How a Medieval KNIGHT wears their ARMOUR: New armour put on and tested

[@scholagladiatoria]

See how my new harness (armour) is put on, and then first tests are done. The armour was made by Radoslaus the Armourer. Video with kind help from @ZacharyEvans - arming doublet by Robert Taillour - facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064317453230

[@scholagladiatoria]

Apologies for the blank 5 minutes at the end of the video. I have no idea why that is there!!

[@angryeliteultragree6329]

What is your opinion of Maximilian armor, and could I rock it with a Teutonic winged greathelm?

[@seriousmaran9414]

Armour should be tight, especially the codpiece 😊

[@peterchristiansen9695]

@@seriousmaran9414I dunno - there may be occasions, where you might prefer a little extra “room”… 🤔😁

[@seriousmaran9414]

@@peterchristiansen9695 NOOOO! Make them scream! 😈

[@markkodryk829]

You are a brave man. Golden armor will attract a lot of bandits.

[@PROVOCATEURSK]

We call them teenagers now.

[@themastermason1]

More sparring practice

[@avalonjustin]

@@PROVOCATEURSK I hear falchions are quite effective against them, though I haven't tried it myself.

[@Aegor1998]

Well you gotta pay for the armor somehow.

[@ulfhedtyrsson]

You call them bandits, we call them self delivered loot containers.

[@ricebrown1]

Two of my favorite knights on youtube. The Medieval Cinematic Universe rides again!

[@btrenninger1]

Plus, need to get Matt to lay down on a slab and put on a serene expression so we can see how his future effigy will look.

[@DylanSwayneHughes]

then get a 3d scanner and scan it so we can 3d print a Matt effigy

[@dequitem]

I see. Now you are ready for a duel with me. ❤ I am waiting for you. Have you already plans to visit Germany for Harnischfechten symposium or the Feldlager of Arne Koets? I would love to meet and duel you there!!!

[@russellfisher1303]

Maybe, just as a nod, you can do a bout with Matt using a mace and you using a falchion?

[@antonius.martinus]

I think that armor might be a bit fancy for it to be getting bashed around with metal weapons. He might want to get one specific for armored fighting

[@scholagladiatoria]

I don't think I can make it this year, but in any case the armour is not quite ready yet as the helmet needs some alterations unfortunately. But I am sure it will happen eventually :-)

[@dequitem]

@@scholagladiatoria that sounds okay to me. If necessary, I can also lend you a closed helmet, I have two forged by myself for my stile of harness fencing, but I have every confidence that you can manage it with your great baskinet and the paldrones until we finally meet.

[@tabletoptales7679]

I love how in this day and age, men are challenging one another to a gentlemanly duel over the internet.

[@Clavix_and_Bob]

The music makes you feel mat is heading to a fight where he knows he will not coming back home from. 😅

[@SMac86]

He must be preparing to campaign against Robert Bruce. 😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@marcusviniciuscristo3551]

@@SMac86as he jumps and frolics around, unbeknownst to his fate

[@TheBuddel]

@@SMac86after jumping back in time a 100 years lol

[@mohammadtausifrafi8277]

He seems used to going to battles and never returning home time and time again.

[@danielhurst8863]

Congrats on the new armor. I'm not a big fan of the blue arming jacket. It looks great, but because it stands out so much, it highlights the unprotected areas, especially around your elbows. Now, you are not really fighting, so it doesn't matter from a practical point of view, and looks are probably a higher priority. From fencing, my mind immediately goes to small open targets, but I'll be an exception in that regard. Edit: the gold reflections on your armor at the event was amazing!!

[@tamaiofthesea]

I don’t think it shows up all that much when he’s fully armoured, only really at the elbows and anyone with a brain is immediately just going to know where the gaps are just by looking at it. Plus people in armour loved to show off their wealth

[@mwhyte1979]

As heard in Matt's neighbors house, " honey, Matts gone full medieval again."

[@coopercummings8370]

I would consider either a longer bracer portion of the arms or cuff on the gauntlets, there appears to be a fairly easily covered gap between them as it is set up now, and also some optional maille voiders for the inside of the elbow. The gaps are fairly small, but they really stand out with that bright blue arming doublet.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yes I agree.

[@adderallpaul]

Jeez imagine being a conscripted pike/spearman and seeing a bunch of guys kitted out like that coming at you. So scary. Great looking kit Matt!

[@pmin5554]

I would have been an archer back then, for sure. As far away from the actual battle as possible 😂

[@texasbeast239]

2:01 "I've also got lots of things dangling DOWN HERE." 👀 --Matt Easton, 2024

[@ilari90]

@5:06 "You need someone to go down there and FIDDLE AROUND... hoiking something up..."

