Why Medieval Knights OFTEN Did Not Bother with FACE PROTECTION

[@zenhydra]

As an ex-army guy I spent a lot of time doing maneuvers fully kitted out in my protective gear (MOPP level 4). While you get used to wearing a protective mask and hood for extended periods, you are absolutely operating in a diminished capacity while doing so, and your always aware that your face is being touched by the mask. Breathing isn't bad until you reach a heightened activity level, and then it's quite noticeably more difficult to draw air through the mask's filter than it is without it. Even with the relatively large eye slots found in modern pro masks, those apertures rest a short distance forward of the eyes, and that means the angles in one's line-of-sight wearing the mask provide less peripheral vision acuity. Getting hot and sweaty with a pro mask on is quite unpleasant. I imagine that most of these factors would be multiplied in a visored/masked steel helmet, even more so when taking the added burden of weight into account.

[@Book-bz8ns]

MOPP4 was brutal in the desert.

[@Riceball01]

And in my experience, trying to shoulder a rifle and look down the sights was pretty much impossible.

[@Book-bz8ns]

@@Riceball01 yes, you had to tilt your head and just try to get the front sight close.

[@leewilkinson6372]

Was the difficulty due to material configuration or warping due to tilted lense?

[@NatorGreen7000]

​@Book-bz8ns The JSLIST really ought to be replaced with chemical undersuite but no one would listen to me.

[@SilverionX]

Another tactic for not getting arrows, spears or other pointy, sharp bits of steel shoved through any potential opening in your armor is to never fight on a medieval battlefield. I've used it all my life to great effect.

[@1stCallipostle]

The citizens of Chicago don't have your luxury, unfortunately.

[@SilverionX]

@@1stCallipostle You go around wearing armor!? Cool.

[@TS-jm7jm]

​@@1stCallipostle stop living next to minorities then silly😂

[@Dolritto]

Only young person could say something like that - when You'll hit middle age You'll change Your mind.

[@SilverionX]

@@Dolritto That's actually a brilliant joke, you almost had me.

[@satsebeli]

A petition for Matt to make an hour long video about England and Burgundy 👇

[@marekgorka9816]

That'd be great.

[@PalleRasmussen]

The Swiss are laughing at your paltry suggestion 😉

[@ChristopherJohnston-mu9ub]

I would watch that 😊

[@justynmatlock8873]

Not forgetting to include how Pimlico in London was part of Burgundy right up until 1949, and beyond.

[@brothersliutgeryitzchakjea7889]

As a Burgundian I approve

[@mephisto8101]

At our last HEMA open hall we had some people in armor. What impressed me, was a guy with an open helmet and a rather high gorget. He could basically turtle up by lowering his head and raising his shoulders, so that the gap between helmet and gorget became quite minuscule. That was a really good compromise in my view to have the advantages of an open helmet with the option to increase protection quite quickly if needed. Practically a medieval hero turtle.

[@favkisnexerade]

I got invited to some reconstruction forest fun activity with spears and stuff, and dude who invited me told that kettle + gorget is one of the best and most common headgears. When I asked about eyeslid, he said all you need is littlw head movement and its closed

[@favkisnexerade]

basically tilt head forward a little, it closes the gap, and you're to see through very thin slids right over the tip of helmet

[@texasbeast239]

Teenage Medieval Ninja Turtle

[@satsebeli]

The same could be achieved by just moving visor up and down 😂

[@JohnsonLobster]

The word is minUscule.

[@markkodryk829]

A king should wear an open face helmet, so his vassals can see that he is alive and not a zombie raised by necromancers.

[@EriktheRed2023]

You know how it is - a bad necromancer blames the corpse.

[@ericwilliams1659]

If you are done playing with the body why not allow others to use it. Seems selfish not to share.

[@Book-bz8ns]

A la El Cid

[@johnladuke6475]

Klaatu berata nicto.

[@Bluefalconspiracies]

How do you know he’s the king?! Well he’s not got shit all over ‘em!

[@starkparker16]

Only a man as dedicated as Matt would take an arrow to the dome just for the thumbnail.

[@hraefn1821]

Modular plate armor has always been an attractive prospect to me. Being able to easily swap helms, visors, gauntlets, greaves etc. to suit various tasks but all seamlessly working together as needed.

[@jmgonzales7701]

How do u wear it

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

Kinda curious what armor design would look without having to be limited to straps, buckles and hooks for closure system. Like if you could button snap a visor down, magnetic closure, seat belt closure, etc. I imagine not having to fumble as much to change protection would have changed helmet design choices alot

[@hraefn1821]

@@PJDAltamirus0425 I'm sure a more clever man than myself could come up with a genius system. Authentic medieval armor got SHOCKINGLY advanced. With even some clockwork inspired mechanisms. Maybe a slot and pin mechanism. Able to pull pins, unslot pieces etc.

