How practical was platemail, chainmail armor?

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worldantiques
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How practical was platemail, chainmail armor? Sept 23, 2017 6:24:53 GMT

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Post by worldantiques on Sept 23, 2017 6:24:53 GMT

Sept 22, 2017 14:43:10 GMT wstalcup said:

very interesting! what seems strange to me, is how chainmail was invented before plate. Chainmail seems to me at least, to have been a lot more work and engineering. Maybe full plate is a lot harder to make than chainmail.. but how about "flaps" of plates, something like scales on a snake, seem to me to have been easier and offer more protection than chain mail

It is true that during a certain time period in Europe mail armor was "the" armor, slowly plates were added until plate armor was "the" armor and mail only filled in the gaps. In other cultures armor development was completely different. You have to pick a specific time period and culture when discussing the use of mail armor and other types.

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legacyofthesword
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How practical was platemail, chainmail armor? Sept 23, 2017 19:12:36 GMT

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Post by legacyofthesword on Sept 23, 2017 19:12:36 GMT

Sept 23, 2017 6:18:35 GMT worldantiques said:

Sept 22, 2017 16:41:18 GMT legacyofthesword said:

In fact, armor developed exactly as you describe it. Scale or lamellar armor was developed long before chainmail -

Who first used mail armor and when it was first used has never clearly been established, mail is easily corroded into dust and harder to illustrate than other armors. No one really can say for sure when mail was first used. Even mail from very recent times, lets say pre 1200s is extremely rare.

Obviously - this applies to any kind of historical object. However, a total lack of any pictorial or archaeological evidence in a certain time period is certainly a good indication that a given object did not exist in said time period. It's not concrete proof (concrete proof of anything is rather hard to come by), but it's pretty safe to assume that chainmail didn't exist prior to 1000 BC. Still, it's a good idea to keep an open mind.

worldantiques Member https://www.pinterest.com/worldantiques Posts: 81	How practical was platemail, chainmail armor? Sept 25, 2017 4:04:19 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by worldantiques on Sept 25, 2017 4:04:19 GMT Sept 23, 2017 19:12:36 GMT legacyofthesword said: it's pretty safe to assume that chainmail didn't exist prior to 1000 BC. Who would you credit with the first known use of mail?
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AndiTheBarvarian
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How practical was platemail, chainmail armor? Sept 25, 2017 6:34:56 GMT

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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Sept 25, 2017 6:34:56 GMT

Afaik the earliest findings of typical mail are from the Celts in Central Europe from ca. 4th century BC.
From 8th century BC is some kind of armor with rings used in something like a scale armor but not connected like mail, also from the Celts.

Last Edit: Sept 25, 2017 7:14:50 GMT by AndiTheBarvarian

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legacyofthesword
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How practical was platemail, chainmail armor? Sept 25, 2017 17:39:19 GMT

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Post by legacyofthesword on Sept 25, 2017 17:39:19 GMT

As stated by Andi, the Celts are usually credited (by modern historians and ancient authors) as being the inventors of chain mail. The earliest archeological evidence comes from a Celtic grave in the Balkans:

balkancelts.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/prince-of-transylvania/

Mail (of a sort) has also been discovered in Etruscan graves (dated to the 5th century I believe), but it's possible, given their proximity to the Celts, that they learned from the Celts:

Last Edit: Sept 25, 2017 17:52:19 GMT by legacyofthesword

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How practical was platemail, chainmail armor?

Post by worldantiques on Sept 23, 2017 6:24:53 GMT

Post by legacyofthesword on Sept 23, 2017 19:12:36 GMT

Post by worldantiques on Sept 25, 2017 4:04:19 GMT

Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Sept 25, 2017 6:34:56 GMT

Post by legacyofthesword on Sept 25, 2017 17:39:19 GMT

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