Everything about Scale Armour totally explained
Scale armour (armor),
Lorica squamata.
Jazerant,
Jazeraint or
Leaf Mail (sometimes erroneously called
scale mail) consists of many small scales attached to a backing material of either leather or
cloth. It is similar to
lamellar armour but distinguished by the presence of the backing material.
The material used to make the scales varied and included:
bronze,
iron,
rawhide,
leather,
cuir bouilli and
horn. The variations are primarily the result of material availability.
During Roman times scale armour (
lorica squamata) was a popular alternative to
mail (
lorica hamata) as it offered better protection, especially against blunt damage. It was also widely used in
Middle Eastern empires such as
Persia and
Byzantium. In these areas scales were commonly dished (an armouring term used to describe hammering a depression into a flat piece of metal in order to create a 'bowl' effect) in order to benefit from the extra protection offered by a rounded scale.
According to the statement of
Herodotus, the ancient Persians wore tunics with sleeves of diverse colours, having upon them iron scales of the shape of fish-scales; and this comparison leaves no doubt that scale armour, and not
chain mail, is meant.
Scale armour offers better protection from blunt attacks than mail. It is also cheaper to produce, but it isn't as flexible and doesn't offer the same amount of coverage. Forms other than
brigandine and
coat of plates were uncommon in medieval Europe, but scale and lamellar remained popular elsewhere.
Modern forms of scale armour are sometimes worn for decorative or
LARP purposes, and may be made from materials such as
steel,
aluminium, or even
titanium.
A new take on this type of armour is the
Dragon Skin body armor which uses modern fabric and high-impact resistant ceramic plates to protect against modern ammunition.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Scale Armour'.
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