[@hraefn1821]

@@jmgonzales7701 Could be as simple and inelegant as simple straps or as elgant and advanced as metal latches and clasp mechanisms.

[@SauronThe3rd]

The biggest downside of a modular system in medieval society is logistics. Having 5 different helmets to tackle any situation takes up enough weight and space for a week of food on a multi-week journey.

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

There are no solutions, only trade-offs. - Thomas Sowell. I think I would feel quite claustrophobic in any of these closed face helmets except maybe the Salet and Bever. I worked in Construction most of my life and had to wear a plastic "hard hat" all the time. Trying to get the helmet to work with hearing protection (muff style), safety goggles, breathing protection, face shields for grinding and managing a home made cape to protect the back of my head can be a huge pain. Even worse, I once had to work in a hazmat suit with hard hat, hearing protection, safety goggles while wearing a breathing hood with a remote fresh air supply. It was horrible - hot, difficult to move and see - which is dangerous when using power tools - VERY claustrophobic and it took all the discipline I could muster to quell my emotions. Seems to me the hazmat arrangement is the best modern equivalent for a civilian to experience the challenges of full harness and a closed face helmet. Anyway, as always, another excellent discussion. BTW I LOVE that open faced Salet. What a beauty! The studs around the brim are marvelous and it just looks great! Cheers!

[@bencoomer2000]

I do remember how much harder full MOPP gear made everything. Especially in hot environments, but it never was as easy.

[@DjDolHaus86]

The heat is the worst bit. If you've got to hump rolls of insulation up into the roof all day in full PPE (mask/goggles/hard hat/hood) then you're going to start getting really wobbly, real fast if you don't stop to cool off regularly. I reckon you'd probably faint in under half an hour if you tried to engage in melee combat in a full face helmet regardless of your physical conditioning

[@camilstoenescu]

Being able to see and breathe properly beats the additional protection of a full closed helmet.

[@Wastelandman7000]

Yep, situational awareness is king. Its why tank commanders in WWII generally commanded from an open hatch. If you can't see you're going to get blindsided.

[@edyacester]

On top of this, only a small portion of a soldier's time away from home on campaign is actual fighting. There is a ton of marching, moving supplies, digging holes, setting up and packing down tents and encampments. A medieval hardhat seems appropriate for medieval labour

[@rafaelrmaier]

@@Wastelandman7000 Aye. Also one of the reasons for the use of airburst artillery vs tanks in the deserts of Tunisia (make the commander close the hatch)

[@rileyernst9086]

Additionally you can use a shield, an armoured arm or armoured comrade to protect your face if you are particularly worried about projectiles. With a kettle helmet looking at the ground and using the brim to cover your face may also work.

[@willinnewhaven3285]

Context and Compromise is going to be my next RPG published

[@moreparrotsmoredereks2275]

War is 99% wearing your gear while walking or standing around and waiting. I would bet that on many medieval campaigns, heatstroke was a far greater threat than the enemy.

[@T3hSteamcrusher]

it was a threat even in some 20th century asymmetric wars

[@1stCallipostle]

Even in the modern day, heat is a massive logistical factor in equipment, and plenty dangerous if handled recklessly

[@Tyler-hk4wo]

This is why you didn't see heavy plate armor in scorching hot or tropical areas of the world.

[@CrowandTalbot]

distracted by realizing I could see the other side of the garage in the visor. great job on the polish

[@legrognard7827]

Last time I was this early the English knights still spoke French

[@nUmBskulLL]

😂😂😂

[@Wastelandman7000]

🤣🤣🤣

[@jaredhallett3547]

And now you speak English…

[@michaelwarenycia7588]

I'm guessing he's not a knight, that's why​@@jaredhallett3547

[@domca4617]

*Bastardized French​@@jaredhallett3547

[@bencoomer2000]

The "klappvisor", where you could remove the visor, seems in line with this "how to have options."

[@spooky8662]

WOW that tournament visor is gorgeous

[@SangoProductions213]

As a motorcycle rider, yes, closed helmets are really inconvenient. But having the helmet be covered in bugs is better than me being covered in bugs. Like really. My head is not that big of a target. Please stop running into it.

[@putridfenrir8508]

With you on this bro. Also, leave damp kitchen roll on your visor for 10 mins when you get in and they wipe off easy in case you didn't know

[@Dolritto]

In summer for every 4 hours of cycling I have to catch a fly with my eye at least once. No idea how it happens, neither suiciders nor the target seams big enough and in quantity possible to allow for their collision on a regular basis, nature, however, finds a way.

[@thagomizer4711]

Nah homie welcome to the big head club. We have jackets, but only because sweaters are too constrictive.

