body armour and arrows

[Anonymous]

Another thing. Studded leather armour never existed. Adding studs alone produces no discernable effect on incoming attacks. Again you are relying on info that is a century out of date (or a certain Fantasy Roleplaying Game). Historically, studding was used either for decoration (to create the fashionable "faux" brigandine), as rivets to join sections of fabric together, or to attach metal plates under the material for reinforcing. It is easy to mistake a coat-of-plates or brigandine for studded armour since the metal plates are concealed under the material and only the rivets are visible. The German leg armour to which you refer is a type of splint armour - a fabric or leather guard upon which metal strips are riveted. Sometimes to the outside, sometimes to the inside, and sometimes alternating. The earliest reference I know of is the Strategekion (sp?) of Maurice. In it he also suggests wooden splints as a substitute for iron. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=danielraymondhoward>Daniel Raymond Howard</A> at: 3/28/04 12:22 am<br></i>