Medieval Helmets: The Hounskull or 'Pig-Faced' Bascinet c.1400

The hounskull or 'pig-faced' bascinet was incredibly popular right across Europe between about 1380 and 1420. Here we have a look at a good quality replica and consider some aspects of the design of this great medieval helmet.

[@spyrofrost9158]

Hounskull is probably my favorite helmet, very knightly, perhaps tied with the Sallet for my favorite.

[@roffels11-gamingandhistory69]

Agreed

[@ryankiesow1418]

I think the hounskull offers better arrow protection but limits hearing and visability. I'm a barbute man myself

[@roffels11-gamingandhistory69]

@@ryankiesow1418 A smart choice. Like every compromise it offers downsides and advantages: thrusts, knife cuts and bolts/arrows can harm you, but most cuts from large blades (swords, Kriegsmesser, axes) cannot harm your face while you see and breath well. In my opinion the Y-shaped barbute with its nasal is the most protective version of this helmet. The Y-shape limits potential thrusts to three small targets (two eyes and one mouth). The T-shape exposes the nose too. The hounskull requires an unnatural approach: the wearer has to open the visor to orientate/walk and close it during fights... with all the downsides the visor has...

[@Kurogumo]

Same, though sallets remind me of a bunker. Barbutes can go die in a fire though.

[@michaelsullenberger6730]

Gotta love a sallet and bevor myself. Articulated throat protection can't be underestimated, and that extra throat protection sits on the chest rather than making the helmet part heavier than it would be. No real problem openings except the eyes, and that's just about every helmet you can see out of well. Plus it makes you look like 80s robocop.

[@WarhorseStudios]

Amazing video about one of our favorite helmets :)

[@danielking470]

KCD was the first thing I thought of when watching this.

[@onik_dovah4354]

same

[@mlgfrog2470]

I LOVE HOUNSKULL IN KDC THAT'S WHY I'M HERE LOL. Didn't expect you here :)

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Same I’ll be getting one when I can

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

The Modern History TV guy tried aiming a lance point at the vision slits on a hounskull, and found it very difficult indeed. The helmet coped with multiple lance strikes extremely well.

[@robbikebob]

I used to fight in a 13th century great helm with breaths at both sides and found that for 80% of the time, while fighting, I looked through the breaths as they gave me much better vision than the eye slits. My liner slipped once and covered the breaths and it became almost impossible to see. If it had been period (without health and safety) I would have 100% ditched the helm! All I could see otherwise was the head and shoulders of my opponent. You had to guess where his sword was by the position of his head!

[@HamsterPants522]

Visibility could vary a lot even between each individual great helm. Historically, I've seen ones with pathetic visibility, and ones with compromising amounts of visibility.

[@Altrantis]

About the whole chucking of the visor: I have always argued that people trying to do things like fighting in a way that tries to protect their sword's edge by parrying with the flat are wrong. They're trying to protect their gear, which people in melee combat in a real battle wouldn't do. It's like being protective of your car's airbags, the whole reason you're carrying the visor around is to help you not die. If you're more likely to die for having it around, you toss it, maybe even *at* the enemy. It's not like in video games where you're going to keep fighting forever, this is likely the only pitch battle you're ever going to be in and there's a significant chance you'll die, so who cares about your gear? You can always buy anew visor or sword or whatever, *after*.

[@JerodimusPrime]

I think you don't understand just how expensive quality swords and armor were in medieval times, and parrying with the flat of the sword helps keep the blade sharp and helps prevent it breaking-- which will probably get you killed if you're close enough for swordplay.

[@robertharris6092]

@@JerodimusPrime what good does it do to preserve your gear if you're dead though? pitch battles are incredibly rare in history. if you're fighting one you better try your damnest to survive.

[@kiteofdark]

Yeah I can imagine an enemy with a polearm just slapping that visor back down and nearly blinding you during combat.