[@karenstein8261]

Over the centuries we’ve seen a tremendous variety of headgear. Alas, today protective headgear is far more likely to be found on construction sites than battlefields. Imagine finding a survey crew wearing modern OSHA rated “Zulu” pith helmets; carpenters wearing Adrian WW1 French hard hats; welters with bassinet helmets incorporating not just eye protection but respirators as well!

[@fackrez11]

Not sure what you mean, every modern military equips their soldiers with combat helmets. They are ubiquitous on the battlefield

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

Excellent video. What I find really interesting here that the Romans made a similar choice. They had the technology to cover themselves completely in plates, they chose not to do so for the most part. The only exception at a rather late stage where the Cataphractes. Who had a similar development comparable to medieval knights - fighting on horseback. Anybody else - not as much metal on their body. Although they could even at an earlier stage.

[@xhagast]

The Roman helmet is GREAT though. The cheek pieces protect most of the face while allowing you to see and BREATHE. It also allows you to hear. I have done full contact sparring in Kung Fu class and wearing ANYTHING not open-faced left you breathless quickly.

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

@@xhagast By now, I seriously wonder whether closed-face helmets were ever worn over longer time at least during a battle (i.e. rather uncontrollable conditions) on foot. If riding a horse - yes, as it is much different to walking let alone fighting on foot, I imagine. I know medieval soldiers had a whole different level of training, etc. than us nowadays. But I also take off my full-faced motorcycle helmet pretty much as soon as I get off my iron horse. Respectively flip up the visor if I am off for a short time such as paying as a gas station. But even as this helmet has a transparent visor and air inlets, it limits my visibility. Airflow might be different beast, as I admit I am not as well trained as a knight. That might also be a reason why we do not see as many great helms anymore. Not sure whether they ever went away, or simply didn't appear in art anymore, as I consider medieval art as the facebook of that time. The next "big thing" had to be shown. But that is another discussion.

[@xhagast]

@@SandraOrtmann1976 Just wearing a hoody costs you like 20% of your vision. The co masks could not be worn WALKING without half smothering you.

[@majungasaurusaaaa]

When the state has to pay to equip troops it makes no logistical and economical sense to armor heavy infantry from head to toes, the vitals will do.

[@concretedonkey4726]

you know, that last visor looks quite similar to an old lego helmet from the late 80ties... I think it had just the vertical bars but the same bulge :)... nostalgia

[@tcschenks]

I can understand it. If you can’t see (or breathe) you can’t fight.

[@danielquintana1353]

correct, a bad idea on foot , but on horseback is decent

[@jeremyedwards4426]

If you’ve ever worn a closed faced helmet for any length of time you know why

[@wgabrys88]

I was an adventurer like you but took an arrow to the eye 😂

[@oldschooljeremy8124]

Stay away from Fariskur!

[@squarewheels2491]

@scholagladiatoria I'd love to see ways people with open faced helms might have mitigated the extra exposure during combat. Some potential ways off the top of my head is 'Being behind someone', 'tilting your head down for longer range arrows', 'holding a armored arm in front of your face' and 'holding a weapon in front of your face'. Obviously, they wouldn't be as good as a full face helm but I think some of these could really counter a decent amount of exposure.

[@fernandosales8320]

When you're fighting in armor you're going to be aware of your armor and all its weaknesses. Then, you'll adjust your fighting style accordingly.

[@stapleman007]

1:00 Goblin Slayer helmet begs to differ.

[@vicnighthorse]

Just hoods (or hoodies) cause enough reduction in situational awareness that I don't like wearing them even in very low danger environments. Even modern military helmets are annoying when crap is not very likely to hit your head. Peripheral vision and unhampered hearing is worth a lot.

[@Steir12]

Not to mention how hard is to breathe in closed helmets. Fresh air have hard time getting into it as well as CO2 leaving it. And when you breathing extensively during a fight it may be so severe people pass out or go full panic mode and trying to remove helmet asap. No wonder some folks consider spear to the face to be viable alternative.

[@brucetucker4847]

Military helmets have covered less and less of the face, ears, and neck over the last two decades or so. Being able to hear (and in a modern context, wear comms gear) is very important to SA as well.

[@xhagast]

Wearing a Halloween mask leaves you nearly blind. Medieval helms were even WORSE.

[@PalleRasmussen]

I am fairly certain that the very same Tod, has put an arrow through a breathing hole with his "Lockdown Longbow".

[@lscibor]

He put a splintered shaft of an arrow through the visor. The arrowhead got deflected. Still would be undoubtedly very nasty and fascinating result. There are mentions about splinters from lances killing people in tournaments, probably similar principle.

[@DETHMOKIL]

almost!