[@texasbeast239]

2:42 "There is gonna be some experimentation going on here, so we're gonna do--essentially, we're gonna step outside in the garden. We're gonna put stuff on, and ah, speed it up so you don't have to sit through the whole thing at kinda real-time speed."

[@texasbeast239]

20:21 "For those of you are curious, we won't show the 'getting off,' so to speak..."

[@johncullen9436]

And not the slight implication of a double entendre; which would have been normal, dare I say standard, for Matt. He was being very well behaved in the presence of his squire.

[@Not_An_Alien]

He's got more dangling down there than even Big Mike.

[@lscibor]

13:00 Wonder if Matt noticed getting hit in that helmet, or maybe thought Zac'd been fly swatting.

[@mohammadtausifrafi8277]

Yeah, blunt force trauma is overrated nowadays.

[@sardinho]

Love the music, almost surreal with the dance in the armour and the dark music towards the end of the first half

[@mikedittsche]

Beautiful armour. But I honestly liked the blackened armour more.

[@Drikkerbadevand]

I like both. I like this one more

[@bentrieschmann]

I would be scared of messing up the mirror polish.

[@xidarian]

Yeah. I like this one but the black armor looked cooler to me.

[@mohammadtausifrafi8277]

​@@xidarianIndeed.

[@Leftyotism]

0:32 Fun fact: Fan is actually short for fanatic!

[@0rderofTheWhiteLotus]

It would be very interesting to see you do a range-of-motion video with various weapons and styles, and exploring different armor adaptations to improve range vs. protection!

[@ponod]

I LOVE this harness its just as cool looking as the blued one imo

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Idk why but @6:30 played at 1.5x playback had me doubled over laughing. 😂 Always good to see Zach on the channel. I really liked the black armor but this one is way cooler, I especially like the brass accents it really makes the armor pop. Great choice Matt 👍👍

[@JensBoerner]

Gratulations on your new suit of armour! Applause for attaching arms to the maille sleeves, one thing I preach a lot: stop attaching everything to the doublet, instead attach the layers onto each other, especially since the maille "bolero" can move freely. Shoutout to @ZacharyEvans also. See you in Lauchröden one day soon hopefully.

[@btrenninger1]

New HEMA tournament idea: fastest getting into armor contest.

[@martinhg98]

I second this

[@mattjack3983]

That's dumb

[@mementomori4972]

Not everyone wars the same armor, or even the same "amount" of armor. How would this be fair?

[@btrenninger1]

@@mementomori4972 Sure. But so what? It'd be fun. Fairness isn't the point.

[@btrenninger1]

@@mattjack3983 Yes. Yet it'd be fun.

[@Leftyotism]

Thanks for being Matt Easton!

[@angelmeier4382]

He will continue to be!

[@Leftyotism]

@@angelmeier4382 Exactly!

[@SeattleJeffin]

Lovely harness Matt, may it serve you well.

[@hodeimota3735]

12:04 this is so funny with the music XD

[@LeonM4c]

White and Gold suits you Matt, looks GREAT! Thanks for sharing with us!

[@peterchristiansen9695]

Matt - at classic “Buster Keaton”-pace - putting on a mail-miniskirt, just for Us… We are truly pampered and blessed! 🤣👍🏻

[@JohnMcKLV]

I have to say this is one of your most enjoyable vids-it's like watching a kid get that christmas gift he's been pining after, and it exceeds expectations! Coincidentally I'm supposed to have my first HEMA helmet and gloves delivered in the next four hours, and so it's a good day for me to see this.

[@animalxINSTINCT89]

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS

[@darkmattergamesofficial]

Wow, looks awesome! Great work putting this together!

[@camilstoenescu]

And that's why every knight needed a squire.

[@mattjack3983]

True story. Squires were definitely an important integral part of being a Knight. It would be impossible to get all that on properly by yourself.

[@mementomori4972]

@@mattjack3983 Yeah, and knights were definitely an important part of being a squire. It would be impossible to get all that on properly by yourself.

[@Teknokraatti]

@@mattjack3983 Squires are handy for a knight, but the idea that they are a necessity for wearing armor is silly. Men-at-arms and mercenary heavy cavalry often didn't have squires, but they helped each other don their armor and often had completely comparable protection to their noble counterparts. Rich Italian mercenaries would have likely had better armor than poorer nobles at their heyday in the 14th-15th century. Medieval armies had the curious trait of consisting of more than one soldier. Point being, if there was stuff to be done that could not be done alone, it wasn't altogether impossible to find a mate to assist.

