Fluted Steel Breastplate and Backplate with Leather Straps

Since the begining of time, there were three sure-fire ways to kill someone. 1. Stab them very forcefully in the head. 2. Stab them very forecefully in the body, or 3. Pay someone bigger than you to do it for you. Stabbing someone in the head is usually the quickest way to do it, but is also the most difficult. The head is a small target and hard to hit. So, throughout history it was the body that was would bear the brunt of most attacks (As any good police officer will tell you, the center of mass is the easiest target to hit).

So, you say, what is this long pre-amble all about? well, gentle reader, I merely want explain why the Cuirass was such an important pice of equipment. What's a cuirass? I hear a few of you ask (no snickering, class. That's a very good question). A cuirass is actually armor for the torso that includes both a breastplate and a backplate. The breastplate was essential for deflecting spears, pikes, axes and swords. The backplate was essential for deflecting the same things, with the sole exception being that you're running away like a little girl when when they are hitting you.

This particular hand-crafted cuirass is an excellent reproduction of a circa. 14th century breatplate. It is made from a rugged high-carbon steel and held together with thick leather straps and steel buckles. It's a one-size-fits-all-style (assuming you are over 5 feet tall and less than 300 pounds or so).

The breastplate is adorned with vertical piping hemmed in by two horizontal stripes at top and bottom. It features a short, flared skirt (yes, I realize how silly it is to use the word skirt when describing armor, but that's what it's called) along the base of both the breastplate and backplate. The backplate features two swells along the top to allow a better fit for the shoulder blades. The entire length of the cuirass is trimmed with rounded steel for a comfortable wear. Two tough leather straps on each side provide a strong, adjustable fit, making it fairly easy to put the entire assortment on or take it off.

This is an excellent piece of equipment for anyone looking for a costume accessory or simply looking for a nice display piece.