Early Use of Plastic Armour

[Erpingham]

Any other types of armour you wish to consider Justin?  There are several made of odd materials IIRC, like silk armour and paper armour.

[PMBardunias]

It's good to see a serious academic thread on the use and usability of plastic armour evolve into a serious academic study of the use and usability of kaolin as armour reinforcement.

I would like to add this link that gives a study of the capacities of reinforced plastic used as ballistic armour with reference to its possible use as body protection in 2000BC. 

My apologies for the unintentional hijack.  My French is not what it used to be, I cannot find the description in what you linked to. Can you cut and paste it here?

I do wonder, having not seen it, if the plymer was used to coat an organic backing, or if they were solid.  The first commercial plastics were found while looking for artificial shellack if I recall. Plastics like Bakelite are very brittle for armor use.

I draw your attention to the date the thread was created....

Wow, do not tell my children I fell for that. But on the positive side, now you know what it would look like if I thought you were bat-excrement crazy and trying to be nice and supportive...

[PMBardunias]

For example, we have surviving aspis facings that have white powder residue. 

Really? I don't think I've come across this - do you have references to hand?

The powder residue was found on linen aspis facings from Vergina.  This comes from this Thesis: http://thesis.ekt.gr/thesisBookReader/id/20347#page/1/mode/2up

[Duncan Head]

Thanks.

[Justin Swanton]

Any other types of armour you wish to consider Justin?  There are several made of odd materials IIRC, like silk armour and paper armour.

At present I'm looking at the capacity of the bronze covering on the more concave version of the phalangite pelta to deflect a pikehead thrust at it when it is angled. In other words, why were those shields so concave? (20cm deep or more). My working theory: to supply angled surfaces to pike thrusts. But that's probably off-topic.

[Erpingham]

Any other types of armour you wish to consider Justin?  There are several made of odd materials IIRC, like silk armour and paper armour.

At present I'm looking at the capacity of the bronze covering on the more concave version of the phalangite pelta to deflect a pikehead thrust at it when it is angled. In other words, why were those shields so concave? (20cm deep or more). My working theory: to supply angled surfaces to pike thrusts. But that's probably off-topic.

Definitely a new topic in there Justin.  Anything related to phalangites and their equipment is always hugely contentious  popular    Me, I'm still thinking about armour and effective missile ranges, sometimes together and sometimes on their own. That (those) will be a separate topic if ever I discuss them here.