[@Ladzee]

Just visited an old danish church from somwhere around year 1100-1200. They had old scripts with information of different warriors and knights. It stated their height, favorite weapon and how many squires they had under them. One guy had 8 squires under him - favorite weapon? Two handed mace, with an axe as a backup (34cm)

[@mohammadtausifrafi8277]

​@@LadzeeDid he even need any help wearing his mail?

[@Mathias-x6n1q]

Oh Matt, this is quite a treat. My goodness what a fine harness indeed!! Looks like something straight out of a manuscript or Graham Turner painting!

[@Sigma-0007_Septem]

What an impressive harness. And tanky too. The hits did not seem to phase you at all. Καλοφόρετη!(May you enjoy wearing it) Can't wait to see how the harness will evolve over time. Thank you for sharing!

[@scottfoster9452]

At last! Bravo guys this has been an enjoyable presentation of a brilliant wonderful new harness! 👍✌️

[@ShinkoAlter]

Always great to see a new video, Matt! Might I suggest uploading a time lapse of putting the armor on as a Short if you haven't already? Ive seen them from other channels and they seem to do well and generate interest in people ignorant of armor. Either way I love these longer videos, keep at it!

[@mohammadtausifrafi8277]

Yeah, some people, specially regular audience members like me, like the long version, but the general audience likes short versions.

[@mullraugh2571]

Could you post the link to the gentleman who made your arming garment? Thanks :)

[@scholagladiatoria]

facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064317453230

[@mullraugh2571]

@@scholagladiatoria Thank you kindly :)

[@TheGuyThatEnjoysArguments]

⁠@@scholagladiatoriaWho is the fellow that made the armour?

[@Kroiznacher]

So beautiful to know that Zach is getting you off

[@ZhouTie47]

That armor looks so stylish, asymmetrical as well which adds massively to the cool factor.

[@raysstlyn6346]

Congrats! That armor looks amazing! ✨

[@myleft9397]

Would love to hear more about it, the exposed bits at backs of elbows and knees and if you're planning to add anything there, what's with the collar or lack of it, why are the pauldrons different, if you felt those wacks, future adjustments, please do a series!

[@markwilliams4264]

Great video. Cant wait for the historical videos

[@Leftyotism]

I always like the stick whacking test!

[@iDEATH]

It's kind of neat that once Matt gets fully suited up in all that steel that he makes the poleax look like a dainty little thing. Wild. I think I like the old black armour more, but that's just a matter of taste. This new one is damn fine too. Always cool to see Zac make and appearance here as well!

[@grantd771]

Simply put, that's really f*****g awesome! Congrats.

[@mrzed587]

nice armour!

[@jamesbeeching6138]

Great video Matt...Very shiny, very chrome!! This shows why knights had squires! I've got 2 questions: 1-In battle if you need the loo...you just go in your harness and let your squire clean it up!! 2-The straps look quite vulnerable...What would be the effect on the harness if a few were cut??

[@coopercummings8370]

With regards to 2, most of the straps are covered, and the ones that aren't are not entirely critical, the obvious ones hold the visor of the bascinet down, but it will tend to stay down on its own, and hold the placard (the plate that covers the stomach) to the breastplate, but it is also held on with straps on the side or around the back, which would still hold it in place if the top strap was cut, a gap between the placard and breastplate would open, but it is really hard to thrust downward from above the placard to take advantage, it would hinder your arm movement but still offer most of the same protection. That being said, some later armors, particulary German styles, saw that potential issue and used rivets instead.

[@jamesbeeching6138]

@@coopercummings8370 cheers

[@jungoder1085]

You can lift up the plate skirt and pull your breeches down in armour, you might have to take your gauntlets off and undo the lacing on the top of the leg harness and hosen though But after that you would be able to do whatever you need to do lol And everything you’re removing is stuff you can put back on yourself anyway

[@hrodvitnir6725]

Actually looked kinda scary swinging that pole axe around, big skinny metal beast, sort of! Really cool armour Matt, hope it works out well for you :)

[@jrockoclock7088]

dude the paldrons are easily the coolest part, asymmetric design looks dope as hell

[@Felimes]

The bright colored arming garments are a really cool visual aid to get across exactly HOW protective the armor must be, particularly as you're moving. The fleeting glimpses of the cloth really drive home how difficult it would be to jab someone in those gaps without getting them down on the ground.

[@pakgrims]

Beautiful harness!

