Medieval Kettle Hat Reproduction (War Hat) circa. 950 - 1550 AD

Medieval Kettle Hat (War Hat) circa. 950 - 1550 AD

Fashioned from several pieces of formed metal and riveted together, this helmet was easier and cheaper to make than more complex helmets.  It was widely used by foot soldiers and crossbowmen (and sometimes cavalry) across Europe and during the Crusades from the 10th through 15th centuries.  The war hat is one of the most common Medieval helmets for the ordinary soldier.   It offered the wearer unrestricted situational awareness of the battlefield and good protection from blows and arrows coming from overhead, common threats when fighting on foot and during siege warfare.  Contemporary illustrations of soldiers wearing war hats are numerous.  Some examples are: the Arsenal Bible, Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1275-91.  One of the clearest historical visual references for the war hat is found on one of the soldiers depicted in the Guards of the Holy Sepulchre, a wonderfully detailed Swabian relief carving dating c. 1345 at the Muses Oeuvre Notre Dame in Strasbourg, France.

This reproduction is 18 gauge steel, of riveted construction with small re-enforcing welds under the brim to anchor the ends of the re-enforcing bands around the strong rolled brim.  It is unlined and can be worn with an arming cap and or mail coif to suit your tastes.  Alternatively, you might wish to fashion your own leather liner and rivet it inside as is sometimes seen on later war hats.  The steel is burnished rather than mirror bright on the outside and painted black on the underside.  It comes coated in light oil to prevent rusting.  The helmet crown is more round than oval inside and measures 25-1/4" I wear a 7-1/2 size long oval hat which is a 23-1/2" circumference, but this helmet is too small for me because it is more round than oval.  It touches my forehead and the back of may skull.  How well this helmet fits you is going to depend on the shape of your head.  I would guess that is should fit any medium size head (up to 7-1/4) with no problems, but those of you who wear large hat sizes may or may not have a problem.