Plate Armor

• Plate armor, made from large metal plates, was worn on the chest and in some cases, over the entire body. The ancient Greeks and Romans used plate armor. It was worn over chain mail as well. It was only used by the richest individuals in society, since it was so expensive to produce. Although armor was used originally for battle, it evolved with time for use in jousting. Plate armor was phased out as weapons evolved, since it could protect against cuts and blows but was easily damaged by crossbows. It was also susceptible to damage at the joints where it connected on each part of the body. An entire suit of plate armor, at its lightest, weighed 40 pounds if designed correctly.
  
  

Chainmail

• Chainmail, also known as Maille, was designed originally in France. Chainmail was worn beneath other types of armor to protect warriors from weapons that penetrated, such as spears and swords. It was a useful type of armor because it was cheap and easy to make, and fit multiple people. Its weaknesses were that it rusted easily and could be quite heavy as an under layer, especially if worn under plate armor.
  
  

Leather Armor

• Leather armor was the lightest, cheapest and easiest armor to make during Medieval times. It was made from the hides of cattle, which were then boiled in a mixture of water, urine and ash, among other ingredients, to make it tougher. The leather was then stitched together to be custom fitted for each knight. It was less effective at blocking weapons and was used primarily by archers. As time evolved, it became customary to sew metal studs onto the leather to make it more protective.
  
  

Armor by Body Part

• The sabtons were the very first part of the armor to be put on and were iron plates placed on the boots. The calf and ankle were protected by greaves, while the poleyns protected the knee caps. The thigh was protected by the cuisses. The upper body used besagues to shield the shoulder and armpit, while rerebraces and vambrances protected the upper and lower arms. Gloves were called gauntlets. The chest and back armor were referred to as such, and the faulds protected the abdomen, lower back and hips. A visor was placed over the face and eyes for protection.