German Style Point Tied Arm Armor – 1460-1500

Description of the Product

14th and 15th century medieval plate armor is roughly categorized into Italian style and German style armor. These were the two leading armor development and manufacturing hotspots in Europe, and their designs and styles were copied even if the manufacturing and use happened somewhere else within Europe. Italian style armor was stylistically smooth and round and German style had grooves, flutes, sharp turns and peaks in it. Smooth and round armor deflects blows easily away, whereas ridges and grooves give steel more strength and integrity. Naturally the visual style also meant a lot to rich medieval knights, who wanted to look fashionable and wear the style of clothing and armor they liked the best.

Gothic-style armor was developed in the Holy Roman Empire (in the area of modern-day Germany) during the first half of the 15th century, mirroring Gothic architecture with its arches, sharp silhouettes and vertical lines. The grooves, curves, and ridges in the armor, in addition to decorativeness, provided structural stability, and shielded the wearer from arrows, swords and daggers deflecting blows away from their target. The name “gothic” originates in Italy during the Renaissance to describe the architectural art of the “barbarians” or Goths. This "barbarous German style" was used not only in buildings but also in armor.

The German style continued, even in late fifteenth century, to use half arms combined with chainmail, whereas the Milanese or Italian style favored full casing plate armor. The vambrace protects the forearm, the couter protects the elbow, and the rerebrace protects the upper arm. These three parts are joined together with leather points so that the hand is fully mobile; an obvious must for the armor to be functional. The wing of the couter protecting the otherwise vulnerable inner elbow went through many fashions, from the simple rounded form, to a heart shaped one, to these large fluted wings of the German gothic armors. The wing of this arm armor turns inwards protecting the inner elbow very well.

These armor arms are extremely mobile. The pieces are tied together via leather points, which makes wearing the armor comfortable and versatile, and gives the wearer freedom of movement, not to mention the ease of their repair in case of damage. The pieces have a few sets of small holes, which allow them to be adjusted according to the wearer’s size. They are hung from the leather band from your mail shirt or arming jack using separate arming laces (not included). This prevents the armor from slipping downwards during battle. The arm armor is secured and fastened tightly with leather straps under each arm.

• Total length approx. 54 cm
• Outer width at the wrist 12 cm, outer width at the top 19 cm
• Weight approx. 2.30 kg per pair
• Made from 1.2 mm carbon steel. Steel thickness may vary due to the handcrafted methods used in manufacturing.
• Includes armor for both hands
• Made by Marshall Historical