A knight's suit of armor saw a lot of use. Whether a knight was engaged in battle or seeking glory in jousting tournaments, he would need strong and functional protection and a suit of armor provided just that. Knight armor could protect from arrows and blows and was generally the best protection a warrior could obtain. Knight armor went though many changes throughout medieval times. In the 12th century, knights used an armor called mail. Mail was composed of little chains linked together to make one whole suit of armor that took an average of five years to make. A finished suit could weigh anywhere from 20-30 pounds and that was only counting the chest, arms and back area. In the 15th century, knight armor was made of plate armor. These suits came with helmets that covered the face most of the time and some armor suits had eagle beak decorations as well. It was no easy feat for these knights to don a suit of armor as it could take up to an hour to put it on. Helmets |