[@nutyyyy]

@@JerodimusPrime That's really irrelevant your life is worth infinitely more than a sword. If you had to sacrifice your car to save your life you do it. Plus a visor is hardly a massive expense for a man at arms or Knight to cover. Often they had multiples made at one time. Considering that armour evolved by the decade and many nobles had harness made specifically for a campaign or tournament chucking away a visor that you could possibly even recover afterwards is not an issue at all

[@keithkania3810]

Knights armor in medieval times was like in comparison bringing a tank to a gun fight, you’re very unlikely to get destroyed unless someone uses weapons specifically made to counter your armor. During the times that knight armor was used armies mainly consisted of serfs with some mercenaries and conscripts with basic weapons and armor thrown in the mix, most weapons brought to battle consisted of sharp weapons meant for cutting through flesh while acting as a poor blunt instrument for fighting highly trained men in a full suit of armor who were barely if at all hindered by it. Any weapons meant for taking down knights typically had a blunt or very heavy portion meant to crunch/pierce armor such as a mace, war hammer, crossbow, or even a pollaxe. So it would make sense for knights; who typically would fight inferior opponents who had less training, equipment that doesn’t cost as much as a hamlet, and rarely had any weapons meant for fighting knights; They just wouldn’t wan’t to waste the money repairing an extremely expensive set of equipment on taking down someone who couldn’t really kill them even if the knight let them get 20 free blows.

[@RedHandedGod]

From now on, optimists should be called 'bascinet is half-open' types, and pessimists should be called 'bascinet is half-closed' types.

[@CruelDwarf]

Half-open setting for the visor actually makes surprising amount of sense.

[@Theduckwebcomics]

Would probably get knocked down too easily. Sallet visitors have this position when fully closed so it was fully supersceded anyway later on.

[@horuslux8441]

One day we're going to open a video with Matt and he'll be wearing a set of Superdry riveted mail over a Superdry gambeson. It will be glorious.

[@Zajuts149]

*Matt closes the visor on his Bascinet* [Heavy breathing intensifies!]

[@mallardtheduck406]

I always liked that helmet... -"It doesn't give you that volume, that stiffness". -Matt Easton end of 2019

[@chemusvandergeek1209]

The last time I was this early, these bascinets weren't in use.

[@harjutapa]

9:03 - "facehole" is now in my vocabulary

[@CanalTremocos]

Facehole: Thing I don't want other things to rise up and get in to.

[@viridisxiv766]

right next to `cakehole` mmmm cake...

[@ollifoxbow9123]

Such a beautiful and iconic piece of equipment, augmented by the magnificence of its functional design. I love it to see the big picture when aesthetics and technology come together. The bascinet is also so interesting because, without visor, it is, to my knowledge, quite socially agnostic if you take a look at retained archers in noble households.

[@jesseradefeld3959]

I've loved medieval arms and armor since I was a young boy. It started with tv, movies, fantasy, and the legends of King Arthur and quickly evolved into a love of and interest in the real thing. I only discovered your channel in the past two years or so but it has brought me so much knowledge, and more importantly, joy, that I just had to tell you. I find helms especially evocative and - if I'm ever feeling down I know that you've got a video somewhere that I can lose myself in. I find myself often relaying things to my friends that I've learned from you (I consider you a reliable source) and while I always want to credit your channel, niche as it is, I don't really know how to give credit where it's due in an impactful way. From a not so young page to a modern King Arthur I just want to thank you for your generosity and passion. You are the man! Much love from a New Yorker living in China!

[@Martinos1991]

Given the frequency with which the historical sources mention knights and men at arms perishing because of heat stroke, I really can't imagine they kept their visors down a second longer than they absolutely had to. Getting that fresh air inside your body, cooling you down is as essential as the improved vision. So yeah I'm with you on this one, Matt!

[@zacharycondon1098]

Its amazing how well designed that cheeky beaky helmet is!

[@mandodelorian4668]

Beakies Rule!

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

He missed an opportunity for a laugh. "Going to the toilet.. undoing your hose" to get your hose out ;)

[@XanderCottrell]

i love the hounskull, it looks so goofy and neat :P one of my favourites

[@ClaudioGrecoPhD]

When you said Battle of Poitiers for a second I imagined Charles Martel with a bascinet... and then I remember that what the French call Bataille de Poitiers you call the Battle of Tours :D

[@quaesitrix881]

Same here ! Except that I had no idea that the name refered to a different battle in english... I was so puzzled ! ^_^

[@rileyernst9086]

I think it's worth mentioning that if your visor is heavily damaged by a spear/lance/crossbow strike you'd discard it. This is another possible reason why you'd like to be able to unpin it and throw it away. For the occulars I like the term 'sights' as in "I"VE GOT THE BEAST IN ME SIGHTS!"

