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Skybird
11-21-11, 05:35 PM
There are several entries to be found on Google and Mythbuster at youtube, but no film on paper armour in action.

Today I saw a German program were they used ancient Chinese scriptures to replicate a body-armour made of paper. Essentially it is paper folded several times, and the poieces you then have get put together like European scaled armour.

http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/hauptnavigation/sendung-verpasst/#/beitrag/video/1493334/Der-Traum-von-der-Unverwundbarkeit

Go to 11:30, before it is just other stuff, and demonstrations of collisions with medieval plate armour. From 11:40 on they demonstrate how the armour is being made, and then tested. After the "fight" between the two stuntmen, they demonstrate the armour on a dummy, against a European (sharp) sword, a Longbow arrow with a Botkin head, and a spear they used against cavallry in those times.

Unbelievable, one needs to see it. The paper armour beats European plate armour hands down. Plus it is cooler and lighter.

I heared of these armours, but thought they were a myth.

"Rock, scissor, paper" maybe should be re-assessed... :)

kraznyi_oktjabr
11-21-11, 05:54 PM
I saw American documentary (or was it British?:hmmm:) where they tested those. Very cool pieces of warfare history, its unfortunate that those armours' design makes sure none are preserved to today.

Skybird
11-21-11, 08:19 PM
But paper and water is no good combo. I wonder what they did when it rained. Oiling or waxing them?

CCIP
11-21-11, 08:22 PM
But paper and water is no good combo. I wonder what they did when it rained. Oiling or waxing them?

Probably! Or perhaps there was a layer of something other than plain paper on top?

I'm impressed with the weight difference - I mean, paper can be heavy. But 3kg vs 28kg - speaks for itself.

TLAM Strike
11-21-11, 09:59 PM
Measure...Countermeasure...
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6224/attachmentrr.jpg

;)

Takeda Shingen
11-21-11, 10:00 PM
Wow, who knew? Great link, Sky! Just had my mind blown.

Torplexed
11-21-11, 11:37 PM
Seems a bit ironic coming from the culture that gave us the term 'paper tiger.' :03:

Skybird
11-22-11, 06:42 AM
Seems a bit ironic coming from the culture that gave us the term 'paper tiger.' :03:

Now when the talking starts about "paper tanks", we are being warned!