Popular Historical Medieval Knight Helmets

John Hilde
Have you ever been to a renaissance festival or a SCA battle reenactment? If you have, then you've probably noticed the plethora of medieval knight costumes. If you haven't, then you've seen plenty of this in movies and various TV spots. If you're looking to collect some medieval helmets of your own, create a unique costume, or are participating in a battle reenactment for the first time, then it's important to know some of the basic medieval helmet types.
This article will mostly discuss the two most popular forms of medieval helmets: the Crusader helmet and Sugar Loaf helmet. Luckily, these two helmets can be found on almost any online armor and weapons retail site. The crusader helmet is one of the most recognizable from the medieval times because of its memorable brass cross that often is embossed on the front of the helmet. It also was the helmet of choice for the crusaders in the Middle East. You'll find air holes in plenty on the front of the helmet, and two medium sized wide cut eye holes. Most online stores will sell 18 gauge crusader helmets. While these are fine for collections, costumes, and stage plays, you'll want a 16 or 14-gauge helmet for SCA battle reenactments. The Sugar Loaf helmet is also a very popular and recognizable medieval helmet. You've probably associated this with the crusades as well. This helmet is very similar to the crusader except that it is more elongated and comes to a rounded point on the top. Again, the brass cross is embossed on the front of this helmet and there is plenty of air holes in the front. Medieval helmets such as these are going to ensure maximum air flow when you are puffing away in the heat of battle. From what I've seen you'll be hard pressed to find a 14-gauge Sugar Loaf helmet, so you may have to make due with the standard 18 gauge thickness.
About the author: John Hilde is a historical weapons and armor collector and owns his own online store selling authentic armor and weapons. Please visit http://www.armorvenue.com to learn more.