[@carebear8762]

Funny Matt talks about tanks after discussing the trade-off between vision and situational awareness and protection. Made me think of The Chieftain talking about different tank cupola styles and national practices in tank tactics.

[@alexandersarchives9615]

A great Bascinet found in Sudan?! I honestly didn’t believe it until I found it on the British Museum’s online collection.

[@PANCAKEMINEZZ]

I've always loved these helmets. If I ever get enough money to get a full kit together, I'm absolutely using this helmet. I've always loved the beak design, reminds me of a bird.

[@garrenbrooks9703]

As soon as i saw the thumbnail, i knew Ian's name was gonna come up

[@lmaolmoo4147]

I miss him

[@lucanic4328]

After seeing the helmet on, I was really hoping for a rolling pin throwback

[@Riceball01]

Same here. Missed opportunity.

[@derstoffausdemderjoghurtis]

Next time, sure

[@davidchi8914]

What's the original rolling pin video?

[@ericmitchell985]

@@davidchi8914 Search for '15th century sallet - a popular medieval helmet' and you'll find it.

[@davidchi8914]

@@ericmitchell985 Thank you!

[@abnunga]

Aah, the Space Marine MK VI style helmet :D

[@harjutapa]

11:20 - "Amazingly, I don't have a sword to hand" Arming sword over Matt's right shoulder: Am I a joke to you?

[@colbunkmust]

not the right period arming sword though, the one on the wall is a 11th or 12th century sword, not late 14th early 15th. It's just as non contemporary as using a17th century rapier or backsword.

[@scholagladiatoria]

I couldn't possible use a sword of the wrong century. I may as well just delete my channel and sell all my swords.

[@harjutapa]

@@scholagladiatoria that's fair

[@KMDDiver]

I think it would be really interesting to see what the difference is in sparing between wearing the helmet with the visor down and up. Perhaps you can stage a demonstration sometime with a sparing partner?

[@johncannon3593]

I used to think they looked silly, but in recent years have really come to love these helms.

[@didelphidae5228]

Same for me.

[@Rain-if6wk]

I love these helmets! Awesome vid

[@omariscovoador7486]

21:55 this reminded me of that type of helmet often remembered as the "robocop" style

[@robertharris6092]

Sallet?

[@ShuajoX]

As far as defense alone goes, it looks very practical to me. Good eye protection, at the cost of limited visibility. Nicely shaped visor and helmet, aiding in deflecting blows from many angles.

[@mastercage8425]

i own one it has pretty great vison

[@micheal49]

I learn so much from watching your videos. Thank you much, sir!

[@RKarmaKill]

Very excellent presentation and informative 👏

[@duchessskye4072]

I would argue that an aventail (or coif) without a liner is still somewhat useful. It does stop your throat from getting cut at least. Mail coifs are often very tight-fitting and some depictions make me wonder if there even is any liner behind there or if it just sits on the skin On the visors thing being up or removed though there definitely is a lot of support for it. Pietro Monte even describes how it is important to have a visor that can move because of breathing, and how an experienced fighter can defend their face well anyway (This is where commenting before the vid is over comes to bite me in the ass cause I gotta add this now) As for wearing the visor halfway up, while I indeed have not seen it described or depicted there are mentions of bascinets with 'half visors' in some inventories, which may build on the same idea.

[@MinSredMash]

Knyght Errant has a whole video about this, which makes it quite clear that there were often unlined aventails. Modern mail is just crap. Rings on an aventail would have the tightest weave found anywhere.

[@duchessskye4072]

I have indeed seen Ians videos, but my memory is not the greatest and I tend to forget details

[@kfrikuj2180]

wonderful video on a wonderful style of helm that I think is one of the most intimidating looking helms I've ever seen. T

[@eirikronaldfossheim]

Was not just from fear. They feared it *because* the arrows by their force [lit: hostility] penetrated [ruptura] the sides and visors [lit: cover] of their helmets. Gesta.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Sure. That this is mentioned at all suggests it was exceptional and unusual. It also suggests (as I have long argued) that the archery was primarily used at close range and from the sides.

