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Forum Index > Off-topic Talk > A question about gorgets and helmets Reply to topic
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Ben Brewer




Location: England
Joined: 12 Dec 2015

Posts: 13

PostPosted: Sat 17 Sep, 2016 1:36 pm    Post subject: A question about gorgets and helmets         Reply with quote

I`m not too experienced in armour but I was wondering if the gorget was worn under or over the helmet and also how the helmet and/or gorget attaches to the rest of the armour.

Thanks
Ben
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Jeffrey Faulk




Location: Georgia
Joined: 01 Jan 2011

Posts: 578

PostPosted: Sun 18 Sep, 2016 11:40 am    Post subject: Re: A question about gorgets and helmets         Reply with quote

Ben Brewer wrote:
I`m not too experienced in armour but I was wondering if the gorget was worn under or over the helmet and also how the helmet and/or gorget attaches to the rest of the armour.

Thanks
Ben


Typically it was worn underneath the helmet. Consider the direction of over-head blows; you want the helmet to overlap the gorget, so that points cannot enter between the gorget and helmet.

The gorget might attach to the armour by points, but likely if it was a two-piece gorget (front and back), it was simply strapped together and rested on the armour around the neck. A single-piece gorget, like the 'bevor', was typically strapped around the neck. The helmet simply rests on the head; most types would have had a chin-strap for security.

EDIT to note: Only a few helmets were actually attached directly to the armour, and they were almost always for the single purpose of jousting. Otherwise, you require a pretty decent degree of head mobility in order to look all around you, especially considering that most helmet designs will restrict your field of vision pretty sharply...
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James Arlen Gillaspie
Industry Professional



Location: upstate NY
Joined: 10 Nov 2005

Posts: 587

PostPosted: Sun 18 Sep, 2016 12:22 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Ben, the answer to your first question is 'yes'. You have to specify a particular type of armour. Early 15th c. English? Mid 15th century Italian heavy cavalry harness? 17th century cuirassier armour? Grand bacinets were worn in the field by both English and French in the first half of the 15th century (and later, in some cases), and they don't even have a separate gorget.
jamesarlen.com
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Jeffrey Faulk




Location: Georgia
Joined: 01 Jan 2011

Posts: 578

PostPosted: Sun 18 Sep, 2016 12:34 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Arguably though a bascinet uses its mail aventail in place of a gorget...
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Ben Brewer




Location: England
Joined: 12 Dec 2015

Posts: 13

PostPosted: Sun 18 Sep, 2016 3:01 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I always forget to mention the period when talking about arms and armour.

Thanks for the replies I wasn`t too certain before but now it is a bit obvious.
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