# Chain Mail T-Shirt against Knives?



## Msby (Jul 25, 2009)

I was browsing Thinkgeek.com when I stumbled on this...
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/miscellaneous/9080/





Would anyone trust this to give them some extra protection against knife attacks to the body?

Just a thought...


----------



## CuongNhuka (Jul 25, 2009)

Chain mail works best against a slashing weapon. So, it would protect against a cut, but little else. Historicly speaking, they would stop arrows (depending on the shape of the head and the range), swods, and the padding underneith may have helped with a blunt weapon.

But in short, no I would not trust my life to a chain mail shirt. You're better off practicing knife defense. Cheaper, just as effective, and it's not heavy.


----------



## Mike Hamer (Jul 25, 2009)

I would imagine that it might help you a little bit, but as stated above.....I would not trust my life to it.


----------



## Carol (Jul 25, 2009)

All that weight and downward pressure on the breasts?  No way.  My weight vest has a much better design.


----------



## sgtmac_46 (Jul 25, 2009)

Msby said:


> I was browsing Thinkgeek.com when I stumbled on this...
> http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/miscellaneous/9080/
> 
> 
> ...



Much like bullet body armor, it certainly wouldn't hurt to cover your torso if you're going in to harms way.........the best answer is avoidance and effective tactics, but such counter-measures as body armor are a good supplement to good tactics.


----------



## Andy Moynihan (Jul 25, 2009)

Slashes, yes, thrusts/blunt trauma, no.


----------



## MA-Caver (Jul 25, 2009)

What everybody else said.


----------



## arnisador (Jul 25, 2009)

Andy Moynihan said:


> Slashes, yes, thrusts/blunt trauma, no.



Yes, a stab would likely still get through--at least enough to cause real damage.


----------



## Msby (Jul 25, 2009)

I guess $200 for something that just LOOKS kinda cool just isn't worth it eh? 
Thanks for the input everyone.  Don't worry, I wasn't considering testing this out :lol:


----------



## jarrod (Jul 25, 2009)

i think it would primarily help with picking up chicks at the renaissance festival.  

jf


----------



## Big Don (Jul 25, 2009)

Why would you want something so uncomfortable looking?


----------



## Carol (Jul 25, 2009)

Big Don said:


> Why would you want something so uncomfortable looking?



LARPers walk among us, my friend...


----------



## Big Don (Jul 25, 2009)

Carol Kaur said:


> LARPers walk among us, my friend...


It isn't nice to make fun of the virgins. We may need to sacrifice them to the volcano.


----------



## Deaf Smith (Jul 25, 2009)

Heavy denim blue jean material works well on knife slashes as long as it's not a large bowie, Khukuri, or such.

TurtleSkin makes an anti-stab vest for concealment.

http://www.turtleskin.com/Body-Armor.aspx

Here is another company:

http://www.firstdefense.com/

And info on how knifes penitrate:

http://www.firstdefense.com/html/St...est_Police_Law_Enforcement_PoliceSupplies.htm

And if you really want to stop such as clubs, I suggest investigating motorcross racing armor. 

Deaf


----------



## still learning (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello, A few weeks ago on the News....There is a company that makes bullet proof clothes.

shirts, jackets and suits, and so on....thousands of dollars for these "dressers" out fits.....for CEO's type of people.

Makes sense..if you need them?  .....Makes sense for our Troops!

Pants, shirts, underwares?  that is bullet proof...NOT sure why Congress make these available for our troops on the front lines?

...Oh....sorry...congress man need them more?  ...black, whites, and blues colors with ties....suits......our soldiers on the front lines do not wear suits?     off course $$$$ is the reason for NOT!

Imagine if you got the money?  ....all your clothes can be desiger made and bullet proof.....to fit you!  NOT sure of name of the company!

Aloha,   ( still using coconuts for armor) ....


----------



## CoryKS (Jul 28, 2009)

jarrod said:


> i think it would primarily help with picking up chicks at the renaissance festival.
> 
> jf


 
And nowhere else.


----------



## jarrod (Jul 28, 2009)

how about a danzig concert?


----------



## frank raud (Jul 29, 2009)

Msby said:


> I was browsing Thinkgeek.com when I stumbled on this...
> http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/miscellaneous/9080/
> 
> 
> ...


 
At 12 pounds, that's a lot of weight to carry around, particularily as most of us are not attacked by knife weilding maniacs on a daily basis. Of course, the one day you leave it at home, is the one day you need it.


----------



## CoryKS (Jul 29, 2009)

jarrod said:


> how about a danzig concert?


