Brigandine
The brigandine is an armor made up of plates riveted on thick leather or fabric, providing an excellent protection for an armor not very expensive and simple to manufacture (less expensive than the drill plate to measures makes by the blacksmith, faster produce than the mesh) and for these reasons quickly adopted by the many mercenaries of XIVe century who bore the names of " then; routiers" or " brigands" from where the name of the armor.
However, it seems that the use of the brigandine was very current in the old China where external clothing was largely used to reveal a uniform, badges, signs of recognition. By natural extension, one largely finds this type of armor, in Korea, Mongolia or India (with local specificities, of course) until the 14th century.
In Western Europe, the use of the brigandine is attested since the third quarter of the 14th century and it becomes at the beginning of the 15th century a very current protection of the man-at-arms, in particular because of its low costs compared with that of the parts of armor any metal. Its perdure employment during the 16th century but declines as from the years 1550, the use of the brigandine being finally abandoned in the first years of the 17th century.
During all its period of use in Europe, the form of this protection varies little. The brigandine provides a protection of the chest, abdomen and of the upper part of the hips the made-to-order of a doublet deprived of handles. Protections of arm and thigh, the made-to-order respectively of the Spalière S and Tassette S of the armours, supplement sometimes the brigandine. This armor is made up of small square or rectangular metal plates riveted with an external layer of leather or thick fabric (flax or velvet), the plates overlapping. An internal layer of fabric can be present. The plates are often galvanized to avoid corrosion especially if there does not exist an internal layer of fabric. Certain forms of brigandines of the XIV and XVième centuries comprise a reinforced protection on the level of the lungs made up of 2 large plates in the shape of “L” leant. Brigandine is fixed via straps of shoulder and a series of straps on the front, the made-to-order of a jacket. Closing by a bond on with dimensions one becomes more frequent during the 16th century. Among related protections (composite of metal and Leather /tissus) in Western Europe, one can quote the coat of plates, whose plates are larger and not overlapping or the Jacques of plates, made up of plates (in general of recovery of other armours) not overlapping and not riveted but fixed at the support of fabrics/leather by a bond passing in a single hole bored in each plate.
See too
Video games
While deriving from the military direction, there exists a Roleplay S of the RPG type for the video console PlayStation which names Brigandine.
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