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Originally Posted by LordEden
You are talking about something like this? Basically what they use for BMX and motorcross style of events?
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Yes! Older methods of creating armor prioritized defense far above maneuverability.Have you ever worn medieval armor? It's extremely heavy and incredibly difficult to move in. The idea would be to basically get the armor as close to your body as possible to reduce having to fight against the weight of the armor and increase speed and control over your center of gravity. I got the idea from my little brother's motorcycle jacket, which has everything from a built in ceramic vertebrae to elbow guards that restrict the way his arms can bend to within normal human movement so his arms can't be twisted or bent the wrong way in a crash. It's really a brilliant piece of engineering.
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Originally Posted by LordEden
That is an idea I thought of, basically a stronger base than an arming jacket and attaching leather/steel plates to vital areas. It's a great idea, but this is the problem when I think about manufacture and use. I think the repairs on a single piece suit would be higher than separate pieces. If the base jacket would be torn, would this make the rest of the armor unusable? If my left elbow protector was broken and unwearable, would it make the rest of the suit unwearable? If it was a separate piece, then I would take that off and just not be protected in that area.
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Tearing is going to be unlikely, imho. Have you ever worn and handled a ballistic vest or a high quality motorcycle jacket?
Somewhere between these two is what I'm talking about, basically.
The pieces are connected with very, very heavy fabric, the same kind which is used in bulletproof vests, and you can have leather between the plates to further protect you from slashes that could cut the fabric.
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Originally Posted by LordEden
I think that's a great idea for concealable armor, light enough to be able to go under a heavy coat or cloak (if we are talking about armor, I can say cloak), but not as great for a battle were you knew you were getting into a fight.
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My main thought is about how inefficient movement is inside of traditional armor. The best option would be to get as close to the overall protection of armor without having to sacrifice speed and range of motion. I don't know how many fights you've been in, but speed and accuracy are basically the whole game. If you're fighting against a thick metal breast plate, how much power, speed and accuracy can you really muster for the actual fight?
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Originally Posted by LordEden
I also thought about tactical equipment and how it's protection boils over to melee combat from protecting from bullets. Would a riot helmet protect my head better than a modern reproduction of a older helmet?
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Absolutely. Check
this out.
The mask, along with the helmet, are designed to protect from fast moving projectiles like those which come from IEDs. They can hold off rocks, glass and shrapnel, which tells me they can almost certainly deal with something like a sword. It may not look as cool as a Spartan style helmet, but it's going to be lighter and will almost certainly protect you better.
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Originally Posted by LordEden
I'm thinking this is leaning towards a heavier slashing weapon like a broadsword than a more "slash-heavy" curved blade (like a saber or katana). It would protect from impact that a heavier sword would inflict, but not enough for something like a mace/hammer. That would mean layers and shock protection more than what is needed for slashing.
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If you're going to be swinging a cruciform around, you'll need as much strength as you can muster. I think that reinforces my suggestion about lighter armor and more speed and maneuverability.
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Originally Posted by LordEden
That's another toss up like the weight/protection ratio, how much do I want to protect and what am I willing to sacrifice for it.
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This might have to end up being experiential. No two warriors are the same, after all.