[@theg0z0n]

I've been so excited for this video! I cannot wait to watch it!

[@EriktheRed2023]

Very classy look, too!

[@philparkinson462]

It's a long time since I visited Tewkesbury but had loads of fun there in the early '90's representing The Ferrers Household. Also remember a scrap at Scarborough castle where the trebuchet fired potatoes at us. Quite painful on contact 😂

[@Jim-ed3ej]

Looks amazing, I love the great bascinet and the pauldrons

[@JonFelix-m6p]

Looks good man! 😊❤❤

[@Leftyotism]

Beautiful set or armor!

[@hraefn1821]

This would be a hilarious and potentially wholesome detail to include in fantasy games...party members helping each other into their armor. XD I like to imagine in Dragon's Dogma that your main pawn serves as your squire. This also gives me a video idea Matt. If it hasn't been done already, how about a video discussing the best armor for a fantasy adventurer? Someone who will be walking a lot and needs to be able to don their armor by themselves if needed. I'm thinking brigandine and mail, maybe jackchains.

[@jamespuckett9753]

He did. Look up fantasy realistic on the channel.

[@hraefn1821]

@@jamespuckett9753 My bad and thanks for pointing me the right way! Cheers!

[@adambielen8996]

I'm pretty sure that many do. Normally it halves the time to put on the armor.

[@hishamg]

Henry manages to put full plate armour on all by himself in Kingdom Come Deliverance! Unless Mutt is helping him with his vambraces and spaulders. I agree though, this is why you always need companions in Medieval/Fantasy video games.

[@hraefn1821]

@@hishamg Over realism = bad. Fun realism, especially when it leads to more character interaction and relationships = very good.

[@LarryGarfieldCrell]

Fascinating that you say it needs help go put on. Metatron had a few videos a whole back talking about putting full harness in himself. I look forward to the response video duel. :-)

[@CruelDwarf]

On video this armor almost works as optical camouflage. When it reflects green things from the front and you stand on the green background, it almost blends.

[@scholagladiatoria]

That is a REALLY interesting point that I had not really considered.

[@Putin-man]

In dense woods he would be almost invisible like the Predator

[@LordsEnigma]

With the gold color it really "pops" and looks great :) grats

[@HobieH3]

I can sympathize with Zac's pulled muscle. Did the same thing myself, only it was a jar of peanut butter. :/

[@Glimmlampe1982]

I trapped myself in my gambeson once 😂 armor is dangerous (when I got it I obviously had to try it on. It's a thick stand alone (literally) armor, I got into it quite easily as it just slips on like a sweatshirt. But because it's stiff like a board, I struggled to get it off again. In fact I don't understand how I did it without cutting it open !D)

[@wormdao]

awesome armour. thx for showing

[@daemonharper3928]

It looks great - and great fun to be lanced too!

[@isamartell]

Looks great!

[@garygibson133]

Congrats, spectacular work. The great basinet from Fedric the I field armor works well for HEMA foot sparing (especially if you like Pollaxes as I do), but as you indicate need spaulders you may find different arm armor needed for foot and mounted work.

[@Galvantez]

The footage of putting the armor on felt like a silent film.

[@Putin-man]

Yes, it should have been black&white and only add color at the end for the full armor

[@Not_An_Alien]

Needed the Benny Hill theme music.

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video guys I like the black armor but this one looks really good also 👍🏻

[@gunnerbhb50]

I've always preferred black armor, perhaps it's because hardly anyone wants to be the Black night, I have some pits and pieces of armor that I'm restoring and so far I've gotten the great helm done and I've got it painted gloss black and the cross bar on the face is painted gloss red, my wife is going to make my surcoat out of black cloth and we will stich a red tutonic cross on the front and back

[@PalleRasmussen]

12:27 I was going to inquire about that.

[@Conan3145]

Great video. As a movie watcher: 1. Armour as seen in Excalibur 😀. 2. You may be vulnerable to The Gimli Manoeuvre (LOTR 2, The Battle at Helm’s Deep) aka an axe blow to the groin. I expect that would hurt quite a lot. 😳

[@dstovell]

Just came by to say thank you for being wonderful. In a world full of hate and anger, you are an oasis of hope 💜

[@michelguevara151]

a magnificent harness , matt! you definitely need spalders for the bascinet. I don't think I've ever seen a harness with spaldrons and bascinet, and I saw a lot of armours in the '70s!

