailor…

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

The bane of any knight's life is losing or breaking his point ties.

[@elijahjamesperez8936]

Sabatons where??????

[@mitchelllawrence7407]

There’s a tonne of depictions with and without them. On this particular day I went without and prefer the mobility without.

[@MsMatcauthon]

And a Knight should be helped by his valet, not his wife.

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Valet, squire, wife - same thing!

[@tatumergo3931]

He's a very poor knight from the countryside who can barely affords his armour. So he doesn't have enough money for a valet.

[@MsMatcauthon]

@@tatumergo3931 that is nonsensical

[@tatumergo3931]

@@MsMatcauthon . Well what can you do? You're a poor knight in the medieval Norman countryside, who only inherited from your father a small farmstead and an old harness. So you go to war to improve your chances at success. Maybe you'll be lucky enough and survive the first battle, giving you the opportunity to capture some horses and some loot. Maybe even capture an enemy knight from whom you can gain some money. If things continue to improve like that you might even rise to become Marshall....

[@MsMatcauthon]

@@tatumergo3931 and it never happened.

[@Chertoff88]

You got to be real skinny to fit in that stuff

[@AlexTheHistoryGuy]

Knights of the medieval period were indeed the pinnacle of fitness. We heavily underestimate how fit and healthy a knight or career soldier had to be.

[@tatumergo3931]

Not necessarily skinny but in an athletic shape. More like a track & field type, than a bodybuilder physique. True that knights and men-at-arms were the athletes of the period. But that would have been something easily accomplished when your sole entire life was just dedicated to that. Much like a modern soldier today, the majority of the time is spent in training and exercising. Also their diet would have been more substantial than that one of the average peasant.