EARLY 16TH CENTURY

The splint was a distinguishing feature of the Almain rivet, a cheap munition armour for infantry, with a complete harness comprising a sallet, gorget, breast-plate, back-plate and pair of splints. Rather than making use of expensive gauntlets the back of the hand was protected by a laminated extension fitted to the lower cannon by a simple turning pin which engaged with longitudinal slot. Munition armours fitted with splints are illustrated in 16th Century woodcuts depicting German Landsknechts but very few examples known to survive. For further information please see C. Blair, European Armour, 1958, pp. 99, 119, fig. 38