Greaves (Shin Armour)

Our Italian Greaves are made in the Milanese style of the 15^th Century and are hand crafted from 16 gauge steel making them great for re-enactment.

Front length: 34cm
Side length: 38cm
Inner perimeter: 44.5cm

All dimensions are approximate and may vary from piece to piece.

Buy the Italian Greaves with confidence from the UK’s leading medieval armour retailer.

Our Roman Greaves are made of steel and are based on the ones a number of figures on famous Trajan's Column in Rome are wearing. Open at the calves, they lace around your lower legs using the brass rings at the sides. A hinged cap is attached to each knee for separate protection.

Length: 37.6cm
Width: 22cm
Bend: 14cm

All dimensions are approximate and may vary from piece to piece.

Buy the Roman Greaves with confidence from the UK’s leading Roman armour retailer.

Made to protect the shin, these greaves from the Milanese Suit of Armour are offered separately for the re-enactor. They are crafted in 16 gauge steel making them great for re-enactment and are provided with leg straps making them ready to wear.

Length: 38cm
Weight: 3402g (pair)

All dimensions are approximate and may vary from piece to piece.

Buy the Milanese Greaves with confidence from the UK’s leading medieval armour retailer.

Our Viking splint greaves are based on an excavated pair of greaves from Valsgärde in Sweden. They belonged to a Vendel era Germanic warrior and date from the 7^th century. They are constructed from strips of 2mm steel that are held together with leather straps and are great for protecting the lower legs during combat. Sold as a pair. 

Length: 42cm
Width: 23.2cm

All dimensions are approximate and may vary from piece to piece.

The use of leather and metal protection is believed to be the reason why Victorian people thought that "studded" armour was worn in the Middle Ages. In many cases this confusion is still perpetuated today where we can easily find references in role games or literature. The truth is that there were historical samples of leather or cloth protection riveted to metal bands to reinforce the structure, and this probably led to the error to our ancestors.

It was a logical evolution in the transitional armour age and some examples can be seen on Günther von Schwarzburg's (1349) and Sir Thomas Cheyne's (1375) funerary brasses, which give a wide range on dating these pieces of protection. A very similar form of leg protection can be found on the Sir Thomas Cheynes's effigy, where rows of rivets can be seen on the outside of the armour.

Circumference (higher part): 39cm to 58cm max.
Circumference (lower part): 30cm to 52cm max.

All dimensions are approximate and may vary from piece to piece.

Buy the 14th Century Reinforced Suede Greaves with confidence from the UK’s leading medieval armour retailer.

The use of leather and metal protection is believed to be the reason why Victorian people thought that "studded" armour was worn in the Middle Ages. In many cases this confusion is still perpetuated today where we can easily find references in role games or literature. The truth is that there were historical samples of leather or cloth protection riveted to metal bands to reinforce the structure, and this probably led to the error to our ancestors.

It was a logical evolution in the transitional armour age and some examples can be seen on Günther von Schwarzburg's (1349) and Sir Thomas Cheyne's (1375) funerary brasses, which give a wide range on dating these pieces of protection. A very similar form of leg protection can be found on the Sir Thomas Cheynes's effigy, where rows of rivets can be seen on the outside of the armour.

Circumference (higher part): 39cm to 58cm max.
Circumference (lower part): 30cm to 52cm max.

All dimensions are approximate and may vary from piece to piece.

Buy the 14th Century Reinforced Suede Greaves with confidence from the UK’s leading medieval armour retailer.