Armored Combat:Equipment standards - Armor

Equipment standards - Armor

General

1. Before armored combat at each and every SCA event, including training and pick-ups, you must make sure that a warranted armored combat marshal inspects and approves any armor you will use.
2. Even though your armor and weapons have been inspected by a marshal, you accept full responsibility for the condition and safety of your equipment.
3. If you are a combatant on the field during armored combat activities, including if you are a combat archer, siege engineer and other combatant, you must wear armor that meets or exceeds the minimum standards set in this handbook, and any additional armor requirements of the kingdom you are in.
4. It is your responsibility to decide if you want to wear any additional armor beyond the minimum standards required, to reduce the risk of combat to an acceptable level to you.
5. Protection can come from a combination of armor and equipment, but must meet or exceed the minimum standards required.
6. The areas required to be armored must stay protected during typical movements that you will make during combat.
7. Your armor must be fastened in a way that prevents it from being dislodged in normal use.
8. All metal must be free of sharp edges.
9. You must disguise, cover, or remove modern corporate logos and sport gear unless the gear is necessary for medical reasons. We are trying to maintain the appearance and atmosphere of a medieval event.
10. Minors - There are specific equipment and inspection standards that apply to you. See When you are allowed to participate

Summary of areas to be armored

1. Areas of your body which must be armored are:
   1. Your head and neck, including your face, throat, and your cervical and first thoracic vertebrae. Your cervical vertebrae are the vertebrae in your neck. The first thoracic vertebra is the first major lump which can be felt in the spine at the base of your neck.
   2. Your kidneys and floating ribs.
   3. Your elbow joints.
   4. Your hands and wrists.
   5. If you have testicles, your groin.
   6. Your knee joints.

Rigid materials

1. In armored combat, when we say "rigid materials", we mean:
   1. Steel of no less than 1/20 inch (1.27 mm) (18 gauge), or aluminum of no less than 5/64 inch (1.89 mm) (14 gauge).
   2. Other metals of sufficient thickness to give similar rigidity to those listed above to include treated steel or aluminum.
   3. High-impact-resistant plastics such as ABS or polyethylene of sufficient thickness to give similar rigidity to those listed above.
   4. 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather that has been hardened in hot wax, soaked in polyester resin (properly catalyzed), or treated in such a manner as to permanently harden the leather.
   5. Two layers of untreated 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather.

Head and neck

General

1. During combat, your head and neck must be protected by a combination of your helm and neck protection. Eg. a bevor could form part of the face protection.

Helm

1. Your helm, including the face guard, needs to have sufficient coverage to protect the bones of the skull and face. While it is necessary to protect the bones of your jaw, it is not considered essential to completely armor the soft tissue in the underside of the jaw.
2. Your helm, including the face guard, needs to be constructed of cold-rolled steel no less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) thickness, or of equivalent material, when completed. A1008 is the most common type of cold-rolled steel.
3. The construction techniques used in making a helm can reduce the thickness of the metal, such as doming, sinking, spinning or excessive grinding of the skull of the helm. If these construction techniques are used, the top of your helm must be made from a minimum of 5/64 inch (2.0 mm) steel, so that it is not less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) when completed.
4. Alternative materials such as stainless steel, brass, bronze or like materials are allowed as long as the material is structurally equivalent to 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) thick cold-rolled steel.
   1. Proof of construction technique, materials, and equivalency must be provided to the Kingdom Earl Marshal or their designated deputy for approval for use in your kingdom.
5. Because mass is an important part of the protective qualities of a helm, titanium, fiberglass, aluminum, or other ultra-light materials cannot be used in the construction of a helm if they make it lighter in weight than an equivalent helm constructed of 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) steel.
6. All joints or seams must be constructed in one or a combination of the following ways:
   1. Welded on the inside and outside.
   2. Welded with a single bead that extends through both surfaces.
   3. Lap joints welded or brazed at the edges of both pieces.
   4. For primary construction, riveted with steel or stainless steel solid rivets of 1/8 inch (3.18 mm) to 3/16 inch (4.76 mm) in diameter spaced no more than 1 1/2 inches (38.1 mm) apart, or steel, stainless steel, or brass solid rivets 3/16 inch (4.76 mm) or greater diameter spaced no more than 2 1/2 inches (63.5 mm) apart, or with equivalent riveting techniques. Blind, screw- and pop-type rivets, along with other lightweight rivets, must not to be used.
7. There must be no major projections on the inside of the helm. There can be minor projections because of necessary structural components, but they must be padded.
8. All parts of your helm that might come into contact with your head must be padded with a minimum of 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) of resilient material, or suspended in such a way as to prevent it from injuring you.
9. Parts of the inside of your helm which might come in contact with your neck or body, must be padded with a minimum of 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) of resilient material.
10. Your helm needs to have a chin strap or other means of preventing your helm from being dislodged and prevent metal from contacting your face during combat. An equivalent might be, for example, a strap from the helm to breast plate, a bevor, or a chin cup suspension system. A "snug fit" is not an equivalent.
    1. If your helm has a chin strap, it must be at least 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) in width and must not be placed in a way that could strangle you.

