Hello

I´m currently working with the group swedish LivingHEMA projekt. We travel around and do shows, workshops and lectures on medieval combat. We basicly do HEMA in period clothing. www.livinghema.se
Something that often happens are people that ask about how much force you need to penetrate armour.
We quote the manuals and shows that you don´t penetrate plate or coat of plates. We show that manuals shows to halfsword and use rondelldaggers in the gaps. We also show that pollaxes was used to batter a foe down and the finish with the point.
Often certain groups come up and claim that the manuals are all bullshit and that they have made tests that shows that swords penetrate armour. I can buy that you can injure through mail with a powerful cut, or knock someone unconsious, but I doubt that is was the most effektive way.
So, on to my question. Are there any reliable tests on weapons versus armour? Is there any essays on the subjekt? Any pictures? Any videos? It would be good to have some hard academical evidence to relate to.

Try the search function. There have been at least two threads just in the last week.

I did one a while back, but mine did not involve plate armor, only mail and jack. There are all kinds of things wrong with it, but then that can be said of any test. I think it gave a very good overall picture.

http://www.newyorklongsword.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=285