Gothic Gorget

Throughout all of human history, there has been conflicting. These skirmishes, battles, and wars have been fought with many weapons in the past – most of them bladed and very, very sharp. Fighting in a battle, wielding sharp weapons, and facing off against enemies from other countries or ideologies, it is a virtual certainty that people on both sides of every conflict would come to the same realization – that this fight would be over much quicker if they just cut off their opponent’s head. Out of necessity brought on by these moments of realization, the Gorget was born.

A Gorget is a piece of armor that protects the neck and prevents injury and decapitation. This particular piece is based on an artifact in the Wallace Collection, hosted at the Tower of London in England. It is based on the model of the medieval armor made in Landshut by Matthes Deutsch, circa 1480 AD, and is typical of other 15^th century models. It is made of 16 gauge steel and suitable for costuming or reenactment, though we don’t recommend putting its decapitation-prevention qualities to the test while wearing the Gorget.