Blog & lookbook - Churburg Armor S18 Style, 1380-1430

Introduction

The armor of a knight (or man-at-arms) changed over the course of the Middle Ages. In this blog, we provide an insight into the equipment of a Northern Italian man-at-arms in the early fifteenth century to help you choose your own composition.

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, there was a rise of mercenary armies in medieval Europe. Mercenaries were better trained and equipped, could fight year-round, and could afford better equipment than traditional armies made up of temporary, feudal soldiers. However, they were considerably more expensive and often plundered the lands where they were stationed. Prolonged conflicts such as the Hundred Years' War between England and France were largely fought by costly mercenary armies, which often constituted a significant portion of the heavy infantry and men-at-arms on the battlefield.

This new form of warfare incurred high costs that only a few could afford. In Italy, this led to the rise of new city-states and republics rich enough to hire mercenary armies. The rise of major rivals like Venice and Genoa had led to a kind of cold war between two large alliances in Northern Italy by the late fourteenth century. This would erupt into a hot war in 1423, in the form of the Lombard Wars between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan. These wars would divide Northern Italy into several major power blocs, emerging from the patchwork of individual city-states that had previously emerged. The arms race between the warring alliances would lead to the development of the characteristic ‘Milanese’ plate armor.

Armor Developments

As the fifteenth century approached, plate armor began to evolve more significantly. It could now gradually be worn on its own, without the need for full chainmail. A good example of the development of armor during this period is the S18 armor from the Churburg Castle in Northern Italy.

Weak points in armor were increasingly protected with articulated plate armor. Shoulder plates, for instance, began to include ‘besagews,’ round plates to protect the armpits. In Northern Italy, ‘white armour’ slowly became fashionable, a style where the armor was no longer covered with fabric. This method of armor construction would later become popular in France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire.

The breastplate had evolved into a cuirass with both a breast and back plate. Movable plates (faulds) protected the lower abdomen and hips. The bascinet had evolved into a helmet with integrated neck protection but was also starting to be replaced by early ‘armets,’ helmets with a complex folding mechanism that fit more closely to the head. Gauntlets developed into a form that still provided individual finger protection but was covered with a large steel plate that hung over the knuckles.

Fiore’s Outfit

The year is 1423, and Fiore is a wealthy Northern Italian mercenary. He serves as a man-at-arms under the Doge of Venice in the war between his city and Milan. His weaponry and clothing are paid for by his wages, and he also likes to display his martial character on the streets. Fiore is primarily motivated by money in his career as a man-at-arms but feels some sympathy for his city. However, this is not enough for him to give up his lucrative salary as a mercenary.

Note: This outfit is based on the aforementioned S18 armor from the period 1380-1420 in Churburg Castle in Northern Italy. Similar armors were worn by French, Burgundian, and English knights during the Hundred Years' War, although distinct regional styles began to emerge during this period.

Attire

When not wearing his armor, Fiore follows the fashion of the early fifteenth century. He wears a surcoat or his arming doublet, braies with hose, pointed shoes, and a bycocket as headgear. On his belt, he carries a pouch and a dagger. He also wears a simple peasant ring that he found on the battlefield as a good luck charm.

Hat and Cap

The Bycocket (also known as the type of hat worn by Robin Hood) was a popular headgear in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It was worn both with or without a cape by peasants, townsfolk, and nobility alike.

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Surcoat

For special occasions, Fiore wears a surcoat in the heraldic colors of his family. This garment evolved from the tabard that knights wore over their armor in earlier centuries to identify themselves on the battlefield but was also worn on its own during the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries.

Many garments of this period were also worn in a half-and-half color pattern, known as Mi-parti. This model of surcoat is available in different halves, allowing you to mix and match colors yourself.

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Undershirt

Bright colors were preferred, contrary to how this period is often depicted. When affordable, clothing was richly decorated, but even undecorated clothing was very expensive in the Middle Ages. Wearing an undershirt helped keep the outer layer cleaner from body oils and required less frequent washing, which helped prevent discoloration.

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Arming Doublet

In the fifteenth century, fashion shifted from long, flowing robes to short, form-fitting garments. Men began wearing doublets that ended around the hips and emphasized the chest and waist. Full-length breeches also started becoming more fashionable.

A gambeson provided a layer of padded protection under chainmail and plate armor but was worn on its own by poorer soldiers. Due to developments in armor, thick gambesons became unnecessary for knights, and they began wearing a thinner, lighter padded variant that also matched contemporary fashion, known as the arming doublet. This snug version of the gambeson allowed for the attachment of armor parts that fit closely to the body.

