05-22-2007, 10:58 PM
Apologies, Dan - when I said earlier that leather or linen can provide "better" protection, I should have elaborated, by saying " under some circumstances, and against certain types of weapon".
I agree with you that metal offers the best protection against perforation/ penetration ( with certain exceptions ).But perforation isn't the only type of attack that armour must protect against. In addition, under some circumstances, when considering relatively low density materials ( compared to metal), penetration is proportional to momentum rather than kinetic energy.
I also wasn't referring to Blyth in this instance - he doesn't test linen at all, and his references to leather, and leather covered by scale, are brief.
I mean to explore all this further on Gianni's armour thread, and am in the process of preparing a lengthy "background" piece ( as and when time permits).
I agree with you that metal offers the best protection against perforation/ penetration ( with certain exceptions ).But perforation isn't the only type of attack that armour must protect against. In addition, under some circumstances, when considering relatively low density materials ( compared to metal), penetration is proportional to momentum rather than kinetic energy.
I also wasn't referring to Blyth in this instance - he doesn't test linen at all, and his references to leather, and leather covered by scale, are brief.
I mean to explore all this further on Gianni's armour thread, and am in the process of preparing a lengthy "background" piece ( as and when time permits).
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff