Zen_Hydra
Moderator
Born with a heart full of neutrality
Posts: 2,659 
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Post by Zen_Hydra on Jul 1, 2020 13:09:19 GMT
I've seen a few examples of armor using hexagonal plates (Japanese tatami-do comes to mind), but I've never seen armor with tightly interlocking hexagonal plates (perhaps stitched to a textile backing and/or tightly connected by small rings). The hexagon shape facilitates a potentially gapless layout, while also providing superior flexibility to more rigid armor designs. I'm curious about any first hand examples the community has seen.  |
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Post by leviathansteak on Jul 1, 2020 13:42:53 GMT
In terms of protection that will likely be impervious to cuts and most impacts.
But I think making such consistently shaped plates by hand is probably pretty difficult, and since they don't overlap, a slim point can potential slip between the plates and force them apart.
That may be why it isnt more common historically
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Jul 1, 2020 13:43:20 GMT
I've seen some in the SCA, old Chinese style, I forget what period. I asked how well it protected, and against blunt force, they said it was just overly complex lamillar.  |
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Jul 1, 2020 20:52:28 GMT
but I've never seen armor with tightly interlocking hexagonal plates (perhaps stitched to a textile backing and/or tightly connected by small rings). Tight hexagonal is less flexible than square or rectangular. Tightly-laced rectangular plates will give you some flexibility along two directions (but not at the same time). Hexagonal will give you flexibility along 3 directions, but because the join along each of those directions is zig-zag rather than straight, those 3 directions will be less flexible than the 2 direction of rectangular. If the plates are thick enough to reliably stop arrows (more than 2mm good iron), and they're tight enough to not leak arrows through the joins, neither rectangular nor hexagonal is particularly flexible. Better to have them loosely joined, with overlap (and if you have lots of overlap, the plates can be much thinner). Or, if you're willing to accept less protection, non-tight works and is flexible, in both hex (e.g., Japanese kikko armour, either fabric-sandwiched or connected by mail) and rectangular (various plate-and-mail) versions. (I am, in principle, in the process of replacing a tightly-laced rectangular plate armour I used in SCA with a butted "brigandine" with more space between the plates and smaller plates for more flexibility.) |
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