[@tylerphuoc2653]

@@lscibor The person on the receiving end probably WISHED it was just the broadhead. The splinter would probably get inflamed and infected immediately

[@ianchristian7949]

That tourney visor is great, like a portcullis for your face!

[@MrMonkeybat]

Reminds me of my lego knights from the 80's. Seems like the best compromise between protection, breathing, and seeing.

[@AstralS7orm]

@@MrMonkeybat The thing is still restrictive and heavy - the helmet needs heavy back to counterbalance it and it adds to fatigue over time... So it now has to sit right on your shoulders, thus you need a gorget and a chin piece to link to. More weight, more fatigue. Now a gorget is a great idea defensively anyway to protect your neck, of course...

[@НиколайЛамберт]

There is a choice between some additional protection against damage vs hearing and actually seing it coming.

[@xhagast]

A Roman helmet with a nose guard has the best of both worlds.

[@AstralS7orm]

@@xhagast You do need to counterbalance the nasal however so that the helmet doesn't frontload your head, which would be uncomfortable longer term. Best to do it with some back of the head protection as well (usually a coif, sometimes a bigger aventail), but others used display feathers, thicker plate, a brazed on rim only on the rear or such. The older bascinet with an aventail and bretache (which is what the nasal of it was called) is actually way more nimble and breathable than the great bascinet... Oh and it fits under a great helm if you need some lance protection that you don't have to carry on your person all the time. The lighter version without an aventail returned in 16-17th century as a cavalry helmet. Commonly lobster-tailed pot helmet with a nasal and cheek side protection, with a peak.

[@xhagast]

@@AstralS7orm Didn't some Roman helmets have lobster tail back neck protection?

[@AstralS7orm]

@@xhagast Of course some did, there were so many Roman helmets over the centuries they had used...

[@klevinduck]

Good insight. A soldier is more than just a fighter and cover a range of duties as you say. It's just so much more convenient to have the open-faced helmet. In combat the visor would impede breathing, vision, and communication. If those three things are diminished so is your combat effectiveness. Sometimes too much armour is detrimental. I'd imagine your great bascinet would be perfect to advance on the enemy while getting showered by arrows and when you're close enough you'd lift up the visor. You definitely don't want to lose vision and overextend or get caught on the sides in a big melee.

[@frankharr9466]

You have touched on this before, but I'm open to hearing about it again. Thank you.

[@dreadpiratedan]

on art as evidence, my first thought is that artists will want people's faces to show to make the art better. a figure will look more heroic and relatable when you can see their face, which is also why fantasy settings like warhammer will regularly have warriors in full suits of plate armour and no helmet

[@101Mant]

A bit like modern movies. However it does seem to be compatible with other evidence.

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

It is definitely a thing in fiction where heroes fight with a viaible face againat faceless hordes of enemies.

[@ritualsauce7175]

should probably also acknowledge that the visibility of particular people on battlefields has always been important. being able to look to your left or right and see a knight or officer or royal of particular renown fighting alongside you with their face exposed likely did wonders for morale.

[@taurohtar]

@@ritualsauce7175 Not to mention their ability to shout orders and actually be understood

[@borjesvensson8661]

​@@ritualsauce7175like at the battle of haighstings when william had to lift his helmet to show he was alive

[@srice8959]

The part about modern hamlets and open face. My brother was SWAT Team here in New Orleans and they tried to use the Kevlar and ceramic face guards and found the only person who could possibly wear it is the initial man who was breaching the door, but was pretty useless and breaching with shield and pistol was by leaps and bounds better then the face mask.

[@afiiik1]

I came here right from re-playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance - very topical 😁 Are you planning on filming a reaction to the trailer of Kingdom Come : Deliverance 2? They are introducing pistalas and crossbows 😊

[@daemonharper3928]

Very interesting - looking forward to seeing your full armour.

[@lattucesoldier8794]

Hey Matt, have you thought of making a coop with Schwerpunkt? The guy makes seriously top notch Medieval warfare content and it would be great to see you "fencing"

[@TheStugbit]

I like how the helmets from the Lego castle figures looks. Those old Lego sets in the 90s were the first contact I ever had with medieval history. The helmets looked like your sallet, but they had some sort of a point protecting the nose. I don't know if they were trying to actually depict sallets, it kind of looks like a sallet but they might be representing some older style of helmet. I don't know. Skull cap, or something like this? They also had a pointy visor helmet with holes in it similar to the mask you got there.

[@StonesSticksBones]

Maybe a barbute with a nasal? (If we're thinking of the same helmets!) There were some with spangenhelms & kettlehats too

[@TheStugbit]

​@@StonesSticksBones I looked pictures on the internet, I think it can be. However, it may also look as if it had a mail coif or leather protection in the neck part.

