why did knights start wearing armor?

Answer 1

I'm going to guess they got tired of being run through with swords. ;)

Answer 2

Think of the knights in armor as the medieval tanks. Swords, lances, axes and pikes had a real hard time getting through the armor.
It was for the times a great way to thin the hoards of unarmored people. With the advent of armor piercing arrow tips and then the musket ball Metal armor was traded for fast motion and freedom of movement by the knights. French Chevaliers and English mounted knights gladly stopped wearing armor to get past that"sitting duck" feeling. What had at first got them past the slings and arrows of battle was now slowing them down so much that a matchlock musketeer could literally pump rounds into them.

Answer 3

Armor was actually around long before the time of the knights. Most people are familar with the tournament knights armor but there are actually several other forms including brigidine, anime, splint, chain, ring mail, partial plate, leather &, padded. Any man going into battle would want the best he could afford to protect himself with though in most cases this wasn't much. The tournament knight made a profession of fighting and had his armor custom made for the sport.
Armors development was often based on the weapons it was supposed to protect aginst. Early armors were little more than thick hides and leather with padding used to distribute the force of a blunt blow. As weapons developed an edge, metal was added to prevent the weapon from slicing through. Later on the holes and joints were made smaller and more protected to prevent the new points on weapons from stabbing through. As weapons were made heavier in order to crush the armor it faced the armor developed into larger articulated plates.
By the time of the tournament knight armor had reached its penticle with the full plate suits used on the jousting field. Mideval body armor eventually lost favor when guns became common. An armored knight was an easy target for a gunman.

The arms race has actually been going on for ages in one form or another.

Answer 4

To protect themselves. The ironic thing is that the heavy duty armor most people associate with knights was developed and came into usage at about the same time as the gun, and that armor cannot stop bullets.

Answer 5

Swords on the hip are not so bad. A sword through a part of the body is bad.

Answer 6

to protect themselfs against swords and other kind of weapons is like cops nowdays they wear bullet proof best

Answer 7

Probably when they figured out that their swords and weapons make this red stuff come out of when inserted...

Answer 8

For protection and I'm not talking about unwanted pregnancies and STDs.

Answer 9

To be protected from swords in battle...

Answer 10

Men in uniform.