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Plate Armor
Full-body protective equipment forged from steel plates joined by riveting or pinning, reaching its craft peak among European knights and heavy infan…
Timeline
- c. 1420–1450Milan · LombardyMilanese armorers combined hot forging and cold working to develop segmented structures of breastplate, arm armor, and greaves; shoulder and elbow/knee articulated parts used pin-and-axle connections, significantly improving flexibility in mounted combat.
- c. 1470–1480States of the Holy Roman Empire · BavariaIn the 1470s Gothic plate armor became widely popular in German and Burgundian courts; fluting on the armor surface reduced weight, and the gorget and visor were integrated, adapting to the dual threats of lance thrusts and early firearm fragments.
- c. 1510–1530Augsburg · SwabiaAugsburg armorers developed Maximilian-style plate armor with fluted forged surfaces, dispersing impact force while maintaining protection, becoming one of the standard configurations of European heavy cavalry in the early 16th century.
Sources
- The Knight and the Blast Furnace: A History of the Metallurgy of Armour in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period — Alan Williams (2003)
- European Armour, circa 1066 to circa 1700 — Claude Blair (1958)