Sitten Bascinet Knight Helmet

A classic XIV century Medieval Knight helmet

This trusty helmet is one of our classic designs and is heavily inspired by historical sources. Basic, reliable and distinct to its period, this bascinet is one of the quintessential pieces of design from the medieval period. Used by men at arms, yeomen, and knights alike, it was an incredibly popular style and could be used with a variety of different face plates. Originally developed from a steel cap called a “cervelliere”, bascinets were at first worn open faced under larger helmets. Close fitting and light, it was soon discovered that the bascinet was an excellent combat helm. Bascinets with visors became widespread in the late XIV to early XV century, and quickly became known as the main helmet used by knights in the Hundred Year’s War all throughout the medieval era. Pointed at the top to deflect arrow and lances, Bascinets have been found both open face and with a number of different visors, but for this one we chose a klappvisor. This specific bascinet takes inspiration from a find in Sitten dated 1370.

Klappvisors were preferred for their ease of attachment: the hinge allows it to be raised up when one is not in combat, and secured with a leather strap at the back when it’s down. They also have a low profile and don’t stick out as much as the snout of the hounskull visor, for example. Klappvisors were typical to Germany and North Italy in 1340-1370, thus we call this a German bascinet. We’ve perfected the visor hinge mechanism to make it easy to move and swap out for another visor or an bargrill.

Made from 14ga stainless steel, this helmet can really take a beating. It’s a top quality helmet made from premium materials, and hand-crafted by our talented smiths. The straps are durable and made of robust leather, including a chin strap as well as a strap to keep the visor secured in combat. This helmet also includes an aventail to protect your neck. This helmet comes pre-padded with historically inspired padding, so it’s ready for combat! The stainless steel construction means that although this helmet requires some maintenance, it won’t be nearly as hard to take care of as mild steel. Wiping away moisture is all you should have to do to keep it beautifully shiny and lustrous.

This helmet looks excellent with a variety of different armor types, though we recommend keeping your style within the general medieval period (especially the XIV and XV centuries) for a cohesive aesthetic. We think it looks great with a brigandine. If you're looking for something a little bit flashier, we also have an identical bascinet available with etching.

To check how to measure yourself please click here.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.

Chin strap with a drawstring and toggle

Chin straps with one buckle (left pictures) and two buckles (right pictures).

Safety disclaimer: Sword-fighting and fencing is a dangerous sport. Fencing, historical fencing, medieval reenactment and martial arts as well as other related types of activity, are inherently connected to a certain risk level of injuries or death. The Company declines all responsibility for any traumas or harm done to oneself or to the third person, along with any material or consequential damage, impaired during the products usage. We admonish that all acts with armour, weapons or their components have to be performed before designated person who is responsible for safety of the particular event and accredited to supervise armour and sport weapon conformance to the event’s standards.