Jack of plate

Jack of plate, English or Scottish, c1590

Jack of plate, English, c1580-90

Making a Jack of Plate

A jack or jack of plate is a type of armour made up of small iron plates sewn between layers of felt and canvas.

The jack is similar to the brigandine. The main difference is in the method of construction: a brigandine is riveted whereas a jack is sewn.

Jacks of plate were created by stitching small overlapping squares of iron in between two canvases. The garments weighed about 17 pounds, which made them much more pleasing to wear than solid breastplates. They allowed soldiers with weapons to rest the butts of the weapons firmly against their shoulders, which wasn't feasible with smooth surface plate armours. Primarily, they were used in Europe during the medieval times. The present day equivalent of a jack of plate is a bullet-proof vest.^[1]

References

Components of medieval armour Head Armet Barbute Bascinet Burgonet Cervelliere Enclosed helmet Close helmet Great helm Frog mouth Hounskull Lobster tail pot Mail coif Morion Nasal helmet Sallet Spangenhelm Kettle hat Face Visor Falling buffe Neck Aventail Bevor Gorget Pixane Torso Breastplate Brigandine Cuirass Culet Pauncer Plackart Fauld Hauberk Codpiece Lance rest Coat of plates Jack of plate Arms Ailette Besagew Couter Gauntlet Pauldron Rerebrace Spaulder Vambrace Legs Bases Chausses Cuisses Greave Poleyn Sabaton Schynbald Tasset Pieces Gousset Lame Rondel