Re[2]: MR:REQ:Rapier legal garb

["Chuck Graves" <chuck_graves@mail.hq.faa.gov>]

Poster: "Chuck Graves" <chuck_graves@mail.hq.faa.gov>

>...Other materials need fewer layers (heavy cotton duck works with two), or 
>more (you'll get to about 15 layers of silk before you run out of money and 
>still not have acceptable armor).

The latter comment is interesting since silk is considered the hardest 
natural fiber known to man. Out of curiosity, Robert, have you ever performed 
the punch test using a tight-knit silk scarf? I know of a historical 
reference (quite out of period) where a gentleman was killed by a gunshot 
wound. When the surgeon examined the man, he was able to extract the wound 
(to the heart, by the way) by pulling the gentleman's silk scarf back out. 
The bullet was completely surrounded by the silk and the cloth was fully 
intact. 

On the other hand, the scarf did nothing to impede the bullet's progress. But 
perhaps we should look at our standards in terms of mass or deformability. 
(Still love to see the punch test on the silk scarf though.)

Just a thought,
Tadhg

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