Where we craft
beautiful products and then try to destroy them.
Note: The tests shown
here are for demonstration purposes only! We in no way
are responsible for individual results and are not
presenting these tests for actual use, rather to
demonstrate how tough some leather items can be when
hardened and for educational purposes. Use any armour in
a responsible manner!
As of 5/10 we are suspending
videos of testing posted to this page. After this
date, we will be posting test videos on our Facebook
page.
Sure, it looks like
armour. There is even documentation of some types of
leather armour back as far as the 6th Century BC. But
does it really have decent protectiveness or does it
just look good? We decided to start submitting our
different items to some harsh testing. We especially focused on the hardened
leather items. We
began with a
quick video of one of our "cuirbouille" shoulder cops
standing up to a two handed overhead blow with a 6
foot 2X4.
We then tested the
combination of both 7/8 oz leather and 13/15 oz
leather with butted steel chainmail and riveted steel
chainmail.
This is the test with
butted mail. It is obvious that against a decent
piercing blow that the chain offered little if any help.
The
same test performed with riveted mail. We had the same
result with 7/8 oz and 13/15 oz leather. About 1/16" of
the dagger was all that could get through.
Next
up is the Italian molded elbows we craft for our 15Th
Century Italian Arms. The elbow is molded using
our traditional cuirbouille method. they take a
couple of hefty whacks with an 8 foot 2X4 with no
noticeable damage.
This is same elbow
deflecting sword blows. Notice how even when the elbow
does not turn with the blade the rounded shape causes
deflection. A small scrape is all it sustained.
Our gorget with the
cuirbouille hardened collar taking some nasty abuse.
Our Late 14th Spaulders/epaulettes
vs. a sword thrust and slash.
