Armor Series

[Henrik Granlid]

It could've come out of the flat topped helmets wanting to move thw point of impact away from the head as well as the face, similar to burgonets having combs and brims.

A flat top sits taller than conical helmets, much like a bascinet sits a fair height above the skull, however, they also sit a bit out, offering protection from downward blows by moving the point of impact further out from the head.

If this then gradually shrunk to accomodate for a more slanted glancing surface underneath, it follows that they didn't redesign the top until it got small enough to where they turned into sugarloafes and Pembridge tops.

[Sir Patrick]

Why did they go away from face protection in the first place?  It's seems like Viking and other Iron Age helmets had spectacle plates and cheek flaps, yet they were discarded in favor of the conical nasal helms.

[Henrik Granlid]

Fashion to an extent, but nasals are suprisingly efficient at protecting the face, especially with maille for your jawline, most incoming blows at most angles will meet either the nasal, or maille with sturdy bones underneath.

We also have to question how common or rare oculars really were, don't we have at least as many found nasals during the viking age as we have oculars? And there is only one Scandinavian helmet found from the era and it is without cheekplates (which were more likely a remnant of the roman helmet construction, kept during the vendel period but not seen in the actual viking helmet).

[Sir Nate]

Fashion to an extent, but nasals are suprisingly efficient at protecting the face, especially with maille for your jawline, most incoming blows at most angles will meet either the nasal, or maille with sturdy bones underneath.

I think thats one of the reasons the Ventail was created. Although in later use I think it transfers from defending the mouth, to acting as an extra dagger defense for the chin and throat when helms with face plates came into use.

It could've come out of the flat topped helmets wanting to move thw point of impact away from the head as well as the face, similar to burgonets having combs and brims.

A flat top sits taller than conical helmets, much like a bascinet sits a fair height above the skull, however, they also sit a bit out, offering protection from downward blows by moving the point of impact further out from the head.

If this then gradually shrunk to accomodate for a more slanted glancing surface underneath, it follows that they didn't redesign the top until it got small enough to where they turned into sugarloafes and Pembridge tops.

Not only is the point of impact farther from the head, but I find the brim of the helmet is very strong.
I think it would also be quite difficult to land a flat blow on the top of the helm with single-handed shaft weapons (maces and smaller axes) and swords. Most blows will be at an angle, and having that brim defense would seem pretty sound, and probably still glance off the attack. With a rounded top, that brim is taken away, a blow just glances off. So in the end, the rounded top is still superior...

[Lord Dane]

Great videos Ian!! Finally caught up.

[Ian]

One Helmet to Rule Them All!  Well... my favorite anyway... The Bascinet:

[Sir Patrick]

Great vid!

[Ian]

Kettle Hats:

[Sir Douglas]

Have any more information on that first extant kettle you showed near the beginning of the video? I've never seen that one before.

Awesome video as always! I really enjoy your style of presentation.

[Ian]

Have any more information on that first extant kettle you showed near the beginning of the video? I've never seen that one before.

Awesome video as always! I really enjoy your style of presentation.

Thanks.  It was a Visby find, but it illustrated spangen construction because it probably predates Visby by a lot.

[Sir Rodney]

I really enjoy your series of videos Ian.   

I noticed you emphasized the hard “et” in sallet partway through the video.   

[Sir Edward]

BTW I just wanted to chime in and say I really like how you're taking the time to explain in detail, and yet assume little prior knowledge so that it's informative to newbies. I know we have a few of the videos posted on the FB page, but probably haven't posted all.

Maybe we should set up a page on the website with the videos embedded so they're easily accessible in one place?

[Lord Dane]

Excellent videos Ian. Just got caught up.

[Ian]

BTW I just wanted to chime in and say I really like how you're taking the time to explain in detail, and yet assume little prior knowledge so that it's informative to newbies.

Thanks.  One of my goals was to make them accessible to people who may not be studied on these topics.  Firstly, because I'm lazy and it's nice to be able to point to a video instead of constantly having to duplicate work.  Secondly though, and more importantly, I think for people newly interested it can be hard to figure out where to break in to serious study, and I want to get them decent information to start with, not an Osprey book or Hollywood, ya know?

I noticed you emphasized the hard “et” in sallet partway through the video.   

[Sir Edward]

Thanks.  One of my goals was to make them accessible to people who may not be studied on these topics.  Firstly, because I'm lazy and it's nice to be able to point to a video instead of constantly having to duplicate work.  Secondly though, and more importantly, I think for people newly interested it can be hard to figure out where to break in to serious study, and I want to get them decent information to start with, not an Osprey book or Hollywood, ya know?

Heck yeah. It makes me wish we had something like this when we were all getting started. There are lots of details in there where it would have been like "Oh wow, that's brilliant and makes total sense, but I wouldn't have thought of that!" And what makes it great is that you have a very nice kit to use as an example. The greaves episode in particular comes to mind, since most people just simply have never seen a properly made set.