Chain mail: Also called Ring mail, but not to be confused with Ring armor. Chain mail is designed by a large number (hundreds of thousands) of small metal rings. Each ring is riveted to another ring, creating a large chain, where the name is derived. Chain mail is very time consuming to make, and very expensive because of this. Chain mail has the ability to stop the slash of a blade, but the impact is still well felt. Another downside to Chain mail is that a piercing weapon with a tapered blade, can easily slide between the links and as the blade widens, it snaps the chains. Because of this, Chain mail is considered to have no defense against piercing weapons.

Scale Mail: Scale Mail is a suit of armor with many plates sewn or riveted onto a piece of cloth. These Plates overlap each other, starting at the top and working their way down, creating a scaled look.

Brigandine: A Brigandine Shirt is a leather or cloth shirt, with Plates of metal sewn into the inside of the material. The plates would then protect from blows and slashes. The armor from the outside looks as a simple shirt, making it a popular item for thieves and Brigands, from which the name is derived.

Surcoat: A Surcoat is a long shirt, worn over a knight or warriors armor, to cover it. This has no protective qualities whatsoever, but it should be known, that their surcoat identifies many knights.

Plate mail: Plate mail is the most in depth type of armor, having pieces to cover each limb. Most plate mail starts with a breastplate, and then the other limbs are attached to this, via leather straps, creating one connected suit, with as much mobility as possible.

Breastplate: A solid piece of metal, connected to the torso by either straps, or hinges, there is a front piece and a back piece to the armor. When putting the armor on, one would have his squire, or armor boy, open the armor, and place it around him. The armor would then be closed, and strapped so that it would not open.

Bracers, and Vambraces: All of these pieces of armor do the same thing, essentially. They protect the arm from the elbow to the wrist. Vambraces are either solid tubes one would slide their arm into, or hinged on the outside of the arm, and strapped or hooked closed on the inside. Bracers protect the forearms. Originally used by archers to protect from the snap of the bowstring, many warriors now however, use bracers to protect from blows.

Greaves: Greaves protect the shin. Made from either Leather, or Plate, this piece of armor is placed over the shin, and strapped to the back of the leg.

Gauntlets: Similar to gloves, gauntlets are made out of a stiff plate cuff, attached to overlapping plates that form the fingers. The knuckles are protected by a raised or embossed plate attached to smaller fingerplates. The thumb is protected similarly; however it uses a leaf plate, attached loosely to the cuff to allow the joint greater movement. The metal of the gauntlets is attached to a leather glove inside.

Cuisses: Armor designed to protect the thighs. Constructed of studded leather, or metal, the cuisses are usually hinged or strapped to the Breastplate. This makes sure the cuisses do not slide down, or to the side.

Chain Breech: Chain breech is essentially, a chain skirt that was worn underneath plate mail; designed to protect the groin area, where all the armor comes together. Constructed of chain mail.

Camail: Camail is a chain piece of armor, designed to protect the neck and shoulders area. The Camail could be attached directly to a helmet, or worn as a shawl. These are sometimes preferred over coifs, because they are lighter, and faster to produce.

Coif: A Coif is a chain mail hood, covering the head, and falling down around ones shoulders. The Coif could be worn alone, but is more commonly worn underneath a helmet as further protection from blows.

Gorget: Pronounced gor-dgay. The Gorget is a plate mail piece of armor designed to protect the neck. The top piece of the gorget, or front, is frequently attached to the helmet, while the bottom is attached to the Breastplate. However, the gorget may also be a free piece of armor, both sides attaching to each other, and worn atop the breastplate, underneath the helmet.

Helmets: Helmets are made of metal, and protect the head.

Armet helmet: A helmet, consisting of a skull piece, a visor, and two cheek pieces. The cheek pieces were hinged, and could be opened outward, or closed for protection.

Close helmet: A Helmet, similar in design to the Armet, A Bevor, or neck protection, was directly built into the helmet. Instead of the Cheek pieces, the helmet featured a visor, which could be opened or closed, and then locked down with a bolt on either side of the helmet.

Heaume: the Heaume is also known as a Great helm. This helmet consists of three pieces: A crown piece, a conical piece atop the helmet, and a cylindrical piece for the sides of the helmet. The eye slits cut into the helmet were narrow, and set to the side of the face in order to prevent penetration. A leather harness inside the helmet supported its weight on the head, as some Heaumes could get up to 25 pounds. Small holes were cut into the helmet for breathing. A coif would generally be worn under the Heaume. The Heaume protects well against cuts; unfortunately, it does very little for concussive damage, and as such is considered far too heavy for the benefits it provides.

Burgonet: The burgonet is a light helmet, with an open face, consisting of a peaked brow, and a combed skull. Used by those worried about the weight of the other, closed face helmets.

Leather Helm: The Leather helm is perhaps the simplest form of a helmet, aside from a metal cooking pot turned upside down and placed on one's head, of course. A Leather helm would consist of hardened leather sewn together, or one piece of leather, molded around a head.