Armour names

[nova niche]

@full apex @calm wren Asking about armour names. What is the term for gauntlets/gloves/hand armour that would include 15th-16th century stuff made mostly out of plate and exclude stuff like lamellar, scale or brigandine armour. Same question for head armour. What category would something like an armet fall under without including things like scale or lamellar caps and helmets?

[rigid sedge]

they would be called gauntlets

wtf are "brigandine gauntlets" ?

especially in a late 15thc context ?

Helmet that are armets would be called armet, nothing complicated

Yes do

[full apex]

oh damn

[rigid sedge]

lamellar and scale skullcaps

[nova niche]

So gauntlet would never include anything that isn't 15th to 16th century plate stuff?

[rigid sedge]

but they be called .. like.. skullcaps

or cervelliere depending

[rigid sedge]

what?

[full apex]

yeah skullcaps

[nova niche]

Thats not what I was asking

[full apex]

mb

[rigid sedge]

gauntlets means a hard steel hand defense

you also have to understand that not every type was contemporary to each others and/or close geographically to each others

a viking blade
a late 15thc estoc
a katana

they're all swords

but they're all different in style or culture/timeframe

[rigid sedge]

doesn't change the fact that they're all swords and were called swords (or variant)

[olive berry]

in the context of a normal conversation about armour, you would just say gauntlet, or helmet. afaik, there is no singular term for either of these pieces of armour that includes plate while excluding all other forms of material/style

[rigid sedge]

if anything they would be terms to exclude "full plate" and only refers to the others individually but who cares

for the purpose of the timeframe, they're all gauntlets

[olive berry]

are you asking if the word gauntlet is limited to 15th to 16th century plate armour for the hands? if so, then no

[nova niche]

Im just trying to understand why some of these rules about armour names exist. Saying "plate armour" or "partial plate" is apparently vague and refers to any type of banded/scale/lamellar armour. But then like, plate harness apparently specifically refers to 15th-16th century full plate torso armour, even though any number of things could be described as a harness with plates. "Plate gauntlet" seems exactly as specific as "plate harness" but apparently is not, as it could include older stuff.

[rigid sedge]

But then like, plate harness apparently specifically refers to 15th-16th century full plate torso armour

Plate "harness" means a complete harness (as in torso, arms,legs .. the complete getup) of plate

before the age of complete "solid" plate armor they were harnesses but they weren't completely make out of solid plate

[nova niche]

So then would "partial plate harness" properly convey that someone is wearing a partial set of full plate without confusing it with another type of armour?

[rigid sedge]

you could have a coat of plate torso, maille sleeves with leather reinforcement

[rigid sedge]

what do you want to call partial plate harness ?

because dividing the amount of plate in an harness type name is something that was done later on, with for instance the most well known "three-quarter"

[nova niche]

Im just asking if thats the correct term

[rigid sedge]

there really isn't any "correct" term for that

[nova niche]

Like for instance when someone has a full pkate chest but no leg armour

[rigid sedge]

I don't even know what you're referring to

like what armor

specifically

[full apex]

This?

[rigid sedge]

if you want to call it "half plate" , people can understand

[full apex]

I usually say half armour/half plate

[nova niche]

I did earlier and was accused of being "too vague" which is why I started this thread

[rigid sedge]

well yeah because in a vaccuum it doesn't really mean anything

[nova niche]

Also yes this

[full apex]

half plate

[rigid sedge]

if I just say "sword" what am I talking about precisely ?

now if I say "mid 15th century french sword" you already have more of an idea

now if I post this you definitely know what i'm talking about

same thing with your armor problem

if you just come in an say "half armour" yeah good luck trying to guess what this means without more detail