15th century armet helmet with removable bevor and articulated gorget. Mild, hardened, or stainless steel. For SCA, Buhurt, HMB combat. Ships worldwide.

Armet Helmet: 15th-Century Full-Enclosure Steel Combat Helmet with Removable Bevor for SCA, Buhurt & HMB

The armet is the definitive knight’s helmet of the 15th century. It was the helmet that closed the gap between visor and gorget, sealing the entire head in articulated steel plate for the first time in European armor history. This reproduction is built for modern full-contact combat, delivering the same total enclosure that made the armet the tournament helmet of choice for five centuries of mounted and foot combat.

The helmet fully encloses the head from crown to collarbone. A removable bevor detaches at two side pivot points so you can open the front of the helmet below the eyes for breathing, hydration, and communication between rounds. Once the bevor is pinned back in place, the helmet locks into a rigid, gap-free shell. No chainmail aventail, no exposed throat, no weak points.

Four material and gauge combinations let you choose the exact protection level and weight your ruleset demands.

Features & Specifications

What’s Included

• 1x Armet helmet skull with hinged visor, sight slit, and breathing holes
• 1x Removable bevor (chin and throat guard) with twin pivot pins
• 1x Integrated articulated gorget (multi-lame neck guard, pre-assembled to skull)
• Leather chin strap with buckle
• ArmorCulture care card

Note: Padding/liner not included. We recommend pairing with a padded arming cap or suspension liner (sold separately) for optimal fit and impact absorption.

What Makes an Armet

The armet is distinct from other medieval helmets in one critical way: it was the first European helmet designed to fully enclose the head while remaining compact and closely fitted to the skull. Earlier great helms were large, heavy, and pot-shaped. Bascinets left the throat exposed below the visor. The armet solved both problems by wrapping the head tightly with hinged cheek plates, a pivoting visor, and a removable bevor, creating total protection in a helmet that followed the natural contour of the head rather than sitting around it like a bucket.

This reproduction captures the key features that defined the 15th-century armet:

The rounded skull with medial ridge. The dome follows the shape of the head closely, with a raised ridge running from the brow to the crown along the centerline. This ridge stiffens the skull plate against overhead strikes and deflects blows laterally rather than absorbing them flat on the crown.

The hinged visor. The visor pivots on a bolt at each side of the skull, allowing it to be raised for an open-face view or lowered for full facial protection. When lowered, the horizontal sight slit provides a wide field of vision while the solid steel plate below protects the face. Clustered breathing holes drilled into the lower visor area allow airflow without compromising structural integrity.

The removable bevor. The bevor is the chin and throat plate that completes the enclosure below the visor. It attaches via pivot pins on each side and can be removed entirely for donning and doffing. When locked in place, the bevor overlaps with the lower edge of the visor, sealing the gap between the face plate and the gorget.

The articulated gorget. Multiple overlapping steel lames wrap the neck from the base of the skull down to the collarbone, flaring outward at the bottom to cover the upper shoulders. Each lame pivots independently, preserving full range of head movement while providing layered plate protection to the throat and neck.

The Removable Bevor

The bevor is the component that makes this armet practical for modern tournament use. It attaches to the helmet skull via two steel pivot pins, one on each side at the jawline. To put the helmet on, remove the bevor, slide the helmet over your head, then reattach the bevor by aligning the pin holes and pressing the pins into position.

This two-piece design eliminates the tight neck opening that makes one-piece close helmets difficult to don and doff. With the bevor removed, the entire front of the helmet below the eyes is open. You can get the helmet on and off in seconds, hydrate between rounds without removing headgear, and communicate clearly with teammates during breaks.

The bevor is shown detached beside the helmet in Image 4 so you can see the exact profile: a shaped steel plate that wraps under the chin and covers the throat, with a flared lower edge and pivot pin holes on each side.