[@eirikronaldfossheim]

​@@scholagladiatoria This incident happened when the French men-at-arms marched line abreast towards the archers on the flanks and were forced to retreat and go towards the 3 English 'battles' in the center instead. The reason for why this is mentioned is probably because the penetration of the sides and visors of their helmets caused most of the casualties and injuries they suffered. It was probably not as exceptional and unusual as some people think, taken into consideration how the French men-at-arms were drawn out on a line at this stage and not bunched up. If we examine the metal quality of surviving plate armour (see link) and how little angled strikes get deflected by poor quality armour, it probably happened quite often. During the Warbow trials 2005, a properly case-hardened lozenge shaped arrowhead penetrated this quality multiple times to 8 cm at a 60 degree angle when the plate was 1.15 mm and the KE was 92 Joule. Poor quality steel does not deflect arrows. When the French men-at-arms came to a halt in front of the English men-at-arms, they were standing like fish in a barrel. The archers on the flanks started to shoot arrows into this large group of men from around 70 meters away. If we make a true, realistic map of the battlefield and the size of the formations, this becomes quite obvious. When the arrows were shot over the head of the French men-at-arms in the front, they came down at a 9 degree angle and struck the highest part further back - the sides and visors of the helmets. In this situation arrow shots were probably the main reason for why so many men-at-arms died, and not at all unusual. Of cause all the variable had to be there, such as arrows coming in from the flanks and at close range, but they forced this herding effect upon them deliberately with arrows in the beginning.This was a tactic developed by experience from Dupplin Moor to Sherwsbury. Not luck. Early during the barrage arrows probably predominately penetrated gaps. The penetration of the sides and visors of their helmets was probably not exceptional at medium to close range, because most of them had armour made of poor quality steel or wrought iron. I do not agree with the: "it was mentioned because it was exceptional and unusual" theory. Situational dependent, yes, but not unusual or exceptional. qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-103d1011937d5410ef64a028b635f09b

[@beardedbjorn5520]

20:35 legit belly laugh out of me with that one 😂

[@chiron14pl]

One other point about padding for the aventail involves beards. My memory of medieval art is that many, perhaps most men, wore beards. The technology of razors was not so well developed to make clean shaving as dominant as it has been in recent decades. Unpadded mail is going to catch on beards and pull hairs and cause discomfort whereas the padding prevents that.

[@sambakich7494]

My study says that shaving has gone in and out of style over the centuries. Thirteenth century early on, young and fashionable men seem to have preferred to be clean-shaven.

[@teromustalahti2903]

@@sambakich7494 I agree; it has very little to do with technology, especially if we talk about persons rich enough to always have a professional barber to do the shaving. Shaving yourself with a knife requires a sharp knife, a mirror, patience, skill and a steady hand, if you want to avoid embarrassing nicks. No wonder barbers used to be surgeons as well... What "safety" razors did was to make shaving yourself much faster and easier, and you can even do it without a mirror in a pinch.

[@furorfrisii7679]

Shaving was not a problem. Men shaved effectively since at LEAST a millenium, 2 millennia before the middle ages. There are a lote of shaving attributes from my ancestors- from 300 AFTER '0' - thus about 1000 years before 1300.

[@Blokewood3]

I've heard that the old-fashioned "cutthroat razor" shaves more closely than most modern razors do, although it's much more difficult to use and more likely to cut the person using it.

[@lorgarbeareroftheword5836]

One interesting thing to note is that most modern ballistic body armor are simply a "Coat of Plates" we just call them "Plate Carriers" now.

[@kurtscholz9384]

"Hundsgugel", its German name, can be translated as "dog hood", so it's dog faced bascinet. "hound+skull" has the same root of dog, not pig.

[@roffels11-gamingandhistory69]

Nur ein Schwein nennt die Hundsgugel "Schweinegesicht". Only a pig calls the hounskull "pig faced".

[@petrvcelak2634]

I really like the fact you mentioned - the way of wearing your visor half open/closed. I don't even dare to claim what people might think about it back then, but in my honest opinion I think that there are more ways of wearing your visor than opened and closed. Visor provides several way of wearing it so why to stuck with stiff idea of black or white, why not grey? My houndskul bascinet is reconstruction of bascinet from museum of Philadelphia, which has no mouth. My particular visor can be visually divided into 4 parts where holes are present right upper and lower parts and on left lower part (upper left has no holes such as yours). This replaces the mouth and I'm able to use breathing holes as you use your mouth to see trought it when visor is half lifted. I like this way of wearing my visor a lot as breathing is unrestricted and vision is limited just to the point where it still feels safe enough (incoming blow might fully close or fully open the visor but it was still there when the blow was delivered).

