Introduce the Samurai armor shin guard suneate the history and types

What is Suneate (臑当) in Samurai armor? 

Suneate are traditional Japanese armor part that protects the lower legs. In battles, if your shin get hurts, you will lose mobility, without mobility you become easy target and difficult to survival. Having a robust shin guard is necessary in battlefield. 

The history and evolution of Suneate

In Kofun period, Japanese armor already equipped with shin guard. As we can see from the “Bujin Haniwa” (武人埴輪 warrior clay figures). In ancient times, it was called “Amaki 足纏” .Since then, with the changes in the era and the changes in the battle method, “Suneate” has also evolved and become an important part of Japanese armor.

Major types of Suneates

筒臑当 Tsutsu Suneate

This is a type of Suneate made by connecting three iron plates with a hinge. One metal plate is placed on the front of the shin, and rest is hinged on each side. It is equipped by wrapping it around the shin and fastening it with a leather string. 

篠臑当 Shino Suneate

This is a type of Suneate formed by lining up thin iron plates horizontally and sticking them to the cloth. Although there are many plates, but still the shino suneate has plenty of space where the cloth is exposed, makes it a lower defensive gear.

鎖臑当 Kusari Suneate

This is a type of Suneate formed by sticking a chain to the cloth. It was able to reduce the gaps in the metal, which is a weakness of the “Shino Suneate”, but because of the higher manufacturing cost it wasn't widely used.