Corbridge A Breastplates - to cross or not cross diagonally?

[Matt Lukes]

I forgot to mention that I have answers to one of the proposed issues with crossed plates- specifically the idea that it would be too hard on the lateral buckles. The truth is, and the photo of Jim's armor shows it quite nicely, that because the spike of the buckle is a point connection, the belt can easily rotate around that, reducing the downward force on the parts. And of course the leather belt itself is flexible so bends as well. Also the hinge of the buckle seems to be a common point of damage- I have several forward (buckle) halves, presumably broken away from their base plates, and one complete unit that is partly broken at the top suggesting lateral force did the breaking. I've seen one other like this as well. If the plates were indeed vertical, there's less of an explanation as to why the buckles were broken this way, but the angled breastplate idea does this well.