[@Fliegenpilzkonsument]

"Amazingly, I don't have a sword to hand" *has a whole wall of weapons behind him*

[@thevaf2825]

Half open could be a think. With tanks you can have the cupola in three positions for exactly the same reasons: open, open-protected (half open), and closed.

[@CombatRobert]

I'm jealous.. My visor is always crashing down! 28 min without clapping your face. Amazing!

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

Yours might be symmetrical. In his breakdown of the bassinet, Ian LaSpina pointed out that the visors were often attached slightly off kilter (not enough to notice unless you're looking for it) to give a little resistance to movement, and make it easier to hold the visor up. Not sure if I'm right or not, just a thought.

[@philipzahn491]

Matt with the visor halfway down looks like a very happy knight. 😁

[@alexandersarchives9615]

21:40 well, if we have half swording then we might as well have half visoring

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

Those holes in the bottom would probably also help encourage keeping your visor down when going uphill. Youd be able to see when looking up at that angle. Might prevent a "Henry V" type incident.

[@stephencotterill6868]

a great design very protective for a array of different engagements just a beautiful helmet well presented.

[@grendelgrendelsson5493]

I think I've seen or read about a great bascinet in the British Museum which was given to a British or French bloke by the Khedive of Egypt around 1850. On the other hand I might have dreamed it.

[@ishitrealbad3039]

"it looks silly" Don't be silly, these look fabulous!

[@G1NZOU]

I used to think they were silly as a kid, but now as an adult they're one of my favourite helmet designs.

[@lbshitkkers]

“I don’t have a sword at hand” literal wall of swords behind him

[@Dhomazhir]

In the SCA I noticed how often an aventail took the power out of blows by slowing the incoming weapon down and deflecting it slightly. When fighting on foot one might lean forward slightly and thus the aventail hangs away from me like a small curtain or when my head leaned to the side if a shot came for my neck it would get caught by the aventail and sometimes deflected into my shoulder. Finally it lowered the center of gravity of the helm and allowed the head to move less when I was hit by also adding a dragging weight.

[@mosesmarlboro5401]

I think most of the silliness of the helmet comes from the addition of the mouth slit, which basically looks like a meek little smile.

[@Jim58223]

Happy new year Matt.

[@gaiusmanus7959]

I love the Hounskull style of helmet, it's my favorite

[@alwaysangry2958]

I think the bottom breaths are probably mainly there for breathing. You don't really see them on other helmets even ones that project away from the face. Although medieval people wouldn't have known this, the carbon dioxide you breathe out is heavier than air meaning it would naturally find its way out of the helmet through these breaths due to their placement. It's also not an area youre likely to get hit in due to the shape of the helm, meaning a bit of an opening isn't much of a risk to the wearer. Going back to visors in close combat, with the houndskull types they can also be more of a hinderence than just not being able to see or hear, I do a lot of HMB (inb4 not historical reeeee, hear me out) and in a grappling situation those beaks make it really easy to manipulate your opponents head because they sit so far away from the wearers face and can offer great purchase for certain locks with polaxes. in a historical context this could make it real easy to bend your opponents head forwards/backwards and stick a dagger in the neck, or for just wrenching the helmet off completely.

[@pvrhye]

Even if they didn't know, it seems like an evolution that could naturally come about by trial and error.

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

Love the pigface helmets, along with the bellows face sallet one of my most loved helmet designs. At least with visored helmets, my favoutite open helmet is still the classic italian barbute. Classic looking, good protection, no restriction to view and breath. last one was the first helmet I got, second was the bellows face sallet. Still need to get me a nice reproduction of a pig face bascinet. In my opinion those three helmets are easily the more iconic knight helmets.

[@Riceball01]

Seeing the bascinet in "half" visor mode, I have to wonder if that was the inspiration (in part) for the sallet. I wonder if someone got so used to wearing their bascinet with the visor only halfway down, or seeing lots of others doing so, eventually commissioned a smith to make them a custom helmet that was a bascinet with only half of the visor. Then eventually this helmet caught on and/or evolved into a proper sallet.

