Medieval Helmets, Knight Helmets, Viking Helmets

Helmet needs no intro since one cannot join the battle without it, and every fighter knows that head is one of the most susceptible areas for attacks in combat. No doubt authentic helmet is essential to anyone who is determined to join the ranks of the combat reenactors. ArmStreet knight helmets are hand-forged by our experts with the consistently high quality of work, and we won’t crank them out for the mass consumer. It’s all about combining passion with years of knowledge and experience. ArmStreet provides a serious range of helmets for different applications:

• Viking helmets
• Knight helmets
• SCA-heavy helmets
• Reenactment helmets
• Eastern helmets
• WMA helmets with perforated visors
• LARP lightweight helmets

There are many types of knight helmets, and most of them are a recognizable part of the Middle Ages knight armor. Let's take a look on each of the most popular types from the perspective of history and modern sword fighting use in different disciplines from SCA to buhurts to WMA Harnisch-fechten.

The bascinet helmet was popular among knights and men-at-arms during the 14th and 15th centuries and is one of the most popular helmets nowadays for its versatility and a great balance between sturdy construction and comfortable fit. Also, several different available visor types, from wolf ribs visors that are widely popular in the SCA and buhurts for their great visibility and breathability, to pig-faced bascinets with their recognizable medieval design and extended visor for jousting, to klappvisor bascinets which are something in between. Also, ArmStreet provides many options with interchangeable visors so you have two or three different options depending on the intended use.

Another popular helm is Sugarloaf, known for its practicality and a relatively simple design, and popular for the early knight characters

The sallet helm, also known as "salade" is another interesting and very cool-looking medieval helm, used in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was an essential step towards more ergonomic design and became a transitional design to later open or semi-open-face helmets, especially at times when firearms started to influence the design of the armor. A sallet helmet is usually worn in combination with its lover part, known as bevor, which is a combination of the gorget neck protection and lower face chin protection, often made of several moving parts. We have several sallets on sale in our armor shop section and you can see that the designs could be pretty different, especially when it comes to the visor and a bevor.

Armet knight helmet -is a closed cavalry helmet with a spherical dome and intricate design which provides a snug fit to the head and neck, 15-16th centuries. The armet helmet features a complex visor construction that can be raised and lowered, as well as a sophisticated neck guard for added protection. This type of helmet was often worn by knights and elite warriors during the late Middle Ages.

Another helm worth mentioning is the barbute or barbuta. This helmet is one of the simplest and most practical designs, mostly used by foot soldiers, but the beauty of the barbule is that this practical design is very comfortable and easy to wear, with its signature T-shape visor which provides a great combination of face protection and visibility. We have several barbutas in store including one very unusual design.

Our unique offer is the most extensive selection of early medieval helmets among all the manufacturers: we produce a Spangenhelm - segmental helmet with a frame made of iron bars, a Nasal helm - conical open helmet with a nose-guard and sometimes aventail, which was widespread throughout Europe within the X-XIV centuries. At ArmStreet you can also buy medieval helmet of Viking, Varangian, Slavic and Eastern origin: Turkish, Iranian and Persian turbans and Middle Eastern misurka.

Medieval Helmet design

Wearable replicas of knight helmets are usually composed of two parts: a metal outer shell which can be supplemented by safety elements, such as visor, half mask, nose-guard, aventail, and an inner padding, which provides cushioning impact and helps to adjust the helmet to the size of your head. By default all our helmets are provided with a liner and a chin strap used to secure the helmet to the head. Materials we use for the manufacture of the helmets guarantee good impact resistance capability: historically accurate mild steel and corrosion-resistant stainless steel from 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm thick, which is 16 and 14 gauge, respectively. Extra strong spring steel is used to make nasal elements, and, in some cases, to make lighter gauge LARP helmets or extra-durable but light WMA cut and thrust fencing helmets. Steel plates are processed and shaped by hot and cold forging.
The basis of the interior upholstery is a reliable padded cap. It's made of natural linen or cotton and padded with several layers of natural cotton-based batting. Each cap is well-quilted and has a drawstring casing at the top to adjust the size.

Protective properties of medieval helmets for heavy combat are governed by regulations of the international organizations, such as SCA, HMB (Battle of the Nation's), IMCF, WMFC, and we focus on these rules in the development of armor. ArmStreet helmets are legal in all respects according to the official armor standards or can be adapted for them by adding an internal hidden protection, a bar grill visor or by reducing the size of the eye openings. No matter your taste or purpose, you'll surely find the very helmet you want at ArmStreet! Read more about different types of SCA-oriented protection.

Custom Medieval Helmet

We've certainly reached perfection in the combining of functionality and style, so each of our helmets may be uniquely decorated with etching, laser cutting, brass bordering and even gilded via oxidation. Made to the highest standards, these treasures are destined exclusively for the fighters who won't settle for anything less than a flawlessness. In our medieval helmets store, you can order a substantial steel helmet for any head size, we make them custom-size, i.e. each helmet is made in accordance with the customer's measurements.