[Iain Ritchie]

Hello everyone,

I own a replica (of course) 15th centuary suit of armour, The bevor is a single solid piece, should it be lined and if so how and what with?

Thank you in advance for any help.

[Tjarand Matre]

I sometimes use a bevor when I train and I would not line it. It sits on top of your gambeson and works like a condenser for the sweat escaping upwards. And your breath also condense inside the bevor accumulating epic amounts of fluid. Any lining would be saturated with body fluids very fast and become very very disgusting. I use a tight fitting wool hood (a 15th century fringed one) as it's easy to clean when it stinks too much and it covers both neck and head from chafing.

[F Hynd]

I would second not lining the bevor. After being used for a little while it gets rather damp in both the bevors I regularly use. I've only seen one lined bevor and it only gets ponced about in

[Jeffrey Hedgecock]

Bevors MUST be lined to work properly. The protective value of a bevor is determined by its remaining in position. If it's not lined, it will shift out of position and not absorb (deflect or redirect) impact, which is the purpose of ALL armour.

It's ridiculous that a bevor would not be lined because of sweat or condensed breath. You can't think of armour in modern reenactor terms, but you must think of armour in terms of its ability to keep you alive (even if it means replacing linings, straps etc-- armour requires regular maintenance and is consumable). A sweaty liner can be cleaned or replaced..........your throat can't, if it's been cut or smashed.

A stuffed and quilted linen liner is typical for bevors, with a strap around the back of the neck. They work fine if executed properly. An unlined bevor just dangles around like a necklace, offering little or no real protective value.

[Eric Hejdström]

I recently lined my old bevor and have to second Jeffreys statement. I lined the cup and partially the lower plate. Ofcourse this makes a bit tighter when using a gambeson but it's no problem. Generally using a heavy gambeson is not necessary when wearing plate. But as seen in several paintings the bevors are used combined with a helmet only, no other armour or gambeson visible. A simple but very efficient protection to the head.
My liner is made from linen and stuffed with raw linen fibres (as used for sealing small cracks and holes in timber buildings) and then stitched to a strip of heavier linen cloth that's riveted to the metal. Linen have the amazing quality to not absorb odours much and it takes quite a while for it to get nasty. And if needed I can just cut the thread and wash it. As said, just the regular maintenance...

[Mark T]

Hi Iain,

Do a search for Sean Flynt's threads on lining a sallet and bevor ... here are a couple, but I think there was one other also:

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...ight=bevor

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...mp;start=0

There's also an old thread by Bill Grandy which contains a historical image of a lined bevor: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...ight=liner

Hope that helps,
Mark T

[Thomas R.]

[William P]

i understand its meant to be tight but also may i ask, what the difference is between a gorget and a bevor...

all the books ive read are very ambiguous

[Mark T]

Another nice shot of a modern repro lined bevor is in this thread.

[Lafayette C Curtis]