Kettle Hat

Broad-brimmed infantry helmet shaped like an inverted pot

The kettle hat was the most widely issued infantry helmet in 12th-15th century Europe, named for its inverted-pot shape with a domed crown and broad horizontal brim. The wide brim excelled at deflecting arrows, stones, and boiling liquids raining down during sieges, making it ideal for troops assaulting castle walls. Cheap and simple enough for any blacksmith to produce, it was the everyman's helmet across medieval Europe. Military historians trace a direct lineage from the kettle hat's brim design to the WWI-era British Brodie helmet, making it an ancestor of the modern combat helmet.