[@mistercroc9407]

Fearsome set with the poleaxe

[@anteerceg527]

I was actually looking for an armour smith to make me that exact same 1455. 102. cuirass from the museum in Bern for months now, because I find it so stunning. The curvatures, the outline, it's so neat. But unfortunately I haven't been able to find a craftsman yet. I've been looking at polish and hungarian ones mostly since I live in eastern Europe. Seeing the reproduction on you makes me want it even more now!

[@ZacharyEvans]

Try Art of Steel from Ukraine

[@Osekin7]

Watching Matt tryong on his new armour is made all the more fun when the Hims anti-baldness advert comes on...

[@watchthe1369]

The girdle of woman's fashion was also nominally a part of a man's armor, it helped spread the weight of the leg harness over the body by transfering some weight to the hips.

[@kingmaker2865]

Damn that armour is pure swag!. Looks very similar to one of graham turner's pictures of the Earl of warwick. Your going to be a beast on the field, Thankgod I'm on the yorkist side at Tewkesbury... ;)

[@tigerbesteverything]

it would be intersting to compare medieval knots tomodern ones used to attach different things.

[@BunnyOfThunder]

So fun to see the real deal in armor! Though I want to know about the toes on Frederick the Victorious...

[@OBXDewey]

This is awesome! 😊

[@Ladzee]

What a spectacle to have witnessed back then. "A knight in shining armor" - The amount of time it must've took to polish all that steel.

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

It's funny watching Matt bouncing around in high speed. :D

[@AllaMortify]

6:52 Matt learns how hard it is to put on a miniskirt over shoes.

[@keithhagler502]

If only this were in black and white. It's exactly like an early silent film. Even the music. It's great!!

[@SweGunner71]

And thus were coined the expression "like an arrow to the knee", referring to the weak spot behind the knee and the lower part of the backside of the thigh. In 1287 at the Battle of Ikidunaughte 45 french kniggits were felled by english longbower archers precisely so.

[@bencoomer2000]

Reminds me of some of the miniatures I've painted. The silver and gold always is a nice effect on armor.

[@JohnMcKLV]

Best Unboxing Ever!

[@rescue00751]

My compliments, Sir!

[@SergeantSniper]

Beautiful armor. And puts into perspective, for the fantasy TTRPG roleplayers, how much effort goes into just putting on a fully articulated plate harness.

[@King.Leonidas]

i play gurps so i know. it's very very expensive, but it's the best armour you can get.

[@alfrednOObel2]

One thing that always intrigues me about armor harnesses is that there are many leather straps sticking out. I always think that they can be cut during combat. How probable is that? I don't think that it would expose a vulnurability as most pieces are strapped in more than one place, but it could change how it moves and impede your mobility.

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

Cool armour and great illustration of the process.I saw a bit on Modern History TV where Jason was talking about maille underpants to give "complete" protection of the nether regions. I know you don't need this for your activities but perhaps you could comment on it in the future. Thank you once again for some good stuff. Cheers!

[@Howlrunner82]

Thats a real nice looking suit of armor ❤

[@ramoverde4133]

A beautiful armor you have there. 👍

[@Csatadi]

7:05 I never thought I will ever see Matt wearing a mini skirt and a bolero.

[@Nom_AnorVSJedi]

Awesome new armor, congrats! Can you do a vid on Mountain Scale Armor? Was it a real thing or myth?

[@gamerid6507]

reenactments looks fun

[@TrueMentorGuidingMoonlight]

Hey Matt, I happened to notice that your kit doesn't have a maille standard. You made a video about how important the collar was, so I was surprised you didn't have one here.

[@jarodmasci3445]

I used to consider armor a type of clothing, with people altering it for fashion reasons primarily.....but now it seems like a better analogy would be custom cars/hot rods/street racing. Especially when mounted. It's expensive, functional, and creative. Like art that you can keep improving on

[@SMac86]

Pretty epic! What is the purpose of that gap in the plate by your right armpit? It doesn’t exist on the left side.

[@scholagladiatoria]

For couching a lance.

[@SMac86]

@scholagladiatoria Makes sense! Are you getting into jousting then? Is there a way to cover that area if you are not going to be using a lance? Thanks

[@pmin5554]

@@SMac86yeah in the video there is other armour with a disc there under the arm pit with a nodule in the middle. Looks a little like a flattened boob!

[@Shozb0t]

But is the armor reactive? How are you going to repel those crossbow bolts?

"How shiny you want your armor?" "YES"

[@arathergrumpyturtle]

Fantastic armor Mr. Easton. The golden bits certainly seem to be in line with the Burgundian inspiration. I might have missed it but did you mention any sources for your sallet? It looks quintessentially English. I always love the big decorative rivets.