The Armour Archive

Mac Thamhais wrote:I don't have a consensus to offer (though your helm seems about right to me) but I would think that "enough" mass would differ from fighter to fighter. For example, in order to avoid a whiplashey neck injuring kind of motion, a heavily muscled bull necked fighter who is better able to resist that motion will probably be able to get away with a lighter helm. A skinny gangly type fighter, without that level of neck strength, on the other hand, would perhaps want a slightly heavier helm to offset what he lacks in the bull necked department.

That's how it seems to me anyway, but then I am not a doctor or physiotherapist or anything, so my opinion admittedly might not count for much.

Mac Thamhais wrote:It may have all the strength in the world, and it may be damn near bulletproof, but it won't be heavy enough. As has already been pointed out, mass resistance is a crucial part of the protective ability of a helm. If the helm isn't heavy enough, you're head will rock to the side (or front or back) with a sudden lurch upon impact. That sudden lurch has a tendency to slosh your brain around inside your skull, doing cumulative brain damage with each successive impact. It is still able to do this with nary a dent or popped rivet on the helm. With no damage at all done to the helm, damage can still be done to the wearer. That seems to be what Konstantine was referring to.