The Importance of Inner Frames for Suits of Armor

For those of you who have bought a medieval suit of armor, you'll know how important it is to have a solid and sturdy inner frame to hold up the weight of the armor. For those of you who are thinking of purchasing a suit of armor or are in the midst of purchasing one, you'll want to read this article to learn more about inner frames.
First of all, real suits of armor are very heavy. They are usually made out of 16-18 gauge carbon steel, making the whole weight of the armor 60-80 lbs. If there is not a sturdy inner frame supporting the suit of armor, then you can bet it'll will break and collapse within its lifetime. There are two types of stands on the market and sold with armors today: wooden and steel stands. Whether you get either of these stands depends on where the armor was made. Armor imported from Spain or Italy usually will have a solid and very strong steel or iron inner frame. These are further enhanced with a strong bolt and nut construction that will hold the weight of the armor indefinitely. Wooden stands are usually sold with armors made in India. To be honest, most of these stands are not very well made and will break and bend within a few months to a year of setting up your suit of armor. The problem often comes when the wooden frame is nailed together and it starts to pull apart at the connections. However, there are a couple good manufacturers in India who provide strong Rosewood frames and other similar hardwood frames for their suits of armor. These will usually be just as strong as steel ones, and will last for a very long time.

When shopping for your suit of armor, just be sure to ask you store what kind of frame is shipped with the armor. If it's a wooden frame, you may have to upgrade to a iron one or inquire further about the sturdiness of the frame.

John Hilde is a historical weapons and armor collector and owns his own online store selling authentic armor and weapons. Please visit http://www.armorvenue.com to learn more.