Bevor: Metal Chin and Neck Protection for Your Armour

September 23, 2026

A bevor, sometimes also called a beaver, is a piece of armour made of plate steel that was designed to protect the neck, chin and the lower part of the face. It's similar in function to a gorget, but is usually larger and covers more of the front of the neck.

The name comes from Old French: baver, which means "to drool" or "to drip". This probably refers to the appearance of knights during combat, when moisture ran down the lower part of the face or helmet.

15th-century man-at-arms with bevor and kettle hat

Function and construction

The bevor was part of a complete medieval suit of armour. It typically consisted of a single large piece of plate steel that covered the chin and throat and filled the gap between helmet and breastplate. This protected a vulnerable area that could otherwise be easily struck by a thrust or blow.

Some bevors were larger and extended over the knight's left shoulder. This not only provided extra protection but also made that side of the armour twice as thick, which was useful because attacks often came from that side.

Most bevors are fitted with one or more lamels that can be freely repositioned upwards. This allows the bevor and helmet to be combined in different ways, each with its own functionality. For example, the sallet and bevor can be combined as follows:

15th-century knight in gothic armour with sallet, bevor and two-handed sword

1. Straight on the head, with open visor and open bevor

This offers optimal field of vision and maximum breathing space.

15th-century French sallet with bevor and gothic armour

2. Straight on the head, with closed visor and open bevor

This offers optimal protection but minimal field of vision.

15th-century knight in gothic armour with bevor and sallet

3. Straight on the head, with closed bevor and open visor

This offers a good field of vision and face protection.

15th-century gothic knight with sallet and bevor

4. Tilted on the head, with closed bevor

This provides a larger field of vision and more breathing space, at the cost of some protection.

15th-century gothic knight with sallet, bevor, cuirass and arm armour

5. Tilted on the head, with open visor and open bevor

This offers a maximum field of vision at the cost of good protection

15th-century man-at-arms with mail coat and kettle hat

Use with different helmets

In the 15th century, the bevor was especially worn in combination with the sallet, a helmet that was popular from around 1400 to 1500. Later, with the advent of the closed helmet and the burgonet in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, the shape of the bevor changed.

It was then made with extra lamels and sometimes with a visor. This allowed it to protect both the throat and the lower part of the face, while still making it possible to breathe, speak or open the helmet when needed.

16th-century Scottish Border Reiver with burgonet, bevor and falling buff

Development to the Falling Buffe

In the 16th century, the bevor further developed into a new type of protection: the falling buffe. This was no longer a single piece of metal, but a composite component made up of several horizontal lamels.

These lamels were connected to each other so they could move. This allowed the buffe to be positioned up or down, depending on whether the wearer needed more protection or wanted to see and breathe better.

The falling buffe was often used in combination with the burgonet, a helmet form that was popular in this period. Because the burgonet often had an open face, the buffe complemented this by protecting the entire lower part of the face.

Small spring mechanisms ensured that the buffe remained in place, even during vigorous movement or combat.