Material & Gauge Guide

Mild Steel is the most affordable and the easiest to repair. Dents can be hammered out in the field. Suitable for most SCA combat and club-level Buhurt.

Hardened Tempered Spring Steel is heat-treated for maximum dent resistance. The 12-gauge tempered option is the heaviest and most protective combination, purpose-built for fighters at national and international Buhurt and IMCF events where strikes are hardest and helmets take the most punishment.

Stainless Steel resists corrosion without constant oiling. It holds its mirror-polished finish through sweat, rain, outdoor storage, and years of regular use. Ideal for fighters who train outdoors year-round or want minimal post-event maintenance.

Why Choose This Armet?

Total enclosure with zero gaps. An open-face bascinet with an aventail leaves the face exposed between the visor edge and the chainmail. A sallet leaves the chin and throat to a separate bevor that may shift under impact. The armet seals everything from crown to collarbone in rigid steel plate. The sight slit is the only opening, and it is recessed behind the medial ridge. There is nowhere for a weapon tip to catch, no loose mail to snag, and no exposed skin below the visor. For full-contact Buhurt and HMB fighters, that gap-free protection is the reason the armet exists.

The removable bevor keeps it practical. Close helmets are the most protective head armor available. They are also the most annoying to put on. The removable bevor eliminates that trade-off. Two pivot pins hold it in place during combat and release it in seconds between rounds. Hydrate, breathe, talk to your team, then pin the bevor back on and you are sealed and ready. No other helmet type offers this combination of total enclosure and quick access.

The articulated gorget distributes weight. A 3.5 kg helmet resting on the crown of your head creates neck strain after an hour. The multi-lame gorget transfers that weight down to the shoulders, spreading the load across a wider area. The overlapping lames also provide active neck protection: angled plates deflect strikes aimed at the throat and collarbone while the articulation preserves your range of head movement so you can track opponents in a melee.

Historically accurate, tournament functional. The armet was not a ceremonial piece. It was the fighting helmet of choice for 15th-century men-at-arms in tournaments and on battlefields across Europe. This reproduction preserves the proportions, the construction method, and the mechanical features of the historical original while being built to withstand the demands of modern SCA, Buhurt, and HMB combat. The medial ridge stiffens the dome, the visor pivot bolt distributes hinge stress, and the gorget lames are riveted for flexibility under impact.

Hand-formed by ArmorCulture smiths. The skull is raised from steel sheet, the gorget lames are individually shaped and riveted, and the bevor is fitted to the helmet’s unique profile. Mass-produced armets suffer from loose bevor fit, misaligned pivot holes, and gorget lames that bind instead of articulate. Hand-forming eliminates those problems because each component is fitted to each individual helmet.

Sizing & Fit Guide

Measure your head circumference at the widest point (around the forehead, above the ears, and across the back of the skull). Measure over the arming cap or padding you intend to wear underneath.

Also provide your chin-to-crown measurement and neck circumference for proper bevor and gorget sizing. Contact us with your full measurements. Custom sizing available at no extra cost.

Care & Maintenance

Wipe all steel surfaces with a dry cloth after every fight or event. For mild steel and hardened steel helmets, apply a thin coat of Renaissance Wax or mineral oil to prevent surface rust, especially after exposure to sweat or rain. Stainless steel requires minimal oiling but benefits from periodic buffing with a microfiber cloth to maintain its mirror polish. Inspect the bevor pivot pins before each use and ensure they seat fully and rotate smoothly. Check gorget lame rivets for looseness after heavy contact events. Store in a dry location with the bevor attached to prevent misplacing the pins. See our full armor care guide for detailed instructions.

Shipping & Returns

This is a made-to-order item. Please allow 4-6 weeks for crafting. We ship worldwide with tracked shipping. Standard delivery times: USA 7-12 business days, UK 10-14 business days, Canada 10-14 business days, Germany 10-14 business days, Australia 14-21 business days. See our full shipping and returns policy for details. Custom-sized orders are final sale.