Help with Helmet Identification

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by kronckew

parade armour, split ring maille rather than riveted.

Butted mail actually, but you can not use the fact that a helmet has butted mail as the only identifier as mail can easily be added at a later date to an older helmet, you have to look at the workmanship etc.

interestingly, late 19th c. battle of omdurman, the mahdi's troops had quite a few in older maille armour, it offered little protection against the lances and swords of the british cavalry (and of course none against their firearms). the armour was noted as being brittle with age and it shattered when struck with an edged weapon which just breezed thru and zapped the mahdiist (per churchill's memoirs, he participated in the battle and the charge of the 21st lancers, but used a mauser automatic pistol, not a sword).

I have not read anything about the armor worn by Sudanese fighters being useless against swords, only that it was not any good against firearms (of course). Most mail that I have seen would have offered questionable protection against a lance being driven into it from a mounted soldier.