Answer:
Defends your noggin from the hard pavement
What sphinxes employ and players enjoy.
If there are three cups of sugar and you take one away, how many do you have?
It is something you make after you've weighed your options.
What ends in E, starts with E and has a letter inside it?
Though not a plant, has leaves. Though not a beast, has spine. Though many wouldn't need this thing, It's more valuable than wine.