Plate Mail

Full plate describes a suit of armor made entirely from plate mail armor. There are hundreds of examples of full suits of armor of plate mail construction. Uncounted books have been written on the subject of plate armor; a handful of the better ones are included as references here (see the references section in the frame at left). Until the development of firearms there were as many styles of plate armor as there were nations and monarchies in medieval Europe. Plate mail was very expensive, thus only knights and nobles could afford it (whether they were stout enough to wear it is another issue entirely). Plate armor for dismounted combat differed from that for mounted combat, and jousting armor was a completely separate type of armor. A knight in full plate armor, especially on horseback, was nearly impervious to most weapon attacks until he was knocked down or off his horse. The armor was so heavy that a fallen knight stood little chance against his opponents in a large melee. Plate armor was the basis for the extensive development of such weapons as the flanged mace, war hammer, military pick, and the Lucerne hammer.

   An interesting note on colloquilisms:  the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve" derives from the medieval custom wherein a Lady would bestow a favor (usually a scarf or ribbon) upon the knight representing her in a jousting tournament.  The knight would attach the favor to his left arm for all to see the object of his devotion.