For those of you who have bought a medieval suit of armor, you'll know how important it is to have a solid and sturdy inner frame to hold up the weight of the armor. For those of you who are thinking of purchasing a suit of armor or are in the midst of purchasing one, you'll want to read this article to learn more about inner frames.
The armor especially in Italy is created with an old patina rustic look which India manufacturers cannot or will not match. The shape of the armor is also going to be more authentic and historically accurate to what was actually constructed in medieval times as well. Another advantage of Italian and Spanish armors is that they often can etch and emboss very delicate and complex designs on their armor, sometimes in precious metals such as gold. If you are looking for a display suit of armor, Spanish armors are almost always going to be your pick.
Today's replicas of historical armors came mainly from three countries: Spain, Italy, and India. By nature one may be inclined to think that higher quality suits of armor come from the first two countries, and you are correct. However, you'll almost always end up paying a premium for these armors.
Roman helmets are popular helmets used for Passion plays, costumes, and reenactments. happily, most Roman helmets are going to be made on the larger side, often times beyond 23 inches in diameter. This goes for the Centurion helmet as well as the universal trooper helmet. In fact, most people will need an arming cap or helmet liner to make the fit more snug. Medieval helmets are going to be a little bit different. In general, these are made a little minor than Roman helmets. But that is always not the case. For example, you can find some beautiful big Crusader helmets that are up to 25 inches or more in distance.
The Samurai sword would be more properly defined as any Japanese sword wielded by Samurai or Bushi, as they were known in Japanese history; however modern films and television shows have incorrectly portrayed them to be only the well known katana, and very rarely use the proper terminology or classifications of true samurai swords. The Samurai sword would be more properly defined as any Japanese sword wielded by Samurai or Bushi, as they were known in Japanese history; however modern films and television shows have incorrectly portrayed them to be only the well known katana, and very rarely use the proper terminology or classifications of true samurai swords.
Battles were fought in much the same way as in the Pre-Marius times, with the exception of the heavier use of artillery. Often before heavy infantry were sent in, a barrage of missile fire from Onagers and Ballistas (ancient artillery) were used to weaken and dishearten the enemy. As the legionnaires approached the enemy and came within thirty yards or so, they would throw a volley or two of pilum that would weaken the enemy before they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. The single lines were replaced with a three to five men line, so that the soldiers could easily rotate to replace fallen or fatigued comrades.
With improved training and uniform gear, there were, however, new formations the cohorts could transform into to meet a new situation. These were prime examples that exemplified the ingenuity and effectiveness of Roman warfare. First and probably the most famous, was the Tortoise, or Testudo. When deployed effectively, the soldiers would raise and interlock their large Scutum rectangular shields so that the entire company became a square box almost completely invulnerable to missle fire and objects dropped from above.
The Wedge was also a very important tactic used by the Romans. Small or large groups of Legionnaires could form a triangle, and then use the point to break and open a hole in the enemy's lines. Troops inside the triangle would also help reinforce and effectively create a solid "spear point" to breach the enemy. It was very important in battles to be able to disrupt and break enemy formations, for it could very well be the difference between victory and defeat.
A skirmishing formation was also used. The normally tight lines of men would space and stagger themselves to effectively increase the apparent size of the unit. This tactic was very useful when they need to make quick attacks and retreats, or when marching over rough terrain. It also let friendly troops fall back easily through the lines if needed.
The repel cavalry stance was extremely effective and devastating to enemy cavalry. This only required two lines of men. The first line would kneel down and tightly interlock their shields to form an impenetrable wall with their pilum pointing up at about a forty-five degree angle. The line of men behind them placed their medieval shields on top of the first lines' at a slight slant. They would have their pilum ready to throw at the approaching cavalry. This was very effective as horsed do not willingly charge into a solid wall of shields and spear points. Instead, the horse would probably come to a halt before the line, leaving the legionnaires free to throw their pilum and massacre the enemy.
The last tactical arrangement was called the Orb, and was used as a last stance defensive formation. If any number of soldiers was separated from the rest of the army, or else they became surrounded by the enemy, they would form a tight circle with officers and archers in the center and legionnaires on the outside. This required a highly trained and disciplined army at the individual level, as this was formation often took place with a small group of soldiers during the heat of battle.
The Imperial legions of the Roman Empire represented the technological height of the army. By this time the army had fine-tuned their tactics, formations, and equipment and gear to create an unstoppable war machine. As the army gained momentum, employing a new recruitment method and furthering its power on the battle field and on society, the Roman Empire stopped its expansion and focused on defending its borders. By the end of the third century A.D., Rome's military power had past its height, and had started to decline and struggle against the ceaseless attacks along its borders.
The katana is a type of Japanese sword most often referred to as The Samurai Sword. The katana was the sword of the samurai. It was developed in the fourteenth century as a result of changing battle conditions that made weapons with faster response times a necessity. Its curved shape allowed the samurai to draw and cut their enemy in a single motion. Authentic Japanese swords of this type are made from a certain type of Japanese steel called tamahagane, which consists of combinations of high carbon steel and low carbon steel. The forging of a katana blade is a labor-intensive effort that requires careful skill and knowledge.
The Samurai sword would be more properly defined as any Japanese sword wielded by Samurai or Bushi, as they were known in Japanese history; however modern films and television shows have incorrectly portrayed them to be only the well known katana, and very rarely use the proper terminology or classifications of true samurai swords. The Samurai sword would be more properly defined as any Japanese sword wielded by Samurai or Bushi, as they were known in Japanese history; however modern films and television shows have incorrectly portrayed them to be only the well known katana, and very rarely use the proper terminology or classifications of true samurai swords.
The first samurai swords we're actually straight bladed, single edged weapons imported from Korea and China known as chokuto, which were later replaced with the curved blade variety at the end of the 8th Century. The name of the curved blade swords which replaced them was Tachi. The reason for this transformation was samurai found that a curved sword could be drawn from the scabbard more swiftly and provided a far more effective cutting angle. The point of a samurai sword is called a Kissaki. This is the hardest part of the sword to polish and forge and to hand create a quality one would require an extremely skilful artisan. The value of a samurai sword is determined largely by the quality of the point.
