
These decorative details impacted the armor fashion of the time as well. This epoch is known for its beautiful cathedrals with their famous sharp spires. Without a doubt, some of the most beautiful medieval helmets appeared in the Gothic era. Commonly called a “bretèche”, this addition to the bascinet, along with the mail aventail, greatly increased the protective qualities of the helm without sacrificing visibility or breathability. Blacksmiths’ solution at the time was to add a triangular element that extended from the brow of the helmet down to either just below the nose or to the chin where its wide base would protect the lower jaw. Nasal helmets evolved from open-faced bascinets which left too much of the face exposed.

This type of bascinet saw common usage in the XIV century, but began to die out during the first half of the XV. Splitvisor mounting is located on the sides of the helmet and is a bit heavier than the klappviser, but also more reliable.

Klappviser (or klappvisor) mounting is located on the front of the helmet.Ģ. There are two types of mounting for medieval helmet visors:ġ. At the Forge of Svan we’re familiar with these rules and you can rest assured that the wolf ribs visor you purchase on our website complies with HMB regulations. However, this type of visor is strictly regulated by the HMB federation, so be careful when choosing this type of protection. Wolf ribs visor provides excellent visibility to fighters, doesn’t obstruct breathing, and gives a sense of freedom. Full-contact medieval combat fighters also like this type of visor due to the ease with which it turns blows. During horseback fights, this type of visor works great against spears, easily deflecting thrusts and stabs. Due to its shape and the space between one’s face and the metal, there’s ample room for breathing. Many bascients, pigface included, were equipped with plate aventails which drew their inspiration from the feathers and scales of birds and fish, respectively.Ī visor that looks a lot like a dog’s muzzle is called a houndskull (or “hounskull) visor. This co-opting of nature is inherent in virtually everything created by humans and the armor manufacturing process was no exception. Back in the old days, people often observed nature and paid special attention to details, copying what they liked. You can easily guess from its name what shape this visor takes – the shape of a pig’s snout. Let’s start with the most popular – pigface. Let’s take a look at each one of them in detail. The appearance of this helmet dates back to the XIV century when the knights, together with blacksmiths, developed several types of visors for the bascinet. They are relatively easy to manufacture, practical to use, reliable, and not terribly weighty. Among the fighters involved in this of sport, bascinets are the most popular medieval helm type. Newbies often choose these helm types because they are relatively cheap compared to others.įull-contact medieval combat is taking over the world.

Their main disadvantage is weight – a helmet like this can weigh up to 5 or 6 kilograms.

Thanks to the angular shape, these types of head armor are well suited for full-contact medieval combat because the angles deflect blows quite well. The tophelm features more elegant shapes and the top of this helmet is tapered when compared with the great helm.īoth types of helmets were often decorated with crosses shaped from brass. A great helm has a massive, wide top and the back is often open and unprotected. However, there are some subtle differences. The uninitiated might think that these helmet types are identical. The great helm and the tophelm are the most famous types of medieval pot helmets and are characteristic of the time of the Templar Order.