[@SOLWK]

i dont understand why people dont like this helm, its my favorite helm of all time

[@xenophon5354]

Would you be amenable to doing a video on the use of spears on foot by men at arms? There's a huge amount of artwork showing knights using spears on foot, but nearly everyone discusses the poleaxe, sword, and longsword as the weapons of nobility on foot. Surely the spear gets attention as a commoner's weapon, but not nearly enough as a weapon of the nobility.

[@nutyyyy]

Yes they also often used lances on foot shortened.

[@umartdagnir]

Never knew that great helms could be worn over other helmets. People probably did not like wearing them on their heads all the time, so they wanted some protection while they didn't.

[@Trev794]

I honestly think it would depend on the engagement weather you can remove your visor, in a perfect scenario I can see them coming off but if imagine it wasn't as simple as that. If you are being attacked I can see visor removal becomes secondary very quickly

[@equesdeventusoccasus]

The incorrect depiction of armor and weapons in art goes back to the need for an online database of weapons & armor. Properly done it could be of use to historians, academic organizations, artists, graphic designer, and animators. It seems likely that such a database could charge a subscription for access. Entries should be described as to special features and uses, attributed to countries most likely to have used it, period most likely used, and finally properly photographed ( From all of the possible points of view: both sides point, hilt, edge & spine).

[@beardedbjorn5520]

The closest thing to that at the moment that I can think of, is The Wallace Collection’s Instagram page.

[@equesdeventusoccasus]

@@beardedbjorn5520 Every person who deals in antique arms & armor could contribute to such a project. It would probably require at least one museum or university to get it started. (Or a savy person who has access to the server space for such a project.)

[@croesuslydias6488]

Databases are notoriously difficult and expensive for universities and museums to justify making, unfortunately. Would be a great idea and could be possible, but difficult to do. PhDs that I know have a hard enough time getting the funds for a database for an archaeological dig, let alone such a wide scoping project.

[@equesdeventusoccasus]

@@croesuslydias6488 As a retired computer security professionals & systems analyst, I am well aware of the challenges of maintenance of such a system. That's why I said it would require at least one large institution to make it happen. Although many examples exist of publicly available databases. They are called online stores.

[@FlyingFox86]

I actually don't think it looks silly at all. A great quote by the way, they were meant to deflect "hand weapons and missile weapons". Also known as "weapons".

[@HamsterPants522]

But not seige weapons. lol

[@rileyernst9086]

Bloody hell you're brave Matt, if I was in an environment with the level of threat where I'd was keep my visor down to protect my head from incoming arrows etc, I'd not be worry about pulling me braes down to piss. Unless I had a decent sized shield. But we've all seen how deep arrows can penetrate shields!

[@mtgAzim]

I like how you used that helmet in your video talking about M1. I just rewatched that one the other day ^_^

[@johnshepard8387]

Great video ! Can't wait to see your new armour !

[@teromustalahti2903]

Slight correction or nitpick, if you will: deflection (i.e. sloped armor) stopped being very important for main battle tanks in the 1970s when long rod penetrators were introduced. They usually do not bounce even at very large angles, and using such angles in a tank design is usually not possible in practice. There are images from the Second Gulf War (1991), where a US penetrator has embedded itself into the upper highly sloped (round) turret of a T-72. Therefore most main battle tanks designed after about 1975 have much more boxy appearance than older designs. The Soviets kept their rounded turrets until the 1990s , but that was mainly because their manufacturing had been optimized for cast steel turrets. That said, deflection still absolutely matters for light armored vehicles such as APCs.

[@spqrd13]

these are actually my favorite type of helmet, don't know why people don't like them.

[@andrewgodly5739]

Visibility is so important. If you cant see anything your enemy can take advantage of that and knock you down then you're a sitting duck

[@angorRainerNagel]

Hi Matt, you mentioned the spots where no plate could be applied being protected by mail. I saw videos about an armor made for henry V consisting only of plates, even in the inner part of the joints. It was said there where no gaps to put a weapon into respective between plates. This is a fascinating topic for me and i would love you making a video about that armor, if it is the only such armor or if that was "the hight of armor developement".

