MK Marshal's Handbook - Armor Materials

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See Marshal's handbook

Armor Materials

• Aventail: flexible curtain of chainmail on a helmet, extending to cover the neck and shoulders.

• Bars: Used in the visor or faceplate of helms, bars shall be mild steel a minimum of 3/16 inch (4.5mm) in diameter, or the equivalent. If the distance between crossbars is 2 inches (50.8 mm) or less, .125 (that is, 1/8) inch (3.2 mm) bars may be used.

• Camail: flexible curtain of mail or leather on a helm, extending to cover the neck (also aventail).

• Closed-cell foam: stiff foam with closed cells, less dense than resilient foam (e.g., Ensolite).

• Equivalent: virtually identical to the specified material in effect or function, including impact resistance, impact distribution, and impact absorption characteristics, but not necessarily in physical dimensions.

• Foam: any open- or closed-cell foam, including foam rubber, foam neoprene, polyurethane, etc.

• Gauge: U.S. sheet metal standard. Note that 16-gauge is officially 1/16 inch (.0625 inch or about 1.6 mm), but commercially available sheet is frequently rolled to .058 or even .055 inch—much too thin for helms.

• Gauntlet: An armored glove covering the back of the hand, fingers, and thumb and the points and back of the wrist.

• Gorget: a piece of armor designed to cover the throat and neck.

• Heavy leather: stiff, oak-tanned leather nominally 11/64 inch (.171875 inch or 4.4 mm) thick. This is referred to as 11 ounce leather.

• Mail: any fabric of small metal components either linked together (e.g., chain) or attached to a flexible backing (e.g., ring or scale).

• Padding: quilted or multi-layered cloth material, such as mattress pads, moving pads, carpet, felt, or equivalent

• Partial gauntlet (also called a half-gauntlet or demi-gauntlet): An armored glove covering the back of the hand and at least the first knuckle of the thumb, as well as the points and back of the wrist.

• Plate: large components of rigid material.

• Resilient foam: dense, plastic, closed-cell foam such as ethyl polymer.

• Rigid material:

1. Steel of no less than 18 gauge, or aluminum of no less than 0.075 inch (1.9mm)

2. Other metals of sufficient thickness to give similar rigidity to those listed above to include treated steel or aluminum

3. High-impact-resistant plastics such as ABS or polyethylene of sufficient thickness to give similar rigidity to those listed above

4. Heavy leather (as defined above) that has been hardened in hot wax, soaked in polyester resin (properly catalyzed), or treated in such a manner as to permanently harden the leather

5. Two layers of untreated heavy leather (as defined above)

6. Other materials equivalent to those items listed above (Any armor of unusual construction or materials must meet the approval of the kingdom or Principality Earl Marshal or their designated deputy.)

• Steel: cold- or hot-rolled mild steel or equivalent ferrous material