Interesting timing... I'm right in the middle of an armor project myself.....
Being of limited means, what I've chosen to do is use a Leaf Chain, cut the heads off the rivets and separate it into separate links.... use mild steel rivets to reattach it to a base layer made from leather welding aprons.... on the back I use a small washer to keep the rivet from pulling thru the leather.... it's kinda hard to explain but look at these images and I think you'll get to smelling what I'm selling....
The leaf chain links are figure 8 shaped so you can offset them... the bulbs of the second row fit in the gaps of the first row and give you almost ideal coverage.... trial and error has taught me to leave a space the thickness of the steel plates between the plates themselves so the armor can bend without binding.... I'm using a leaf chain that has 2 inches of space between rivets and covers a total area 2.5 inches tall by 1.5 inch wide each..... its officially a 1646 chain, 16 is a measure in 8ths so 16 = 2 inches between rivet holes 46 means it has 4 inner and 6 outter links, so I get 10 individual links per rivet cut.... I just grind em down with my angle grinder and tap em out with a nail set.
it SHOULD be as good as any to stop live blades, and with padding underneath will damn sure stop training blades...
anywho.... this is the style chain I'm using
and the welding aprons look something like this, with the pockets removed..... I used 2, and sewed them together to add the correct coverage across the shoulders and arms... sewing was done with leather boot laces and a really big needle after punching the correct holes. Slit between legs and stop about 6 inches below crotch, it hangs 2 inches above the knee....the second one covers back, shoulders and arms .....I have a smaller link chain to use on the arms and to trim out around the edges..... I'll post pics once I get it a bit closer to done.
I'll have about 200.00 in the project once I get it done, but for the quality of armor it's going to end up being, I don't think I could buy anything close to that for that amount....besides I like fiddleing with stuff like this.... and with the overlapping figure 8 shape leaving no straight gap more than perhaps 1/8th inch, I honestly don't think you'd be able to get an arrow thru it even if you hit it on a leather spot between the plates because of the way the seam lines ripple.... maybe an ice pick, but no sword axe arrow or dagger/knife I've ever seen will penetrate it.
Had it not added so much weight, I was originally going to use a chest and back plate made from a thick 55 gallon plastic drum.... I've seen em trace out your body shape on it, cut it out with a jig saw.... build a form about 2ft by 3ft, lay down a layer of playground sand which you can get at any home improvement store for about 2.00 a bag.... lay down in the sand to create an impression of your chest.....lay the plastic over the form and hit it with a heat gun till it sags into the form and takes on your rough body shape.... use the rivets to attach the steel plates to the plastic backer....add padding inside and cover that with heavy cloth....hinge it at the shoulders like an old Roman Breastplate with a garage sale leather belt and cinch it tight about the waist with leather straps ( dog collars ) on each side and you are in business.... ridged, good protection verse cut slash or pierce....I may yet make another headed that route.... but I wanted to do this one first just to see how it all came together.....
) The historical and current designs and shapes for armor are endless, and any useful or interesting detail could be incorporated into the first models.
