Arms and Armour
Glossary of Terms


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The glossary is meant as a growing resource for students, re-enactors, and anyone interested in knighthood, chivalry, or the medieval tournament. The current page is but a brief listing of what we would like to have on the page; if you would be interested in helping with a given area, such as in heraldry, transcribing tournament accounts, translations, or research, drop the author an email at brion@chronique.com. Additionally, we would like to expand many of the definitions here; if you want to try one or more of them send your submissions to the email address above--we can use the help!

Raising (raised): The art of compressing the metal to form the desired shape. Raised work is done from the outside, over stakes, rather than from the inside. Raised pieces are very easy to keep symmetrical, have a strength not common to domed, dished and welded pieces, and are far more difficult to create. See books on silversmithing for the best instruction (but you'll need to anneal the metal differently and use much heavier hammers).

Real Ameria, Madrid: The finest collection in Spain, featuring a large collection of armour from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

Rebated: Weapons with no edges or with the edges removed, used in tourneys a plaisance.

Rerebrace: The defense for the upper arm, also known as part of the canon. See Arm Harness for development details.

Rivets: Small "arming nails" produced iron, steel, or brass for the construction of armour. See also Articulation and Armour, techniques required for building for more information.

Roberto di Milano, OL: Robert Mackenzie, one of the finest armourers in the United States, currently working out of Ithaca, NY, known for his extensive focus on absolute authenticity and his very high level of technical expertise.

Rondel: A small disc of metal intended for defense. They are commonly found at the armpit (prior to 1350) when they are known as besagews; on a backs of armets (for an unknown reason) and rarely on the metacarpal of 15th century Italian mitten gauntlets.

Roundel: The round metal attachment at the base of a polearm to keep the hands from sliding down the shaft and onto the blade, where they might be harmed.

Roundnose: The modern name for the early German Klappvisiers, a bascinet visor attached with a central hinge featuring a rounded rather than a pointed shape.

Rust: The brown oxidation that attacks armour when exposed to salt or moisture. Various strategies were used during the 14th and 15th centuries to defeat rust, including high polishes, painting, and blackening.

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