Armor

Leather Armor
Leather armor is at least 1/8 inch in thickness and has been hardened by boiling or soaking it in hot water. Once the leather is soft it is formed into the desired mold and once it dries it is resistant to cuts and blows. 
Chain Mail
This armor consists of tens of thousands of links of metal forming a protecting and yet flexible suit of armor. While this armor is quite effective against slashing type weapons, it can easily be punctured by a longbow or similar weapon. In addition, because of its cloth-like nature, it provides little protection against heavy-ended weapons such as maces or flails. Chain armor is worn as a shirt with 3/4 sleeves, a knee length skirt, a coif, and leggings (not necessarily all together).
Scale Armor
Many small plates of metal are attached to a soft leather backing forming the appearance of fish scales. This armor is quite protective against missile weapons and blows but it is much more rigid than chain mail armor. Typically, scale armor is in the form of a shirt with a small skirt.
Plate Armor
This was developed to aid chain armor against long bow and heavy weapons such as broadswords, maces and flails. While a suit of plate and chain weighs slightly more than a suit of chain armor, the weight is distributed more evenly by straps and buckles. The full range of motion is hindered slightly but a man clad in plate armor is able to move with a surprising amount of ease.
Brigandine
The brigandine is a leather surcoat with many steel plated riveted to the inside of it. It is similar to scale armor, but easier to wear and care for. It can easily be added to any garb for extra protection.
Banded Mail
Banded mail consisted of small, overlapping flat metal rings sewn on to leather, linen or velvet. One row would be overlapped on the right edge, the next on the left, the one after on the right again and so on. The material that they were sewn on was gathered into a roll or tuck in between the rows which separated them and made sure the rings stayed flat, it is these bands of material that give rise to the name.
Category:All
Category:Armory
Category:World Lore