Armets, close helms?

[Leganoth]

Lol i know im sorry i want alot . But for my teutonic set i would say, 1200-late 1400s, northern europe, teutonic order

1340-1360's - now we're adding more plate bits, greaves and cuisses are making appearances, more elaborate arm defenses and body protection like a coat of plates, helmets are early bascinets and klappvisors, great helms

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 Probably this, gonna finish the crest for my great helm soon, i was thinking full chain with plate arms and maybe some new boots. Not sure what kind of boots to wear with chain chausses though :/

[Sir William]

Lol i know im sorry i want alot . But for my teutonic set i would say, 1200-late 1400s, northern europe, teutonic order

What Ian said, you don't want " a kit " you want multiple kits and thats not going to happen on the cheap ( actually a good single kit isn't going to be cheap ).

You can try, like I did, but 8 years later and I've learned a lot along the way.  Firstly, you get what you pay for...if its cheap, its going to be cheap- materials, workmanship/quality, overall happiness.  As hard as it seems and sounds, save your money for a quality piece and you will not be disappointed; the converse is also true- spend on the cheap and you will be unhappy.  I won't tell you how much I've spent over the years on swords and armor...if only because I don't want to have to think about how much money I've sunk into this love of ours...lol

First, you should pick a period that contains the look you want; if it is Teutonic (and I'm just going by your avatar, but it makes sense) then Ian's example is one you at least want to start with. 

[Sir James A]

There are several features that distinguish close helmets from armets. Armets open by two side hinged plates as Ian mentioned, close helmets open via the entire fron of the helmet swigning up on two side mounted rivets/bolts on which the visors also move. Armets, did not incorperate lower " gorget lames " , in the 15th century the defense for the neck being formed by either a maille standard and some time maille hanging from the bottom edge of the armet or by the afixing of a seperate piece of armour called a wrapper, looking something like a bevor. In the 16th century ( by the end of the first decade of the century ) the " locking armet " had developed which has a large half circular channel all the way around the bottom edge of the armet. The is was worn woth a gorget with a bit more pronounced rolled edge on the top lame of the gorget so that, when the side hinged plates were borught into place and closed vi spring pin at the chin, the channel on the bottom edge of armet, locked over the pronouned top roll of the gorget, locking them together a forming a turner similar to that seen on 16th and 17th century arms in thier upper assembly. Armets usually had a one piece visor. Close helmets, which are an advent of the 16th century have usually two or three gorget lames attached to a flange formed by the bottom edge of the bowl of the helmet front and back forming a defense for the neck. They also had thier visor broken down into two parts and upper and lower half, allowing for only the top half to be opened from the nose to the forhead, or the whole face cleared if both visors were raised.

I see the two thrown around interchangeably so often I had no idea there's a distinct difference between them. Great info, thanks Allan.