Secrets of the Shining Knight

A knight in shining armour may sound like a character out of a storybook, but once upon a time knighthood was a serious business, and for countless medieval fighters their armour was what stood between life and death. But what was it really like to live beneath the metal? How was that shining armour crafted and how strong was it? Could it withstand the impact of the most lethal weapons of the day, including crossbows, muskets and primitive hand guns? NOVA challenged blacksmith Ric Furrer and master armourer Jeff Wasson to recreate parts of an elite armour originally manufactured in the Royal Workshop founded by King Henry VIII. Secrets of the Shining Knight traces their successes and setbacks from start to finish as the experts rediscover centuries-old metalworking secrets and then put their new armour to the ultimate test against a period musket. Ⓢ