New for our period is the presence of the second major piece of sheet steel armour for the body. This coat-of-plates consists of flat pieces of steel stitched behind a leather or canvas covering. It may very well be a development of a cuir-bouilli (boiled leather) torso protection that proceeded it, but the presence of a surcotte on almost all illustrations makes accurate analysis difficult.
The coat-of-plates fits tightly over the underlying layers, and evidence from slightly later battlefield graves shows a variety of styles: some have plates running vertically, some horizontally, some tie at the back and some are put on poncho-like and tie at the sides.
My coat-of-plates weighs about 7kg and is remarkably effective in spreading the force of concentrated blows (like those from a sword or spear) over a large area of mail and then onto the gambeson below. Indeed, under controlled and safe conditions, blows of a startling intensity, that would easily fracture unarmoured ribs from our blunt-edged weapons, result in little more than a slight stagger.
This knight also carrys a heater shield on his left arm. This is a shortened form of the standard foot-soldiers' shield of our period and it is particularly suited to using whilst on horseback (as the vulnerable legs are nearer to the arms). The shield is a gently curved construction of wooden planks. The edges might be strengthened with rawhide and the front surface was often laminated with canvas or thin leather before the heraldic devices (which are hidden at this angle) were applied. Two straps firmly hold the shield to the arm, and a padded support on the back of the shield softens blows that might otherwise damage the forearm. A guige (long strap) is not shown.