Armored Combat:Equipment standards - Armor - Head and neck

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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.