| The wearing of chain mail and body armor | | | | body armament. Maile weighed about the |
| has been an effective means of | | | | same as full body plate style. The |
| protection in combat and war for | | | | average weight was about 45 - 55 pounds. |
| centuries. Its use dates back to the | | | | However, a well made suit of plate |
| Greeks and early roman empire where | | | | armour was more comfortable to the |
| warriors and legionnaires donned metal | | | | wearer because it could be more evenly |
| plate and mail armour. The medieval era | | | | distributed over their body. It was |
| knights are most remembered for their | | | | always worn with padding and protective |
| elaborate and battle shields in | | | | clothing to further protect and insulate |
| brilliant colors. But a knight's armour | | | | from the heat and cold. The mid fourteen |
| was more that protection. It reflected | | | | century was the period wear knights wore |
| his status and lifestyle. The quality of | | | | both type of body armour. During this |
| the armour was as important and the | | | | time period, it was difficult for the |
| overall look and the battle efficiency. | | | | warrior to get back up on if knocked |
| Indeed it was a fashion statement also. | | | | down due the combined weight of the |
| The evolution of chain maile and armour | | | | plate and the maille. By the early |
| through the Maximilian era was a direct | | | | fifteenth century, most all body |
| response to improvement in weaponry of | | | | armament was plate as the designs and |
| the time. As weapons became more | | | | flexibility improved. A mid sixteenth |
| sophisticated, so did the thickness of | | | | century knight in full plate armour was |
| the battle shields and the armour of the | | | | surprisingly agile due to proper fit on |
| knight. Most had to not only be | | | | the wearer. |
| effective against attack but also | | | | The onset of the modern gun spelled the |
| flexible and agile. | | | | swan song for full body armament |
| The period of plate armour runs from | | | | although body armour is worn even today |
| about the early 1300's to about the mid | | | | in a more modern form such as kevlar |
| to late 1500's. During this medieval | | | | (tm) vests and such. Even still we |
| time period the evolution went from a | | | | romanticize this period of European |
| few pieces of plate to entire suits of | | | | history. The medieval knight is well |
| highly crafted works of art in metal. | | | | engrained in our minds and impressions |
| Prior to this time, chain mail was the | | | | of the medieval period. |
| most prevalent and effective type of | | | | |