Steps of wearing the mail armor. First, a knight put on a linen stocking, breaches and a long sleeved shirt made of wool. On top of that, the knight wore a leather tunic called an aketon. This was important because it stopped the knight’s shoulders from rubbing red against the mail. Then on top of that, the knight wore the Hauberk or the mail coat. A coif was a kind of helmet with was pulled over the head and hung down over the neck and the shoulders. A Conical helmet made of steel protected the head from heavy blows during the battle. A strip of metal called the nasal guarded the nose. The knight’s equipment was completed by a long and heavy sword in a scabbard (used to carry swords) and a large shield held in place by leather straps.
 
 

Mail armor was tough but it wasnt flexible. A blow form a heavy weapon like mace or a war hammer could still break the bones even if it didnot cut the iron rings. As better weapons were developed, the blacksmits designed stronger armor the whitstand them. The blacksmits came up with solid plates of steel or hardened leather to protect the knights from sharp swords or arrows. Later full plate armor was made. They had strong plates with smooth, curved surfaces to make weapon point slid off. The weight of the full plate armor was only 44-55 pounds and the knight could do almost anything wearing it. The knights also wore chain mail inside the plate armor. The only problem with full plate armor was that they got extremely hot inside because of the body heat. Knights who got trapped in the crush of men often suffocated.