In Italy, the arming doublet was even worn as a regular garment by civilians and non-military nobility to give a martial appearance, similar to wearing combat boots or camouflage clothing today. Fiore likes to display this and wears his arming doublet even in everyday life.

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Braies and Chausses

In the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, chausses (long stockings) were generally worn. These long stockings were attached to the braies (underpants) and were usually worn under long robes.

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During this period, there was also a gradual transition to full-length breeches. Choosing between chausses and breeches was a personal preference, but by the later fifteenth century, breeches had become the norm.

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TIP: Chausses and fifteenth-century breeches should fit snugly against the body. In the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, it was common to tie a lace or leather cord below the knee to keep the breeches and chausses tight and to fit better on the legs. This is a matter of personal preference, but it easily adds historical detail to your outfit.

Belt

People from all levels of society attached pouches and other items to their belts. When assembling your outfit, consider what you would find important to carry in your daily life as a knight, such as your utensils and also your sword.

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TIP: Medieval belts were extra long, often as a status symbol to show how much leather the wearer could afford. To wear such belts comfortably, a small loop was placed near the buckle to allow the long end of the belt to hang down.

Shoes

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, men wore pointed shoes. Over time, the fashion trend was to make these shoes increasingly longer and pointier. On the battlefield, however, the shape followed function, and the pointiness of the shoes was more modest to prevent tripping during combat.

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TIP: To give your outfit an authentic appearance, you might choose to add your own accessories and adjustments. Hats were often decorated with feathers and brooches. Jewelry was used not only to show wealth but also status: Nobles wore signet rings to seal important documents. The accessories you choose help to tell your own story.

Armor

Fiore’s armor consists of a cuirass, a dog-faced bascinet, arm armor, shoulder armor with integrated armpit protection, hourglass gauntlets, and full leg protection. He wears a bishop's mantle under his armor but no chainmail, as he prefers it this way. Due to the development of plate armor in his time, he can afford to make this choice. He attaches the armor parts to his arming jacket or arming doublet. This fifteenth-century invention replaced the gambeson. Arming doublets can be padded, but this is not always necessary. This doublet is padded.

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TIP: Throughout the Middle Ages, knights had squires or other servants to help them don their armor: plate armor was rarely designed to be put on by the wearer alone. We recommend asking someone to help you with fitting, donning, and adjusting your armor. Click here to read how to put on armor.

Chainmail

Although Fiore does not wear chainmail himself, many knights still did during this time. The haubergon, a short-sleeved chainmail shirt, became increasingly common due to developments in arm armor. Italian knights would continue to use full chainmail until the end of the fifteenth century, while in the Holy Roman Empire, chainmail was divided into voiders and chausses to save weight.

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Bishop's Mantle

Fiore wears a bishop's mantle around his neck and shoulders to protect him under the armor. This relatively inexpensive form of chainmail neck protection was used throughout Europe until the sixteenth century.

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TIP: When choosing your protection, check what fits your armor. Unsure? Feel free to send us a message!

Cuirass

The cuirass that Fiore wears protects his torso from both the front and back. Unlike earlier breastplates, such as those from the Churburg armor, the lower abdomen and hips are protected with articulated steel plates. These can also be detached from the cuirass.

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Arm and Shoulder Armor

Fiore’s arms and shoulders are protected by plate armor pieces that move with the body. Since his arms are a large target, they are fully protected with plate armor.

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He wears shoulder pieces that attach to the arm armor and breastplate and also protect the collarbone. They feature recognizable integrated ‘besagews’ (armpit protectors) that protect his armpits, as these frequently moving areas of the body are often weak points of the armor.

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The shoulder pieces Fiore wears are based on those from the S18 armor, but they are not the originals from when the rest of the armor was made between 1380 and 1410. The shoulder pieces were made later, probably 1420-1430. If you want an outfit from around 1400, we recommend simple late-fourteenth to early-fifteenth-century shoulder pieces, which are part of the Churburg armor from 1360. It is a personal choice which of the two shoulder pieces best fits your armor.

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Leg Armor

Fiore values full protection for his legs. Therefore, in addition to thigh armor, he wears shin guards that protect the entire lower leg. Armor is always a compromise between protection and mobility, depending on personal preference. Consider what is important to you and adjust your armor parts and composition to what you find most comfortable or practical. We will discuss this further under the heading ‘the perfect armor.’

