Armour, buying

During the high middle ages, armour could be purchased from guild members in major cities, retrieved from less fortunate men-at-arms from battlegrounds, or imported from armouring centers, especially in Italy and Germany, both very high quality production centers during the period. Modern collectors and re-enactors have two main options. They can purchase real pieces from auction houses such as Sotheby's or Christies, or they can order reproduction pieces from the thriving artists working with tournament societies all over the world. If you are buying armour to use in a tournament re-enactment, be sure that you tell the armourer what use you intend to put the armour to so that appropriate safety standards can be met. Generally reproduction armour can be made in level of authenticity, detail, and technique according to both the skill of the artisan and the desire and/or pocketbook of the customer.