attirons

Attirons is a historic term found in some catalogs and inventories of European armor, but its precise meaning is variable and not consistently defined across sources. In many references, attire irons or attirerons are described as iron fittings or plates associated with a suit of plate armor, typically intended to reinforce protection around the upper torso and shoulder region. Because the term appears with different spellings and in different contexts, it has been interpreted at times as referring to small reinforcing plates, while in other sources it is treated as a generic label for the shoulder protection components that are part of a cuirass, pauldron, or spaulder assembly.

Etymology for attirons is not standardized, and the word appears in medieval and early modern texts with regional variations. Historically, these components would be made of iron or steel, sometimes covered with leather, and attached to the armor with rivets. Their placement and size could vary, with descriptions ranging from small plates intended to stiffen joints to larger pieces integrated into the shoulder defenses of a suit.

Regional differences are evident in surviving armors and in period inventories, where the lack of uniform terminology can lead to divergent interpretations of what constitutes an attireron. As armor design evolved toward more articulated joints and clearly named parts—such as cuirasses, pauldrons, and gorgets—the use of the term declined, and the components themselves were identified more precisely in modern scholarship.

In contemporary references, attirerons typically appear in museum labels or historical catalogs, where additional context helps clarify their specific function in a given armor set. See also armor terminology, cuirass, pauldrons, spaulders, gorget.