Linothorax vs Quilted linen vs spolas

[Rhry]

I'm new here and can't pretend any expertise on Greek armor but I think you've been asking the wrong questions with regard to linen armor, whether laminated or quilted. All linen is not the same. For example, commercial linen sail cloth which has not been manufactured in seventy-five years was of various weights and qualities and extremely tough in accordance with its use. The linen used by the Greeks for armor may have been even tougher if especially produced for the purpose.

How was the flax prepared for spinning? What was the quality, weight and structure of the thread? how was the thread finished after spinning? What was the weave weight and fineness of the cloth produced from it? How was that cloth finished after weaving?

All of these questions have to be answered before being able to know how the Greeks were able to use it in armor. The type of linen used might even vary within garment itself depending on what was expected of the particular piece.

The exact details of how the armor was put together would have made a lot of difference as well. For example, in the old days, we used to dampen canvas before painting it. This kept it flexible and waterproof. Paint can also act as a glue between layers, especially if suplemented with stitching. Could the Greeks have incorporated this technique in armor construction? Even minor details of construction could be important making a linothorax into an effective piece of armor.