Legionplume Hand Forged Steel Roman Imperial Gallic Helmet | 18 Gauge Mild Steel | Brass Trim, Horsehair Crest and Hinged Cheek Guards | Roman Reenactment Gift | RK-1460

Legionplume is a Roman helmet of the Imperial Gallic pattern, the type worn by the legions through the first and early second centuries. The bowl is steel, the brow reinforce, the ear guards, the crest holder and the trim are brass, the neck guard sweeps back and down from the rear of the bowl, and a pair of hinged cheek pieces swing forward to close on the jaw. A natural cream horsehair crest is carried in an arched brass crest box mounted across the crown, and a black leather chin strap is supplied with it.

Notice that the crest runs from side to side rather than front to back. That is not a stylistic choice, it is a rank marker. Roman writers and tombstone reliefs are consistent that the transverse crest, the crista transversa, was worn by a centurion so that his own men could pick him out from behind in a formation where everything else looked identical. A legionary who wore a crest at all wore it fore and aft. Every Legionplume is raised, trimmed, brazed, riveted and crested in our shop in Memphis, Tennessee. Free shipping inside the United States, one to two weeks processing, seven day returns, and a genuine lifetime warranty against defects in the forging, the grind, the heat treat and the fittings, with no end date and no receipt needed.

Specifications

What every part of a legionary helmet is for

The Imperial Gallic is one of the best resolved pieces of military equipment in the ancient world, because so many were thrown into rivers and bogs and came out again in good condition. Every feature on it answers a specific problem.

The wide neck guard sweeping down from the back is there because the man behind you in a formation is throwing a pilum over your head and the man in front of you is not covering your neck. It slopes rather than hangs so a downward blow slides off rather than catching. The brow reinforce, that heavy brass band across the front of the bowl, exists because the standard attack against a shielded man is a downward chop at the head, and it takes that chop on a doubled thickness of metal rather than on the thin bowl.

The cheek pieces are hinged rather than fixed so the helmet can be lifted on and off over the ears, and they are cut away around the eye and the mouth so the wearer keeps vision and can be understood when shouting. The ear guards, the small brass cutouts at the temples, are shaped so that the cheek piece cannot swing back into the ear. And the crest box lifts the plume clear of the steel so a blow that lands on the crest does not transmit straight into the bowl.

Steel, brass and horsehair

The bowl and neck guard are mild steel at 18 gauge, brushed to a satin finish. Mild steel is the right material for armour and it is not blade steel. It dents rather than shattering, which is the behaviour you want around a head. Eighteen gauge is the standard display and light reenactment weight across the trade, and that is exactly what this helmet is for. It is not certified combat armour and full contact groups will want a heavier bowl and their own inspection.

The brass is solid rather than plated, so it takes a warm patina over years instead of flaking. Brass against steel is the correct period combination and it is also practical, because brass is easy to form to a curve and easy to keep bright.

The crest is natural horsehair rather than synthetic fibre, left in its undyed cream, and it is set into the brass box in a dense fan. Horsehair carries a body and a swing that synthetic will not, and it also settles rather than frizzing when it gets damp. It can be combed out with your fingers.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel or the leather. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us where it goes. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On this helmet the brass brow reinforce and the chin strap leather are the natural places for a line, and Latin lettering can be cut instead of runes if you ask for it. Full detail is on the engraving page.

Fit and sizing

Measure the circumference of your head with a soft tape, level, just above the ears and around the widest part of the back of the skull, and order to that figure. If you fall between sizes, order up, because a helmet can be padded down and cannot be made larger.

Roman helmets sit differently from medieval ones and it is worth knowing before it arrives. The bowl should sit low, with the brow reinforce just above the eyebrows and the neck guard clear of your shoulders when you look up. If it perches high on the crown, it will rock. The cheek pieces should close on the jaw with the chin strap tied under them, not around them, which is how Roman reliefs consistently show it done.

Care

Wipe the steel down after wearing and dry the inside of the bowl properly, because sweat does more damage to a helmet than rain ever will. Put a light film of oil or paste wax on the steel once it is dry. The brass will patina, which most people want. If you prefer it bright, polish it two or three times a year and keep the polish off the steel. Comb the crest out with your fingers rather than a brush, and let it dry naturally if it gets wet rather than putting it near heat. Store the helmet upright rather than resting on the crest. Feed the cheek piece lining and the chin strap with a neutral leather conditioner. Our steel care page covers oiling and rust removal.

Forged in Memphis

The bowl is raised here, the neck guard is cut and swept here, the brass is formed, brazed and polished here, the cheek pieces are hinged and lined here and the crest is set into the box here, all in our own shop in Memphis, Tennessee. Nothing is drop shipped from an importer catalogue with our name added to the box. That is why the lifetime warranty against defects in the forging, the grind, the heat treat and the fittings means something.

A note on handmade variation

This helmet is hand made and not machine made or bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The rise of the bowl, the sweep of the neck guard, brass tone, rivet placement and the exact density and fall of the horsehair crest all vary because each one is worked by hand from natural materials. The dimensions, the material and the build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the crest run sideways?

Because a transverse crest marked a centurion. It let his own men identify him from behind in formation. A legionary wearing a crest at all wore it front to back.

Is the crest real horsehair?

Yes, natural undyed horsehair set into the brass crest box. It hangs and swings differently from synthetic fibre and settles rather than frizzing when damp.

Can the crest be removed?

The crest box is mounted to the bowl and the helmet is supplied as one piece, so it is not intended as a quick change fitting. Ask us before ordering if you want a detachable arrangement.

Can I wear it for full contact reenactment?

No. At 18 gauge this is display, parade and light reenactment weight. It is not certified combat armour and heavy fighting groups will want a thicker bowl.

How should the chin strap be tied?

Under the cheek pieces rather than around them, which is how Roman reliefs show it and which stops the cheek pieces flapping when you move.

How long does it take to ship?

One to two weeks, because the bowl is raised and the helmet is fitted and crested to your size. Shipping inside the United States is free.

What is in the box

• One Imperial Gallic Roman helmet in 18 gauge mild steel with solid brass fittings
• Natural horsehair crest set transversely in an arched brass crest box
• Hinged, leather lined cheek guards
• Black leather chin strap with a brass buckle
• Care, crest and oiling notes
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

See more in Roman and Greek helmets, medieval helmets and kite shields and bucklers, or read the guides for how Roman kit was assembled.