diff --git a/src/index.tsx b/src/index.tsx
index 67452c4..2a04a4a 100644
--- a/src/index.tsx
+++ b/src/index.tsx
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-export { Popup, Rarity, ItemType } from './item';
+export { Popup, Rarity } from './item';
 export { Group as ModGroup, Type as ModType } from './mod';
diff --git a/src/item/index.ts b/src/item/index.ts
index e8931e5..9338e89 100644
--- a/src/item/index.ts
+++ b/src/item/index.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 export { default as Popup } from './popup';
-export { Rarity, Type as ItemType } from './poe';
+export { Rarity} from './poe';
diff --git a/src/item/poe.ts b/src/item/poe.ts
index d64576c..028b91f 100644
--- a/src/item/poe.ts
+++ b/src/item/poe.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ import { SingleValue, Value, AugmentableValue } from '../util/value';
 
 // use intersection here instead of extends to be able to test Properties
 // with only e.g. ArmourProperties
-export type Item = AbstractItem &
-  (ArmourProperties | WeaponProperties | NoProperties);
+export type Item = AbstractItem & Properties;
 
 export interface AbstractItem {
   base: BaseItem;
@@ -24,18 +23,13 @@ export interface AbstractItem {
   shaper?: boolean;
 }
 
-export enum Type {
-  none,
-  armour,
-  weapon,
-}
+export type Properties = ShieldProperties | ArmourProperties | WeaponProperties | NoProperties;
 
 export interface AbstractProperties {
   quality?: number;
 }
 
 export interface ArmourProperties extends AbstractProperties {
-  type: Type.armour;
   armour?: AugmentableValue<SingleValue>;
   energy_shield?: AugmentableValue<SingleValue>;
   evasion?: AugmentableValue<SingleValue>;
@@ -47,7 +41,6 @@ export interface ShieldProperties extends ArmourProperties {
 }
 
 export interface WeaponProperties extends AbstractProperties {
-  type: Type.weapon;
   physical_damage?: AugmentableValue;
   cold_damage?: Value;
   fire_damage?: Value;
@@ -66,9 +59,7 @@ export interface WeaponProperties extends AbstractProperties {
   crit?: AugmentableValue<SingleValue>;
 }
 
-export interface NoProperties extends AbstractProperties {
-  type?: Type.none;
-}
+export interface NoProperties extends AbstractProperties {}
 
 export interface BaseItem {
   name: string;
diff --git a/src/item/popup/body/Properties.tsx b/src/item/popup/body/Properties.tsx
index bd6584d..ad1b01c 100644
--- a/src/item/popup/body/Properties.tsx
+++ b/src/item/popup/body/Properties.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import {
   ArmourProperties,
   NoProperties,
   ShieldProperties,
-  Type,
 } from '../../poe';
 import { round, msToPerSecond, asPercentString } from '../../../util/number';
 import {
@@ -30,26 +29,18 @@ export default class Properties extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
       return true;
     }
 
-    switch (properties.type) {
-      case Type.armour:
-        const { armour, energy_shield, evasion } = properties;
+    if ("armour" in properties) {
+      const { armour, energy_shield, evasion } = properties;
         return (
           augmentableNotZero(armour) ||
           augmentableNotZero(energy_shield) ||
           augmentableNotZero(evasion)
         );
-      case Type.weapon:
+    } else if ("aps" in properties) {
         // at least display weapon type
         return true;
-      case Type.none:
-      case undefined:
-        return false;
-      default:
-        // while the exhaustiveness check is nice for internal use
-        // it's not guarenteed at runtime since this component can be consumed
-        // by normal js
-        // @ts-ignore
-        throw new Error(`unrecognized property kind '${properties.kind}'`);
+    } else {
+      return false;
     }
   }
 
@@ -73,22 +64,10 @@ export default class Properties extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
       );
     }
 
-    switch (properties.type) {
-      case Type.armour:
-        display_properties.push(...this.armourProperties(properties));
-        break;
-      case Type.weapon:
-        display_properties.push(...this.weaponProperties(properties));
-        break;
-      case Type.none:
-      case undefined:
-        break;
-      default:
-        // while the exhaustiveness check is nice for internal use
-        // it's not guarenteed at runtime since this component can be consumed
-        // by normal js
-        // @ts-ignore
-        throw new Error(`unrecognized property kind '${properties.kind}'`);
+    if ("armour" in properties) {
+      display_properties.push(...this.armourProperties(properties));
+    } else if ("aps" in properties) {
+      display_properties.push(...this.weaponProperties(properties));
     }
 
     return display_properties;
diff --git a/stories/docs/helmet.tsx b/stories/docs/helmet.tsx
index e06e499..fb9206e 100644
--- a/stories/docs/helmet.tsx
+++ b/stories/docs/helmet.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { storiesOf } from '@storybook/react';
 import { withInfo } from '@storybook/addon-info';
 import { formatStats } from 'poe-i18n';
 // 'poe-components-item'
-import { Popup, Rarity, ModType, ItemType } from '../../src/';
+import { Popup, Rarity, ModType } from '../../src/';
 
 import '../../themes/poe.scss';
 
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ storiesOf('ItemPopup', module).add(
           name: 'Hubris Circlet',
         },
         name: 'Mind Brow',
-        type: ItemType.armour,
         rarity: Rarity.rare,
         energy_shield: {
           value: 200,
diff --git a/stories/docs/i18n.tsx b/stories/docs/i18n.tsx
index c961ca3..5e7702d 100644
--- a/stories/docs/i18n.tsx
+++ b/stories/docs/i18n.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import { storiesOf } from '@storybook/react';
 import { formatStats, Fallback } from 'poe-i18n';
 // 'poe-components-item'
-import { Popup, Rarity, ModType, ItemType } from '../../src/';
+import { Popup, Rarity, ModType } from '../../src/';
 
 const base_item_types = require('poe-i18n/locale-data/en/BaseItemTypes.json');
 const stat_descriptions = require('poe-i18n/locale-data/en/stat_descriptions.json');
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ storiesOf('i18n integration', module).add('Helmet', () => (
         name: base_item_types['1768'].name,
       },
       name: 'Mind Brow',
-      type: ItemType.armour,
       rarity: Rarity.rare,
       energy_shield: {
         value: 200,