I feel most of fearn's observations are valid, at least from the perspective of common sense. I just hadn't looked at things from that angle until now. I have trouble enough imagining wearing plate at all, even in Europe. In the winter you would freeze solid and become slow. In the summer you would cook. It seems like a bad proposition either way.
Is it easy to get through chain mail with a one-handed swing from, say, a short sword or a broadsword? Doesn't seem like it would be, which leads me to wonder how the sword survived for so long. I read once that some forms of attack could break the rivets and force shards of metal through the jerkin, causing injury. I know a two handed sword could shear off a limb encased in chain, but a one handed sword? It would hurt, though...
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