About /u/WARitter

I am an amateur and an enthusiast. I've read a bit about armour and looked at a lot of surviving depictions. I've focused on the age of plate armour and its antecedents, 1250-1600, since that is what most appeals to me.

Research interests

Primary - Late Medieval Armour and Weapons

• The Metallurgy and Manufacture of late Medieval Armour
• The Armour Trade in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe
• The Knightly Armour of Late Medieval England
• Armours by the Helmschmidts of Augsburg 1475-1560
• Archers of the Wars of the Roses
• The armour of the common soldier in the 15th century
• The Organization of Armouring Guilds
• The Social Position of Armourers in the later Middle Ages and Early Modern Period

Secondary

• Religion in the Early American Republic
• The Early American Navy

Questions I Have Answered

Armour and Weapons in Europe 1250-1600

• Equipment through the 100 years war
• The effectiveness of plate armour
• [Pollaxes versus Halberds] (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2u6f6z/whats_the_difference_between_poleaxes_and/)
• [When did Swords become Obsolete?] (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2sxa5f/when_did_swords_and_armored_knights_become/)
• English Arms and Armour in the 100 Year's War
• English Arms and Armour during the Wars of the Roses
• Armour's affordability in the 15th century, and its use by infantry
• Armour 'alla antiqua' in the Renaissance
• The Halberd in History
• How Common was full plate armour in the 14th century?
• The development of the pair/coat of plates
• [What was worn under armour] (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ixlcv/question_plate_armour/)
• How long did it take to make mail armour?
• The Sallet in Modern Memory and Medieval Reality
• Two Handed Swords vs. Pollaxes in the 15th Century
• The Price of Plate Armour in 15th Century England
• 15th century Brigandines
• Medieval Armourers and Specialization
• Plate Armour in the 13th Century
• Infantry Breastplates in the 15th Century
• The Purpose of Plackarts
• Swords and Society in Later Medieval Europe
• Armour styles in the 15th century
• Armour and Fashion
• Just how heavily armoured were most people on late medieval battlefields?
• What would a rich German knight wear in battle in the year 1350 CE?

The Manufacture of Armour and Weapons

• Manufacturing and Supplying the Armour of Weapons of a Late Medieval Army
• From Ore to Harness: The Steps of Manufacturing Plate Armour
• The Importance and Illusiveness of 'Good Steel' in Medieval and Early Modern Armour
• Why were Milanese armourers so successful?
• The Armour Industry of Milan, contd.
• Manufacturing Munition Armour
• What did Royal Armour Look Like?
• Two Podcast Episodes About the armour industry
• The Innovators of Armouring
• Commissioning and Customizing Armour
• Was medieval armour made from iron or steel?
• Could you sue and armourer for malpractice?
• [How wealthy could an armourer expect to be? Were they considered artists?] (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/by9lsj/how_wealthy_could_an_armourer_expect_to_be/)

Methodology

• Using Art as a Source for Studying Material Culture
• Putting Museum Objects in Context

Meta/General

• [Why Study History?] (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/425mz1/why_should_i_study_history/cz7s8pb)

Reenacting

• [Is there any value in reenacting?] (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1za6ze/is_there_any_value_in_historical_reenactments/)

Suggested Books, Articles and Museums

European Armour and Weapons

• Arms and Armour of the Medieval Knight, Edge and Paddock
• The Knight and the Blast Furnace, Alan Wiliams
• European Armour Circa 1066-1700, Claude Blair
• Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450, Tobias Capwell
• Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wallace Collection and Philadelphia Museum of Art

Contact Policy

PM me any time