What types of leather produce the most functional armor? For example. when leather armor really was used for armor, was it always cow hide? What about snake leather or crocodile leather or something? Could those types of leather be functional armor as well?
Question about types of leather armor
- Thread starter James Trotta
- Start date
Fynwei
Squire
Cow or bovine animals' leather seems to be the most durable to me so far. Snake skin is extremely soft and thin, so not very protective. In the rules system you'd probably get minimum points for it. Alligator leather is pretty durable, but very expensive. Throughout history, people have used everything from leather to hides, linen, spider silk (quite useful against the original musket), bone, and wood. You can use your imagination really, just understand that not all really cool pieces will be rewarded for the work in armor points (it might be rewarded in respect or role-play opportunities though).
Here's a little info about leather armor: http://www.history-of-armor.com/LeatherArmor.html
Here's a little info about leather armor: http://www.history-of-armor.com/LeatherArmor.html
obcidian_bandit
Count
Oh man, I saw the most epic piece of leather at MacPherson's leather co in Seattle last weekend. Stingray leather. It was awesome. It was ridged. It almost looked beaded. It was like $130 dollars for a square foot. It was excessive. But it was awesome.
Fynwei
Squire
For an example of how expensive alligator hide is, I'll share what I found on the sale price this month for Tandy: $99 for a skin! (retail price $199). For my size, I'd probably need two, I'm a bit tiny though, so that means for most people the bare materials cost upwards of $300 for torso.
I'm not in the market for leather armor - just looking for which types could possibly be functional in real life (not worried about armor points either). These are for possible armor types for fictional characters.
For example someone wearing snakeskin (I know now) would be silly because they wouldn't be well-protected.
So would alligator leather and would stingray leather be strong enough to be useful armor?
For example someone wearing snakeskin (I know now) would be silly because they wouldn't be well-protected.
So would alligator leather and would stingray leather be strong enough to be useful armor?
Fynwei
Squire
Alligator leather, various large four legged animals (yaks, bison, zebras, rhinos, you get the point) leather, and stingray leather were all used by people for armor at some point in history. Cool facts:
Samurai wore stingray leather armor and used it in the handles of their swords.
Until the Rhino became extinct in/migrated away from China, they [rhinos] were hunted for their tough hides for use in armor.
Samurai wore stingray leather armor and used it in the handles of their swords.
Until the Rhino became extinct in/migrated away from China, they [rhinos] were hunted for their tough hides for use in armor.
Thanks! What about shark or whale hide?
Fynwei
Squire
Here's an "alternative" leather in use!
Crocodile Skin Crusader Armor, Displayed in British Museum in London.
Indians used Elephant hide as well as Rhino hide leather for armor.
Shark skins were used by samurai in their sword grips and in their armor.
Whale skins were used in the Chesapeake Bay area before the 1900's for clothing, boots, car hoods, etc. I've heard good and bad things about it, so not sure. For an article, see here (will pop open a pdf download of article) http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=980DE4DD1F30E233A2575BC2A9619C946697D6CF
Moose hide was used by the Tlingit people and was worn as part of their armor until the Russians arrived and their armor proved much less useful. They then used Chinese coins (received by trading with settlers around Boston) to make a sort of coin armor.
Crocodile Skin Crusader Armor, Displayed in British Museum in London.
Indians used Elephant hide as well as Rhino hide leather for armor.
Shark skins were used by samurai in their sword grips and in their armor.
Whale skins were used in the Chesapeake Bay area before the 1900's for clothing, boots, car hoods, etc. I've heard good and bad things about it, so not sure. For an article, see here (will pop open a pdf download of article) http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=980DE4DD1F30E233A2575BC2A9619C946697D6CF
Moose hide was used by the Tlingit people and was worn as part of their armor until the Russians arrived and their armor proved much less useful. They then used Chinese coins (received by trading with settlers around Boston) to make a sort of coin armor.
That's interesting but maybe too much for me for now. I guess as long as something could be cured to become strong armor that's good enough for me. For example I guess no matter how you cure snakeskin there's always a better option for getting strong armor.
Alavatar said:
James Trotta said:
Snakeskin is never going to be decent for armor simply because it is too thin. The way leather is hardened involves either impregnating it with something to stiffen it, as the wax cured armor does, or boiling it to stiffen the fibers of the skin. Here is an article on how to do boiled leather armor well.
I found elk or moose tends to have softer and more supple, but sometimes tougher leather. Tends to run for a bit more, though.
You can find some pretty interesting dyed leather. The deep purple that I'm using to remake my gypsy's physical armor (which is tough enough for SCA heavy combat) looks pretty fly.
The local leather store I go to has a pretty cool web store where he sells... interesting patterns and leathers. You may want to check them out, http://www.leatherwise.com/lw-ebay.htm
You can find some pretty interesting dyed leather. The deep purple that I'm using to remake my gypsy's physical armor (which is tough enough for SCA heavy combat) looks pretty fly.
The local leather store I go to has a pretty cool web store where he sells... interesting patterns and leathers. You may want to check them out, http://www.leatherwise.com/lw-ebay.htm