Glued Linen Armour- a simple test

[Dan Howard]

And as for the issue of whether the glue makes a significant difference in the protective value, it absolutely does- a HUGE difference; I did a quick and dirty test with both glued and layered (not considering the option of extremly close stitching) linen- just stabbing down with a recreation sword and while the penetration of the layered linen was not going to be fun for anyone on the 'wearing' side, the glued piece stopped the sword's point cold.

My results were the complete opposite. Closely spaced quilted linen protects better than fish glue, casein glue, and modern pva. I tested broadhead arrows, bodkin arrows, a few different knives and a stiletto spike. I needed about half an inch of spacing between rows to get similar protection to the glue. If the rows of stitching were any closer then quilting provides better protection. If you cross-hatch the quilting, the level of protection reduces for some reason. If the layers of linen are rotated so that the weft and warp in each layer run in different directions then both the glued and quilted examples provide better protection. Glue also increased the weight more than quilting and there was no ventilation at all making it less comfortable to wear. There is no conceivable reason for using glue to make layered linen armour. Layered textiles have been used as armour for many centuries by many cultures and there are quite a few of them in various collections. Not a single one of them uses glue and the only time leather is used in the construction is as a protective or decorative layer on the outside. There is no evidence and no precedent for glued linen armour.