Wenzel Bascinet

Description of the Product

Bascinet was a very common helmet-type used from early 14th Century up until 1450. The very first bascinets were used during the last years of the 13th Century and were used under the great helm like cervelliere-helmets. At the beginning of 14th Century (1320 onwards) armourers started adding face plates/visors to bascinets for better protection and by 1350 visored bascinet had replaced great helms on the battlefields. Bascinets stayed in common use (with some modifications on the way) all the way up until 1450. Even though bascinet was a helmet for the wealthy knightly class and heavily armored men-at-arms lighter versions of bascinets were used by some lightly armored infantry also.

The name of this helmet comes from Wenzel Bible that is a illustrated Bible made between 1389 and 1400. The bible has many scenes of war and violence and these are decipted in the Wenzel Bible using the arms, armor and style of the day. Even though studying the illustrations of Wenzel Bible is a time travel to the end of 14th Century similar helmets can be seen in other books from other times as well.

Bascinets were typically fitted with a mail curtain –called aventail- to protect the neck and throat of the wearer. This helmet has brass vervelles riveted on to the edge of the helmet for easy attachement of your mail aventail.

• Made of 2,0 mm thick steel. Steel thickness may vary due to the handcrafted methods used on its manufacturing.
• Available in two sizes M and L
• Size M for head circumference of approx. 60-61cm and size L for 63-64cm
• Openable visor that locks into upright position with a spring pin
• Visor can be locked down using leather straps and buckles on both sides of the visor
• Inside the helmet you have liner for height adjustments and a leather chin strap
• Vervelles riveted on to the edge of the helmet for easy attachement of your mail aventail
• Weight approx. 3.3 kg
• Made by Marshal Historical