[@Mn-yh2bp]

If your visor is up it looks like it would protect your quite well from a descending blow or projectile, so having it 1/2 closed would only increase protection against blows coming from strait in front of you. Also if your visor is 1/2 open or fully open and is struck from above that blow will probably close the visor.

[@malahamavet]

I don't really mind it's shape, I like it 😁 having a happy shape makes it spatial to me

[@ArnimSommer]

I once had the opportunity to try on a helmet with an actual pig snout at a medival fair. With padding I had a clear view through the snout holes, so I had to leave that out...

[@The3Rich3]

You mentioned not having "earholes". Are there any examples of helmets with them? Seems like it wouldn't compromise the helm too much to have a few "ear breaths"?

[@wamken619]

Many older helmets like ones used by Roman and Greek soldiers had openings for the ears. I personally cannot think of any medieval examples except for nasal helmets, which did not have "earholes" but for sure left the ears exposed if not wearing an arming cap.

[@taianonni]

Burgonets commonly have them and I've seen examples of armets and close helms which have earholes as well

[@aivadarker]

i think the the fact that the "vision strip" underneath is protruding, kinda confirm that people often had it open during combat as it would stops arrows from deflecting downwards into the face when fliped up and would not really be relevant when fliped down as the snout is perfectly capable of deflecting to the side instead.

[@EliotChildress]

What is that completely black saber?

[@bubsnicket]

Not sure but it might be the cold steel Thompson sabre.

[@scholagladiatoria]

It's a late-19th century Indian cavalry sabre.

[@somerando1073]

That appears to not be a great repro, though the main flaw is a very common mistake on repros. The droopy eyes shouldn't be curved like that, but they've been doing that since Victorian times. The pics of originals that are often used as a model look like the eyes droop because of the angle and perspective of the pics, but the slits should actually be a straight line. I suppose they might be straighter than they look if you never looked into the camera at the right angle to see it, which would mean I'm making the same mistake as many makers.

[@franciscodanconia3551]

Another possible purpose for those big breathing holes in the bottom of the visor, based on some Armored Combat League videos I saw recently, is that CO2 seems to evacuate from the bottom of the helmet better than through holes on the front.

[@BeowulfAllraudr]

One of the best in kingdom come deliverance. The HOUNDSKULL very cool m8

[@CanalTremocos]

27:13 Nubian aristocracy would use the best stuff they could import, only limited to the political situation in Egypt. It's very dangerous to say "In Africa, they used such and such" because during the medieval era some social groups were as European as they could get. On a side note, even during the crusades, Saladin's Egypt+Syria was buying more European steel goods than the crusaders themselves.

[@samg3457]

How vulnerable is the wearer to a blow from the side delivered to the tip of the visor (when down)? In my head, I'm imagining a gauntleted hook punch, to say nothing of a club, mace, hammer or pollaxe, to the tip of the visor. Again a hook, roundhouse, or other blow across the visor. Could that mangle and dent the visor's interface with the rest of the helmet? even rip the visor off it's hinges? Could that spin a loose helmet around a knight's head, such that the vision slits and breaths no longer line up with the knight's eyes? On a tight helmet, would that deliver massive torque to the knight's head, basically guaranteeing a concussion? This does seem a bit like a boxer who, instead of tucking his chin, is thrusting his chin out and even installing a great big lever on it! Could this be another reason to remove the visor for close combat? Could this be why helmets later moved away from the protruding pig face? Or does the helmet have enough mass that rotating it that way is actually really difficult and it's really a non-issue?

[@tomywithcats4933]

I have two questions: 1) If a strong blow, like with the hammer side of a poleaxe, comes from below and hits the tip of the visor, can it go up? obviously if its not secured. 2) Can the neck be moved with a great bacinet? Because I saw some gorgets in the images on the Internet that, at first glance, seem to "block" the movement.

[@andersbenke3596]

Two, perhaps silly, questions, if you don't mind. One. With the visor down, how loud does your voice get in there? Two. You have mentioned at least once that silk is rather hard to cut through. Is it equally hard to thrust through? Would silk instead of linen - disregarding cost and historical availability - make for a superior gambeson and the like?

