Overview

Body armor is protective clothing that has the ability to repel weapons used in combat against the wearer. Armor is designed to ward off attacks from both sharp and blunt trauma. While the body armor used today is primarily designed to give protection from projectiles moving at high velocities (i.e. bulletproof vests), armor has traditionally fallen into one of three categories: soft, mail, or rigid armor. Soft armor was usually comprised of layers of leather, fabric, quilting or felt, and often, a combination of these materials was used. Mail armor was usually made from iron or steel rings that were interwoven. This gave the wearer some flexibility without sacrificing a great deal of protection. Rigid armor was often made of metal, wood, or any other highly resilient material that offered maximum protection to the wearer. This...