[@blakebailey22]

I feel like a wide brim on the helmet would help with projectiles, while still giving open faced helmets that preferred visibility and breathability. Even something like a narrow brim just on the front of the helmet like a lobster helm would be nice

[@dreadcthulhu6842]

A wide brim would also be handy for simply keeping the sun out of your eyes, or rain for that matter.

[@Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

*C&C - **_context and compromises._* Awesome catchphrase! Here's a another consideration: In my understanding, when the close combat has started on the medieval battlefield, the danger of incoming random ranged missiles from bows or crossbows hitting you drop down exponentially - most leaders wouldn't have ordered their bowmen to shoot away because of the risk of friendly fire, would they? So it makes sense for them to raise their visors in closed combat to gain the advantages of breathing and a better oversight. Furthermore, if shields are still in play, they seem to be very good at protecting the face from thrusts or slashes from below. That might be a reason as well to go for better breathing and sight. What do you think?

[@gordonmacdowell8117]

It reminds me of the Medieval meme of one armoured warrior, holding his companion who has an arrow in his eye, telling him: "You're fine! Don't tell Mom!".

[@WhatIfBrigade]

One thing I think Hollywood and books gloss over is there would have been an awful lot of slow travel to get to various battles. Most of your troops have to walk there on hiking trails. And as you get closer, you want your mounted troops to be scouting: looking and listening for the enemy. And once in battle, knights are often leaders or special forces troops. Talking to messagers, looking at banners, coordination of or with other troops is extremely important. And of course after the first battle in a campaign, perhaps your best helmet gets lost or broken.

[@darkmattergamesofficial]

Great video. I love the discussion about how varied equipment usage was. Everyone had their own individual preference and had the autonomy to choose, unlike modern militaries which are regulated (although even then we see individual modification).

[@sergeykomarov2203]

Could you show us what's inside the helmet next time? How does it protect a warrior's head from concussion?

[@CDKohmy]

I just wish we had good enough high-impact plastic to make a visor to simulate an open-faced helmet for HEMA. I know many use mesh like fencing masks, but a clear face place is just more aesthetic to me and appears to blur vision less.

[@Book-bz8ns]

I think it's possible. There is a plastic used for ballistic eye protection we had in the army. Advertised as able to stop shotgun shot. If I remember the glasses were branded as Firefly.

[@mikaluostarinen4858]

I've seen a 1 inch thick polycarbonate visor in a helmet for military police. I think it could stop 9mm pistol round. If stabbing isn't allowed, 1 inch polycarbonate could take blunt force and all slashes.

[@32bitginger]

The Royal Armouries in Leeds has an exibit with full helmets set into a stand, with a video of a (reenactment) battle playing in front of the eye slits. It really did become clear just how little of what's going on you could see through one! Highly recommend the trip if anyone is interested, there's tons of hands on stuff like that, and nothing quite compares to seeing a model war elephant in full armor in person!

[@dustyboots2693]

As a motorciclist I came to a similar conclusion. A full face helmet is definitively more protective (in fact, it once saved my life AND my face) but is often a pain in the rear to use. I have to take off my eyeglasses to put it on, and in general is more cumbersome to lug around when I'm not riding, whereas a open helmet is quicker to put it on and off and I can take it with me more easily. I even tend to leave a spare half helmet strapped to the bike just in case. So the open face is the one that gets used the most when commuting, and the full face is my choice for longer / more technical rides. It's all about compromises.

[@cnm757]

Dude. I bet you enjoy road rash, too.

[@SeanMahoneyfitnessandart]

It's those little quick rides right around the corner where something always tends to go wrong... I just had to make it a couple miles to get home one night... I was 100% sober... just had to hop on the highway, go 2 exits, get off and my house was in a neighborhood right off the highway.... I got hit by a truck. Always wear your full face helmet my friend. I walked away unharmed... but my helmet was cracked in half.

[@HahaDamn]

Yeah most impacts happen in the fact as well, open faced is stupid

[@Nyx_2142]

Lol. Those little rides you use your (moronic) open-faced helmet are statistically the ones you are most likely to crash on. You wouldn't be anywhere near the first squid to whine about a full helmet and then needs their jaw and face reconstructed (if you are lucky) after turning into a meat crayon, just because you were lazy and whiny about a proper helmet. But enjoy your "compromises", I guess.

[@thebaumfaeller1477]

Have you considered one of the modular ones that allow the front to flip up?

[@cadmas]

Never block projectiles with your face

[@highpingvictim7993]

Words to live by

[@xhagast]

@@highpingvictim7993 True, but you may not have a choice.

