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Arts & Culture

NOVA: Secrets Of The Shining Knight

The Greenwich Field Armour of Lord Buckhurst on display at the Wallace Collection in London.
Courtesy of WGBH
The Greenwich Field Armour of Lord Buckhurst on display at the Wallace Collection in London.

Airs Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 9 p.m. & Sunday, March 31 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV + March 31 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2

Discover the world of medieval knights and the metalworking secrets of their shining armor.

A knight in shining armor may sound like a character out of a storybook, but once upon a time, knighthood was serious business, and for countless medieval fighters, their armor was what stood between life and death.

But what was it really like to live beneath the metal? How was that shining armor crafted and how strong was it?

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Could it withstand impacts from the most lethal weapons of the day, including crossbows, muskets, and primitive hand guns?

NOVA challenged blacksmith Ric Furrer and master armorer Jeff Wasson to recreate parts of an elite armor originally manufactured in the Royal Workshop founded by King Henry VIII.

Blacksmith Richard Furrer creates the steel that will eventually become a replica of an armor made at Henry VIII's Royal Armoury at Greenwich - arguably the finest suits ever made.
Courtesy of WGBH
Blacksmith Richard Furrer creates the steel that will eventually become a replica of an armor made at Henry VIII's Royal Armoury at Greenwich - arguably the finest suits ever made.
Armorer Jeff Wasson and Associate Curator of Arms and Armor Jonathan Tavares examine a 16th century armor at the Art Institute of Chicago. Jeff and Jonathan are collaborating to recreate pieces of this rare suit, originally made in Henry VIII's Royal Armoury at Greenwich.
Courtesy of WGBH
Armorer Jeff Wasson and Associate Curator of Arms and Armor Jonathan Tavares examine a 16th century armor at the Art Institute of Chicago. Jeff and Jonathan are collaborating to recreate pieces of this rare suit, originally made in Henry VIII's Royal Armoury at Greenwich.

In "Secrets Of The Shining Knight," we trace their successes and setbacks from start to finish as they rediscover centuries-old metalworking secrets, then put their new armor to the ultimate test against a period musket!

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