These pieces of leg protection are designed to fit together, and the full shin guards have a special strap loop to attach to the thigh armor.

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In the fifteenth century, foot armor known as sabatons was also worn. This made long periods of walking in armor much more tiring, so it was often used only by cavalry. Whether you choose to wear sabatons or not is a matter of personal preference.

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Helmet

In the transition to the fifteenth century, experimentation with the creation of the armet, a helmet with a complex design to fit closely to the head, was already underway. Apart from these experiments, the bascinet continued to be widely used. During the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the poorest knights would have worn a Churburg-type bascinet, while wealthier knights would have opted for a flat, houndskull, or great bascinet. The wealthiest nobles might have had an early type of armet. Therefore, we present several options to consider for this type of armor.

Houndskull Bascinet

This distinctive helmet is a development of the houndskull bascinet that was part of the Churburg armor from 1360. Both the helmet and the snout have been made more pointed to deflect blows. It features many ventilation holes for better visibility, and the eye slits are equipped with bars to prevent daggers from being thrust through. Unlike its predecessors, this early fifteenth-century bascinet includes built-in neck protection, so a mail aventail is not necessarily required.

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Flat Bascinet

The other bascinet used in this shoot has a flatter visor. It resembles a visor bascinet (worn from around 1360) but differs in that its hinge points are located on the sides of the helmet. This helmet is specifically made for full-contact fighting. It is constructed from 2.5 mm thick steel and is extra-large, allowing for a thick layer of padding to be added.

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Large Bascinet

Another option is one of the most characteristic types of large bascinets. This bascinet is a precursor to the armet and was used throughout Europe around 1430. It was primarily intended for foot combat but was also used in tournaments.

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Hourglass or Early 15th Century Gloves

This type of hourglass gloves was very popular in the second half of the fourteenth century and continued to be used in the first quarter of the fifteenth century. The advantage of these gloves was mobility. Individual finger protection naturally offers less protection than a design where the fingers are covered by a type of armored mitten, leading to later armor gloves often having immobile fingers.

The early fifteenth century was a transitional period from traditional hourglass gloves to gloves with large plates on the knuckles that protected the fingers. Later in the fifteenth century, this evolved into armored gauntlets. In this context, both types of gloves can be worn.

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Weapons

On horseback, Fiore would have used a lance, but knights always carried an additional weapon for when the lance broke or for fighting on foot. Due to armor developments, shields were no longer used by knights and men-at-arms in the fifteenth century. Knights opted for two-handed swords, maces, war hammers, or polearms. The choice of weapon is entirely up to you for your early fifteenth-century knightly equipment. Here are some examples:

Dagger

On his belt, Fiore carries a rondel dagger designed to penetrate the gaps in plate armor in case he encounters another heavily armored opponent in battle. In daily life, this dagger was also used as a self-defense weapon.

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The Perfect Armor

Contrary to popular belief, armor was not intended to make the wearer completely invulnerable. Armor was always a compromise between mobility and protection. This compromise is evident in the difference between battle armor and tournament armor (all our armor is battle armor). In tournaments, much heavier but less mobile armor was worn to fully protect the wearer from the impact of a lance. This was possible because tournaments were not meant as a spectacle but as a fight to the death. On the battlefield, mobility was much more important, so battle armor offered less protection but was lighter, allowing for greater freedom of movement.

Historically, armor was worn by individuals who were highly trained and specialized in warfare during their time. These individuals made many choices between protection and mobility based on function and personal preference. For example, many foot soldiers wore less protection on their lower legs for comfort during marches, while cavalry were often more fully armored. Knights sometimes chose to protect their hands with gauntlets that restricted finger movement, while other times with gloves that allowed individual finger movement. Consider what is important to you and adjust your armor parts and configuration according to your preferences.

On medieval battlefields, only the aristocracy wore fully custom-made armor. The rest of the armies wore armor that had been gathered or taken from previous wearers. These soldiers adapted the collected pieces of armor to their size and decorated them with religious symbols and the heraldry of their lord. The armor parts we sell are not custom-made but are adjustable. As the owner of armor, you will regularly need to adjust it to fit your measurements for optimal comfort. This can be done by lengthening straps, adding straps, adjusting arm and leg pieces, and adding laces.

For more information on modifying mail and armor, see our knowledge base.

Churburg Armor S18 Style, 1380-1430