Why did knights use swords instead of spears?

Knights did use maces and polearms. They also usually carried swords but these swords were primarily side arms or backup weapons when on the battlefield. Other answers gave many good points on why swords were used such as the ease of carrying it as a secondary weapon, tradition, and as a status symbol.

Can a sword penetrate chain mail?

They don’t. They might cause damage through the maille or they can be thrust into maille and maybe break a few links but generally maille stops a sword cut.

Why did knights carry swords?

Swords retained utility against foot soldiers or archers that might not have been wearing plate. Additionally, knights did not spend the majority of their time in armor themselves and would not have found a mace or other impact weapon to be nearly as handy to have around when conducting daily basis, traveling, etc.

Can a knife penetrate chainmail?

Answer: It depends. Chain mail armor was very effective against slashing attacks from swords, daggers, axes, and pretty much any bladed weapon. It was pretty much impossible to cut through good quality chain mail with a sword or knife.

Did knights fight each other?

Two knights might fight each other alone (this was called single combat) while a huge crowd watched and cheered. Or else a large number of knights might form two teams, like two enemy armies, and try to beat one another at jousting (fighting on horseback with a lance) and sword-fighting.

Can swords cut through armor?

In spite of being wide, the blades are no heavier than other swords: the blades get much thinner as one moves from the handle to the tip, and so they are quick with great penetrating power. They can cut directly through chain mail, or plate armor.

How did swords pierce armor?

There were specially forged arrows designed to pierce armor. In the hands of a skilled archer, as Gwydion says they were lethal for Knights. Lances, Knights jousted to practice skewering each other on lances on the battlefield. With the power of a warhorse behind them the metal tips could easily kill.

What is chainmail armor made of?

Chain mail (often just mail or sometimes chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was generally in common military use between the 3rd century BC and the 16th century AD in Europe, and longer in Asia and North Africa.

What was Mail used for in medieval warfare?

Eventually with the rise of the lanced cavalry charge, impact warfare, and high-powered crossbows, mail came to be used as a secondary armour to plate for the mounted nobility. By the 14th century, articulated plate armour was commonly used to supplement mail.

What type of armor did knights wear in the 1400s?

Plate armor. By the 1400s most knights were wearing full plate armor. This armor offered better protection, but it was less flexible and heavier than chain mail. A full set of plate armor weighed around 60 pounds.

What are the different types of mail armor called?

The standard terms for European mail armour derive from French: leggings are called chausses, a hood is a mail coif, and mittens, mitons. A mail collar hanging from a helmet is a camail or aventail.