[@wolfgangzeiler2605]

Very well made and thoughtful information, awesome. As always I would be interested in the weight of the replicated item and the relevance to the real ones. And btw, what I could also think of as a kind of interesting video would be a "comparison and development story", like dealing with an earlier and later item (of similar use) and speculating about advantages and disadvantages and possible reasons for the change.

[@Ricky-pr5wz]

So breaths were added for knightly pissing competions, got it

[@kalinmir]

it's funny you mention the seeing through the "mouth slot" thing... I do something similar with my bike helmet...really makes you feel better when you can't use glasses

[@the51project]

I've never seen you look so good.

[@ii3273]

Wow I personally always and still thought this bascinet looked more like a bird

[@Lowlandlord]

You know, between you and 40K I am being slightly sold on these beaky hats :P

[@bakters]

I'm one of those who disagrees with you on this. For once, the breathing holes on your example are *exclusively* on the right side of the visor. If missile protection was the main reason for this type of visor, then it doesn't make any sense. Arrows or bolts are just as likely to hit you on the right or on the left, so why make one side significantly weaker? If missiles were really bad you could always grab a shield, in your *left* arm, so why extra protection there? Then, let's discuss the idea that deflection is crucial for missile defense. Actually, I would risk saying that it simply isn't. The faster the point, the more likely it will find purchase even on an oblong surface. A greathelm will protect the face against arrows and bolts just as well as a bascinet, but it will be I believe significantly less effective against a lance or spear thrust. Why? Because of momentum. A slow moving heavy weapon will be able to deliver plenty of force to the head and neck even if it won't penetrate. An arrow not so much, by a long shot (pun unintended). Therefore denying the purchase for the lance or spear point is comparatively much more advantageous. Until the point finds purchase, it won't be able to yank your head backwards, even possibly killing you on the spot because the force of the blow broke your neck. That's what tournament frogface helmets tried to eliminate. Finally, archers and crossbowmen fight at a distance. What are the most typical helmets they use? Something which protects you from the top, often only from the top. So, they protect themselves predominantly from missiles which they apparently expect to come from above. I know that recently people often bring up examples of short range archery and I'm sure some of those are 100% legit, but it's really hard for me to imagine that an archer would try to play Legolas against a guy in armor bearing down on him. That just makes no sense whatsoever. The chances that any single shot would even do anything are rather slim, chances of delivering a fight ending trauma got to be almost microscopical. It could happen more often when the archers are behind some sort of fortification, which gives them more time to drop the bow and grab whatever close range weaponry they carry.

[@euansmith3699]

Ah, the classic, Mk. VI 'Corvus' Powered Armour helmet. Beakie Marines, FTW! "The Face Hole"; is that the technical term? Seems legit.

[@dronillon2578]

Cheers!

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

Can hear you very easily and clearly with the visor down.

[@Harrowed2TheMind]

We're gonna need to see the full suit with this hounskull bascinet before you send it back! :D

[@xgabneitorbrasil7360]

I like this helmet

[@griffin5226]

The real question is kettle helmet vs sallet

[@hjorturerlend]

@Revolutionary Communist Early-mid 15th century ''German'' (really seen everywhere from Sweden to the Hussites) kettle hats often had oculars and could be used with mail or plate bevors. These could be tilted back just like sallets, essentially turning them into regular kettle hats, and were not just used by commoners. There was also a convergence of styles in the ''kettle sallet''. manuscriptminiatures.com/4818/13512/ manuscriptminiatures.com/3962/13631/ manuscriptminiatures.com/4059/10020/ manuscriptminiatures.com/4936/14847/ www.pinterest.ca/pin/372109987940102368/?lp=true (extant ''kettle sallet'')

[@griffin5226]

@Revolutionary Communist you should watch Ian's video on it. I never understood where this idea that the kettle gat was low status came from. Litterally the king of France wore a kettle helm on crusade

[@bloodypine22]

@Revolutionary Communist Kettlehelms were used by all social classes, same as the sallets. But the kettle was used for far longer, and thus can be called a better helmet.

[@TheWirksworthGunroom]

Regarding the removal of the visor in battle, do the pins suggest that it could be removed readily by the wearer in battle? I would think that the pins would be difficult to pull out with gloves on let alone gloves and gauntlets. Perhaps it is worth trying out to see how practical this was or how it might affect doctrine e.g: At what point do you decide to remove your visor? Do you have to choose before battle commmences?