A Look at Medieval Leather Armor

When it comes to the medieval era and clothing designed for battle, many people immediately think of armor and chains -- items made from metals. Indeed, there were protective clothing items fashioned from metal that were widely used during the medieval period in history. However, what many people do not realize and appreciate is the fact that a good deal of the armor worn by soldiers and the like during this period in history was not made of metal. Rather, a good deal of the protective clothing worn by soldiers during the era was medieval leather armor. Indeed, medieval leather armor was very common on soldiers throughout the entire medieval time period.

There were a number of definite benefits to medieval leather armor. For example, this type of body protection could be made at a reasonable cost. Many soldiers simply did not have the resources available to them to purchase more expensive types of armor. (During the period, in many instances, soldiers themselves had to pay for at least a part of the costs associated with their armor and protective clothing.)

In addition, medieval leather armor actually did provide a soldier with significant protection against the opposition. Properly treated leather armor can be difficult to pierce or penetrate -- thereby providing a soldier with solid protection against the enemy.

Finally, medieval leather armor was found to be very durable. A soldier was ably to rely upon and utilize his medieval leather armor for an extended period of time. He could go to battle and wear the leather armor on numerous occasions because it held up to the stress and tension associated with battle very, very well. Indeed, this type of armor was utilized for generations on battlefields and in wars throughout the medieval period.