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An aventail or camail is a flexible curtain of chainmail
Chainmail

Mail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.The word chainmail is of relatively recent coinage, having been in use only since the 1700s; prior to this it was referred to simply as mail....
 on a helmet
Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries, a variation of the hat. The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from sword blows and arrows....
, that extends to cover the neck and shoulders. The mail could be removed for cleaning or storage, and attached to the helm through use of a leather cord that was threaded through brass
Brass

Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties. In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin....
 rings at the edge of the helm.






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Aventail
An aventail or camail is a flexible curtain of chainmail
Chainmail

Mail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.The word chainmail is of relatively recent coinage, having been in use only since the 1700s; prior to this it was referred to simply as mail....
 on a helmet
Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries, a variation of the hat. The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from sword blows and arrows....
, that extends to cover the neck and shoulders. The mail could be removed for cleaning or storage, and attached to the helm through use of a leather cord that was threaded through brass
Brass

Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties. In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin....
 rings at the edge of the helm. Aventails were most commonly seen on bascinet
Bascinet

The bascinet was a Medieval European open-faced military helmet, typically fitted with an aventail and hinged visor. It evolved from the cervelliere....
s in the 14th century and served as a replacement for a chainmail
Chainmail

Mail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.The word chainmail is of relatively recent coinage, having been in use only since the 1700s; prior to this it was referred to simply as mail....
 coif
Coif

A coif is a close fitting hat that covers the top, back, and sides of the head, worn by all classes in England and Scotland from the Middle Ages to the early seventeenth century ....
. Some aventails were decorated with edging in brass
Brass

Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties. In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin....
 or bronze
Bronze

Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other chemical element such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon....
 links, or dagged edges. By the late 15th century, the Aventail had replaced the chainmail coif completely. Only those who were poor or who were collectors of the sort had a chainmail coif.

Aventails were typically attached to the helmet via small staples known as vervelles
Vervelles

Vervelles are small metal staples used in Medieval armour to attach an aventail to a helmet. A leather cord would be woven through the top row of rings and the vervelles, securing the two together....
.