Leather armour for 1360

[paulchristie]

All

I am new to these forums so not sure if this has been covered else where.

I am looking for any info or references about Leather armour during britain in 1360, or there about.

the stage combat group I belong to will be covering this era next year, and rather than buying armour (steel) I would like to make my own out of leather, but i am having trouble trying to find out what was used (except splinted legs) or if it was used at all.

can anyone help with images, patterns or reference material.

Thanks

Paul

[Angusm0628]

Well I cheated, I used leather and built a cherburg.

[InsaneIrish]

I THINK there is some evidence for some leather body armour that was used for tournament.

But, mostly leather armour is not documentable.

[Strongbow]

The debate about leather armour continues...

I think the most famous exact piece of eather armour from close to 1360 is the cuir boulli rearbrace that is seen in books all the time. A number of armourers here have made credible reconstructions of it, along with conjectural matching vambraces and schynbalds. Some scholars have mused that the highly figured armours sometimes seem around 1340-1350 might be cuir boulli since the decoration would make more sense in leather than metal. Leather breastplates might have been possible early (thus the term cuirass), but tby 1360, you'd be in a coat-of-plates, rapidly giving way to a single-piece, metal breatplate. There is considerable evidence (such as Rene of Anjous Book of the Tournament) for specialized leather armour used for tournament. But in 1360, specialized tournament armour would be unusual, except that the competitors might wear a great helm when the use of that helm was much less common in battle.

Hope that helps.

[James B.]

One thing that is always ignored in leather armor topics is that even if the mentioned effigies are showing leather armor they are worn over full maille covering the arms, legs, torso, hands, and head. Leather is never a stand alone armor. Frankly a sword will cut right through the leather even when hardened. The idea is just like padded armor over maille; it adds another layer to take the impact and prevent penetration of the maille.

[kersme]

One thing that is always ignored in leather armor topics is that even if the mentioned effigies are showing leather armor they are worn over full maille covering the arms, legs, torso, hands, and head. Leather is never a stand alone armor. Frankly a sword will cut right through the leather even when hardened. The idea is just like padded armor over maille; it adds another layer to take the impact and prevent penetration of the maille.

Unless its scale or lamellar.

[James B.]

Unless its scale or lamellar.

But do we know that for sure?

There is some evidence from the low middle ages of leather scale or lamellar but do we know for sure it was stand alone? Not many good depictions of scale or lamellar from that time. Could be worn over a maille shirt for all we know. However this has nothing to do with the asked about time frame.


The issue is defense for the time frame of 1360; effigies always show 14th c knights from that time period wearing what might be leather in conjunction with maille. Scale is rarely seen in that era an I don’t know of any lamellar depicted in that era but in 1360 we have ONE example of lamellar from the battle of Wisby and it was metal. It is also really old in that time period, likely left over from the 11th or 12th century. Remember that is one of hundreds of body armors found and we are still talking metal.

Wisby is on the island of Gotland incase you don’t know; a province of Sweden.


Scale gets depicted allot in the late 14th century and early 15th century but never as anything other than metal.

[kersme]

Unless its scale or lamellar.

Scale gets depicted allot in the late 14th century and early 15th century but never as anything other than metal.

[James B.]

Good image for early 15th century and another maybe leather.

However with the set up that fellow has on he would have some sort of maille on under that body armor; all of them would. Voiders or a full shirt are worn with plate or a CoP in this era.

[Karen Larsdatter]

Hise jambeux were of quyrboilly

(from The Tale of Sir Thopas, which is, perhaps, not the most real-world depiction of armor in 14th century English literature -- not even the most realistic in the Canterbury Tales, for that matter -- but it does, I think, show that leather leg-armor is not unthinkable. See http://www.larsdatter.com/chaucer.htm for more notes on Chaucer's armor & garment descriptions, etc.)