[@manfredconnor3194]

Ah, wisdom from "The Art of Fighting" by master Eu Plon Ka. 😅

[@artawhirler]

That's a quote from Henry V, right? I'm surprised Shakespeare didn't include it in the play. 😅

[@michaelmanning5379]

I spy with my little eye, something that begins with A . . . Harold Godwinson, 1066

Thx for the perspective.

[@hulkthedane7542]

Context, compromise and comfort...... Interesting, as always 👍👍👍

[@randolphfinger8464]

Hello, love the content😊, I have several questions, can you detail the Lion sword of Africa? And in related note at 200 BC what were the manufacturing centers for the most detailed highest quality blades for royalty or equivalent around the world? Also, in regards to the tang, is there, or were there swords with a fully developed tang as the grip and gaurd? Or is the phrase full tang a misnomer? Also is there, or are there facilities to commission a blade design to be made?😮

[@DjDolHaus86]

If you've ever worn a full face helmet to do anything physical for an extended duration then you'll soon understand. There is a chance an arrow or blade might get you in the face but it's a certainty that you'll start to boil like a cabbage once the blood gets pumping and the breathing gets heavy

[@Yora21]

The title made me immediately think of ergonomics, and that helmet instantly shouts comfort to me. The brass studs are a bit fancy (though they don't get in the way of anything either), but other than that this looks like maximum optimization for helmet design.

[@notvictor7650]

Slightly off topic, but are those spikes on your helmet? If so what are they for?

[@KyIeMcCIeIIan]

I think they are spike shaped screw heads used for holding the inner headband/liner/chin strap assembly. I love that helmet look, too.

[@TanitAkavirius]

They're brass rivets to hold the lining. i have a similar helmet with less pointy ones.

[@Thespiderboy]

Your collection of arms and armor has made me drool for so long. Damn, I am always impressed by your gear ! Men would kill for all of this, and I know many of you history-lover peeps would agree :P

[@retmarut4499]

9:54 "Kolbenturnierhelm" for anyone interested. To my perception "Spangenhelm" is the more common name of such a helmet. It could be that there's been a shift in naming tradition over the centuries, though.

[@lowe_sa2976]

So it was a helmet for special occasions only then

[@derskalde4973]

Random thought: how weapon proof is the mesh on those fencing masks? Because, from what I heard, it seems you can see through it pretty good, so I randomly thought, if you could integrate such a mesh, or something similar, into a helmet, so you could have the helmet be more open and breathable and being "less in the way" of seeing your surroundings, while still giving pretty good protection.

[@chrisball3778]

Many 17th century cavalry helmets like the 'lobster-tailed pot' (best known from the English Civil Wars) had a mostly open face, but often with cheek guards and a nasal bar or cage. As far as I can tell, the idea behind these helmets is that although they're not going to stop a bullet or a well-aimed thrust to the face, they'll provide a really good defence against slashing attacks and protect the top of the head as well as other helmets. They've always seemed like a really good compromise between defence and situational awareness to me.

[@xhagast]

Good cheek guards would do the same job better.

[@chrisball3778]

@@xhagast A lot of them had cheek guards. I literally said that was a good part of their design. The nasal bar means that any slash horizontally across the face can't get close to the bridge of the nose, which is a risk of relying on cheek guards alone, which would be a small (but real) risk with helmets with cheek guards but no nasal, e.g. a Roman Galea.

[@xhagast]

@@chrisball3778 The nose guard is what is missing from the traditional Roman helmet.

[@lscibor]

There's source telling about polish hussar retainer being hit by musket ball straight into his nasal bar, and receiving just a bloodied nose (musket ball likely bounced away). Obviously kind of freak occurence, being noteworthy enough to end up in a diary, with writer being astonished by "such a meager protection averting all harm", but possible nonetheless.

[@chrisball3778]

@@lscibor That's a really great anecdote. 1mm either side and it'd probably have deflected into his eye... Wild.

[@kevinjohanson5718]

Just a note about modern day headgear in the military: we do have to train with our pro-masks (gas-mask) while learning basic marksmanship. Those not only impede vision, the have the added bulk of a filter can hanging off it to work around. Its hard but can be picked up pretty quickly. From a US vet here.

[@thomasschaal8410]

The french king Henri ll accidentaly died from his wound in 1559, from the splinters of his opponent's broken lance which went through his helmet's visor. He was jousting and wearing a face covering helmet. Thanks for that informative video :)

[@needparalegal]

I wonder if anyone ever developed a periscope helmet that gave complete coverage by using reflective lenses?

[@lowe_sa2976]

Iron man

[@lowe_sa2976]

N i think am serious on that one 'cos someday military will really use iron man like suits for soldiers

[@ronisilva4477]

Another important factor, metal was expensive (from mining to forging), this only changed with the Industrial Revolution, the common warrior would resort to other more accessible materials (leather), greetings from Brazil

[@zedre7633]

I think anyone who's ever worked somewhere with required personal protection equipment to prevent bodily harm can attest dudes WILL just ditch some of the gear if it's uncomfortable or inconvenient to wear.

