Armour, Helmets, Sword & Shield

Dear fellow sword fighters, scholars, and history enthusiasts,

I hope you had a wonderful festive season and a great start to 2025. Over the Christmas holiday, I used a family trip as an opportunity to visit an enchanting medieval church in Neckarsteinach. This picturesque city is situated on the banks of the Neckar River, marking the border between Hessen and Baden-Württemberg. The surrounding slopes and hilltops are crowned with no fewer than four castles.

However, it wasn’t the medieval castles that brought me here but rather two monumental effigies of their former owners—fine examples from the late 14th century displaying life-size details of arms and armour, which I closely examined.

The above photo shows the effigy of Ulrich Landschad of Steinach, who died in 1369. On my Patreon, I share a video I took on site, showing details of the sculpture from many different angles.

One of the many intriguing details is the locking mechanism for Ulrich’s bascinet’s nasal, which is attached to the mail aventail. In the photo on the left, my friend Olaf wears a helmet featuring the same construction with the nasal closed and locked.

The second 14th-century effigy is of Hennel Landschad of Steinach and his wife Mia. Hennel died in 1377 and is also depicted wearing a bascinet.

A surviving example of this type of helmet was once displayed at the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin. It bears a striking resemblance to the effigy’s depiction, although its current aventail originates from a later date.

No nasal is attached to the aventail of Hennel’s bascinet, suggesting it was likely paired with a so-called klappvisier, just like the original helmet from Berlin.

Earlier versions of these hinged visors featured a single central hinge, similar to the one worn by Felix in a photo taken at the reconstructed motte-and-bailey castle in Lütjenburg.

But what if you don’t have a set of armour?

Do not despair—Cornelius and I are here to help. In the 14th century, unarmoured duels were often fought with sword and buckler.

But don’t wait—the clock is ticking! The special 40% discount on our foundational I.33 online course, The Medieval Art of Fighting with Sword & Buckler, ends tonight at midnight.

With over 5.5 hours of content, this course will enhance your understanding of medieval swordsmanship, covering:

• Footwork, posture, and tactics
• Blade binds and fine motor skills
• Insights into historical weaponry

Enrol today to take advantage of this exclusive deal and secure the best value for the upcoming Course 2.

Train hard, and keep your blade well-honed.

Roland

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