Face guards

1. Face guards must prevent a 1 inch (25.4 mm) diameter dowel from entering into any of the face guard openings.
2. The face guard must extend at least 1 inch (25.4 mm) below the bottom of your chin and jaw line when your head is held erect.
3. Bars used in your face guard must be steel that is at least 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) in diameter, or equivalent. If the span between crossbars is less than 2 inches (50.8 mm), you can use 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) diameter bars.
4. If you have a movable visor, it must be attached and secured in such a way that there is minimal chance that it will become detached or come open in normal combat use.

Eye wear

1. If you wear eyewear during combat, the lenses must be constructed of shatterproof industrial safety glass or plastic.
2. You must not wear ordinary glass lenses.
3. We strongly recommend that you wear contact lenses or "sports glasses".

Neck

1. Your neck, including your larynx, cervical vertebrae, and first thoracic vertebra must be covered by one or a combination of the following and must stay covered during typical combat situations, including turning your head, lifting your chin, etc.:
   1. Your helm
   2. A gorget of rigid material
   3. A collar of 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather lined with a minimum of 1/4 inch (6 mm) of close cell foam or equivalent padding.
   4. A mail or 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather camail or aventail that hangs or drapes to absorb the force of a blow.
      1. If your camail or aventail is likely to come into contact with your larynx, cervical vertebrae, or first thoracic vertebra during combat, that section must be padded with a minimum of 1/4 inch (6 mm) of closed cell foam or equivalent padding.
      2. We strongly recommend wearing at least 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather with 1/4 inch (6 mm) of closed cell foam or equivalent padding under mail.

Body, shoulder, and groin armor

1. Your kidney area and your floating ribs must be covered by a minimum of 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather worn over 1/4 inch (6 mm) of closed-cell foam or equivalent padding, or armor that provides equivalent protection.
2. Body armor to protect all of your ribs is strongly recommended.
3. If you have testicles, they must be protected by groin protection equivalent to that provided by an athletic cup, secured by straps, or worn in a supporter or garment designed to hold the protection in place.
4. Non-Newtonian padding such as Zoombang only counts as equivalent padding for meeting armor requirements.

Hand and wrist armor

1. The outer surfaces of each hand, to 1 inch (25.4 mm) above the wrist and including your fingers and thumb, must be covered by one or a combination of the following:
   1. A gauntlet of rigid material lined with 1/4 inch (6 mm) of closed-cell foam or equivalent, or designed to transfer potentially injurious impact to the surfaces being grasped.
   2. A gauntlet of 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather lined with 1/2 inch (12 mm) of closed-cell foam.
   3. A gauntlet of heavy padding.
      1. An ice hockey glove is considered to be heavy padding, but looks blatantly modern, so you are encouraged to use something else.
      2. Street hockey gloves are not equivalent, as the padding is lighter than a regular ice hockey glove. Street hockey gloves can be treated as padding in other hand protection if thick enough.
   4. A partial gauntlet of rigid material, or a partial gauntlet of 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) or 11 oz thick stiff leather lined with 1/4 inch of closed cell foam or equivalent padding to cover the back of the hand and at least the first knuckle of the thumb, as well as the points and back of the wrist, used in combination with:
      1. a rigid basket on a weapon or side-strapped shield, a center-grip shield, or cup hilt with enough bars or plates to prevent a blow from striking your fingers or the back of your hand.
      2. If you are using a basket or cup hilt, a side-strapped with a shield basket, or center-grip shield, your forearm armor and/or partial gauntlet must cover the remaining exposed portions of your hand, wrist, fingers, and thumb.
2. If you are a combat archer, siege engineer, or using a thrown weapon, you only need a partial gauntlet made to the above standards, without additional protection.

Arm armor

1. The point of your elbow and the bones at either side of your elbow joint must be covered by rigid material worn over at least 1/4 inch (6 mm) of closed-cell foam, or equivalent padding.
2. We strongly recommend that the entire medial side of your forearm (the ulna) is protected by rigid material. A partial or full vambrace, or equivalent, should suffice. We also recommend 1/4 inch (6 mm) of closed-cell foam, or equivalent padding under the rigid material, and no more than a 1 inch (25.4mm) gap between your forearm protection and other required arm or hand armor.

Leg armor

1. Your kneecap, including the area 1 inch (25.4 mm) above and below it, and both sides of your knee joints, must be covered by rigid material worn over at least 1/4 inch (6 mm) of closed-cell foam, or equivalent padding.
2. You should wear footwear that provides adequate protection and support for the terrain and activity of combat.

Protective gear for marshals

1. If you are on the field, such as supervising combat, heralding etc., when combat archery or siege missiles are present on the field, you must wear eye protection which is sufficient to protect against the missiles in use. Examples include:
   1. Industrial or sports safety glasses or goggles meeting the ANSI Z87.1 standard or better,
   2. A fencing mask,
   3. A helm that meets the standards for armored combat.