[@martinjansson1970]

What's the idea behind the spikes around the helmet. Seems to make the protection much worse. Is it just too look cool? My thinking: + Might protect shoulders from some downward slashes that would otherwise glance off the helmet with preserved force. + Might increase damage to some enemy weapons, at the cost of more damage to the wearer that the helmet should protect. - Increases the risk of neck injuries, as blows don't glance off the helmet, but hook on to it and twist the head of the wearer. - Makes force distribution much worse.It's literally like hitting a hammer on the head of a nail. E.g. an enemies blunt club, become like a spiked club, when it hits the head on one of the spikes. Or you get a spike driven into your head, just by falling head first onto a hard ground.

[@Godram]

You mention people having multiple helmets during a campaign. Was it only nights that would have multiple? I can't imagine having to carry around 3 helmets for every fighter while marching across the countryside.

[@josephd.5524]

it's only one eye; you was born with two.

[@pRahvi0]

There's a reason why the crews of modern and particularly WW2 era tanks only closed the hatches under intense fire and would often stick their heads out otherwise. The reason is very much the same: visibility is so much better when there's nothing between you and the view, no matter how many periscopes or vision ports you might have.

[@Philweasel]

In a close formation, or on horseback, a closed helm's disadvantages are a bit less prominent. In a general melee, you're absolutely wide open to any sort of attack from your blind spots. Even in the best plate armor, someone taking your leg out from under you and dropping you to the floor is always a risk.

[@stupidburp]

Another interesting option was masks worn tight on the face. In some places these were incorporated into mail. In other places they were a separate piece, such as in Japan. These provide less protection than a good visor but can have excellent visibility if the eye holes are wide enough. Of course pointy things can go through those same holes or even pierce the thin material and the face. I tried wearing some samurai helmets with separate mask pieces and I was impressed by how little they interfered with doing tasks. The complete opposite of something like a barrel helm where I couldn't even see my own hands most of the time.

[@andrewbaynard2914]

I would like to direct your attention to the Foot-Combat Helm of Sir Giles Capel. You can indeed "have it all" so to speak. It was so good, he had it hung above his tomb. =D

[@brotherandythesage]

Best helmet lets you do your main job, now I understand Sir Matt lord of Context, thank you.

[@Pedro8k]

Could you do a video on how you keep armour clean and so shiny it must take a lot of work to clean them and why they would be worn like that

[@YorkGoldtoof]

I like when the lower half of a helmet is chainmail.

[@xhagast]

The aventail's protection is dubious at best. Imaginary at worst.

[@DemokerR101]

​@xhagast how is it imaginary??

[@xhagast]

@@DemokerR101 It will not stop a blow of ANY kind, you feel most of the impact. It is just more lasting than a scarf. It will protect your face from a slash but bone may still break.

[@atom8248]

@@xhagast how is breaking bone just as bad as getting your head chopped in half by a sword? Were the soldiers who used maille coifs and aventails all just stupid? The entire middle east?

[@lscibor]

@@atom8248 Having your jaw or orbital bone broken is awful even in modern times, and with medieval medicine it would probably never heal properly, but yes, it obviously beats having your jaw and mouth impaled by a spear every damn time. Forget aventails, in 15th and 16th century close fitting mail bevors were pretty, popular, people spending pretty penny on them certainly knew what they were doing. Metropolitan museum of arts has few pretty awesome looking examples.

[@simone-518]

Interesting for sure! I agree with you on the practical arguments. This is pure speculation, but we might see an overrepresentation in medieval art of open faces, just as we see this in current day movies for stylistic reasons right? Clearer identification of the person depicted, or showing emotion etc. Are there other sources that mention what one should do in a battle, probably even depending on your role?

[@marilyn2342]

I have a question! I’ve seen somewhere that many suits of armour were only polished by Victorian and later collectors, and had been decorated and painted when they were first made and used. Is there any truth to that? In what state were these suits commonly used? Mirror polished, matte, or even painted or decorated?

[@Waldemarvonanhalt]

Apart from shelling out a lot of money IRL to experience what Matt talks about, playing Kingdom Come Deliverance does give a pretty good idea of how advantageous a better field of view is when fighting. Having your visor down is like trying to drive a tank with all hatches down.

[@lowe_sa2976]

Especially when you are mounted

[@angryeliteultragree6329]

I don’t know if you have covered armor fluting, but I’m planning on getting a Maximilian style 3/4 armor, and it’s pretty thin but heavily fluted.

[@davidcor4106]

Thank you for this video. I have just two questions, at 7:24, is it "fausa" or "fasa"? and what is the battle mentioned? It sounded to me like "por ti a".

[@davyjones6407]

On the open-faced 'English' sallet you wear, what's the purpose of the Goth-looking ring of spikes? Maybe this information has already been provided elsewhere but I'd be grateful for a brief answer to this.

[@angelmeier4382]

I imagine that if I was wearing armour with an open face helmet, then my face would be the only exposed part of my body and I could therefore easily focus on defending against strikes aimed at it.

[@unocoltrane2804]

Unrelated question: can we get a video about the cinquedea at some point in your obscure weapon playlist? Did you already do one and I missed it?

[@lifigrugru6396]

Question could a big failiure to lac-varnish (or how is to write) the polished armor? Just a fine tin layer to protect the surface. Or using clear wax for the same porpouse?

[@sadp9013]

I would probably have choosen the salet and bever the best vision/air for good protection

[@BigTuk]

There's also the fact that rthe face plate generally onet do that much against an aimed swim from something like an axe or halberd... There was also the option of shields.

[@Book-bz8ns]

Matt, whats with the protruding bits on the salet? Looks like where the suspension is held, but on the exterior, looks like its just to be fancy? Wouldnt weapons catch on them?

[@mont-joiest-denis8326]

4:00 thats a grudgin that we shall not forget.

[@JugglingAddict]

I bought a Morion helmet, which is something that was used a lot and has all the characteristics described in this video. It probably would very much be a solid choice as an adventuring helmet, that I believe was considered reasonable affordable.

[@memofromessex]

What I was interesting in: Is how the light horsemen used a lance - was it simply a stabbing weapon? How'd they get amongst soldiers and fight? Border surnames, anachronistically known as the 'Border Reivers', used a leather coat - sometimes reinforced with metal - and a steel cap. They also fired their arrows on horseback.

[@GregoryKirk1]

Tank commanders mostly operate hatch open and head outside the tank too. Visibility is critical to survival on the battlefield. you can't protect yourself from a threat you don't see coming. By the time we are dealing with full plate harnesses the tournament is no longer a wild roving battle, but jousting, combat at the barriers and other controlled fights. Visibility is a lot less important when you know where your opponent has to come from. Also no one is trying to kill you in the tournaments. On the battlefield, the enemy really is trying to kill you. If you don't see him coming, you're a lot more likely to end up flat down in the mud with some archer sticking his dagger through your less protected bits.

[@Glimmlampe1982]

Fun fact: If you see a Kolbenturnier-helmet on a coat of arms, then it's pretty much always a nobility coat of arms. If it has a frogmouth helmet, it's probably a non-nobility coat of arms (from a city patriciate). Because contrary to modern perception the tournament with lances (Rennen) want the most noble type of tournament, group fighting on horseback with clubs (Kilbenturnier) was way more prestigious. Lance tournaments were often held by city's to

[@TheAndrewPoore]

How far did people go with making helmets safe? It seems like you could use tiny mirrors to make sort of a “false eyehole” where light goes in, bounces off mirrors, and reaches your eyes. The idea would be to make a stab in the “eye” become an inconvenience rather than seal your death. For breathing, it seems like they’d use curved holes and/or latticed metal, offset such that you have to bend a blade to stab through it

[@smilejos6715]

What is the purpose of the studs around the Salet?

[@cmelton6796]

A legend who took an arrow to the eye for science and thumbnail

[@chehalem]

Are the spikes around the brim of your sallet purely decorative or is there an element of functionality there? Not just in combat, but if this was something worn day to day campaigning, perhaps some thing like points to attach a cloth cover or drapery to shield from the sun or weather?

[@ZhouTie47]

There’s something about seeing that dagger easily slide through the visor. Like it just clicked how brutal and nasty a proper armored fight would be, eesh.

[@Wastelandman7000]

Plus the back spike from both warhammers and poleaxes. could go right through the visor hole by brute force.

[@bryanengland2466]

Love this video. Any thoughts on the best protection that you could do yourself as a total armor? I feel like the Brigandine is best for the man at arms but maybe you have another opinion 🤔

[@aspiringmarauder666]

I’m looking forward to seeing your full armor hopefully soon

[@ulfhedtyrsson]

Plus you could just bring a heater or calvary shield if you're worried about large face gaps and arrow volleys.

[@mtgAzim]

How cool would it be to mount NVG's to a medieval helmet? Someone needs to.

[@chrisclark9209]

I've worn a cage style hockey helmet, whichhas more airflow and vision than Matt's tournament helm. Even that restricts breathing and vision. So I can see why soldiers might want the trade off(besides, you can always duck your head down if you can see the arrow stream, and time it right)