 
You might get away with it at Danzig or GWAR.


----------



## Gaius Julius Caesar (Jul 29, 2009)

jarrod said:


> how about a danzig concert?


 
Before I saw your post I was going to say "Unless your Titus Pollo or Glen Danzig you might not survive the ridicule you would get donning that shirt."


----------



## Em MacIntosh (Jul 30, 2009)

It takes a lot of force to drive a blade through mail.  The blades aren't sharp enough to cut the material so what would _break_ it is blunt force.  When you consider a bullet from a gun doesn't have much more force than a human punch but it's focused much smaller than a fist and can cut through flesh with relative ease, getting stabbed in the gut hard enough might end up pushing the chainmail into your flesh.  It turns a knife into a narrow, but blunt object.  I think it would definitely up your torso's chances of not getting cut.


----------



## frank raud (Jul 30, 2009)

Em MacIntosh said:


> When you consider a bullet from a gun doesn't have much more force than a human punch but it's focused much smaller than a fist and can cut through flesh with relative ease, getting stabbed in the gut hard enough might end up pushing the chainmail into your flesh.


Do you have some numbers to back up your statement that a bullet doesn't have much more force than a punch?


----------



## arnisador (Jul 30, 2009)

It doesn't necessarily have to go through the mail to injure--just like someone shot while wearing a bulletproof vest may well take some broken ribs.


----------



## Andy Moynihan (Jul 30, 2009)

Em MacIntosh said:


> When you consider a bullet from a gun doesn't have much more force than a human punch.


 
YEAH! RIGHT! I WISH my fists could travel at 1400 feet per second( speed of an average factory .40 cal load). 

That'd be so sweet! My fists would make those cool mini sonic boom effects every time I swung! EVEN IF I MISSED! 

(That's of course assuming my carpals/metacarpals/wrist/forearm weren't immediately POWDERED on impact at that speed but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't do his consciousness no good either.....)


----------



## Deaf Smith (Jul 30, 2009)

I want everyone here to remember that there is no such thing as a true 'bullet proof vest'. Nor 'knife proof'. With enough velocity or hard bullet construction, any vest can be penitrated. The same goes for knives. Tantos are made to go through armor! 

And did you guys know bullet proof vest won't stop a broadhead arrow? Yes even those designed to stop knives won't stop an arrow! Especially from a crossbow! Goes through both sides of a vest.

Bullet/knife resistant armor has it's place, but don't get to smug wearing it thinking it makes you a tank. You still have lots of exposed vital areas and there are weapons that will defeat the armor.

Deaf


----------



## FearlessFreep (Aug 3, 2009)

Deaf Smith said:


> I want everyone here to remember that there is no such thing as a true 'bullet proof vest'. Nor 'knife proof'. With enough velocity or hard bullet construction, any vest can be penitrated. The same goes for knives. Tantos are made to go through armor!
> 
> And did you guys know bullet proof vest won't stop a broadhead arrow? Yes even those designed to stop knives won't stop an arrow! Especially from a crossbow! Goes through both sides of a vest.
> 
> ...



I would hope no one would think that it would stop the shot.  " I have chain mail armor so I don't care if the guy slashes/stabs at me because I'm knife proof"  but it could be useful as the last line of defense after situational awareness, avoidance, and other countering techniques.


----------



## Em MacIntosh (Aug 5, 2009)

frank raud said:


> Do you have some numbers to back up your statement that a bullet doesn't have much more force than a punch?


An excellent punch from a 200lb man can carry around 500 f. lbs of force (I'm not quite sure on that one though, better to check for yourself than to take my word for it but I'm not far off), a 9mm parabellum carries less than 400. A .357 magnum carries 640 f. lbs of force.

However a human would be hard pressed to exert over _30,000 PSI _on a target area_._
It's the focus.


----------



## Em MacIntosh (Aug 5, 2009)

Andy Moynihan said:


> YEAH! RIGHT! I WISH my fists could travel at 1400 feet per second( speed of an average factory .40 cal load).
> 
> That'd be so sweet! My fists would make those cool mini sonic boom effects every time I swung! EVEN IF I MISSED!
> 
> (That's of course assuming my carpals/metacarpals/wrist/forearm weren't immediately POWDERED on impact at that speed but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't do his consciousness no good either.....)


If your fist was the size of a bullet (and made of the same material), weighing as much as you do, how far could you punch it into somebody? I used the word force in regards to the energy released on impact.  Perhaps I misunderstand the word force. Would be pretty cool to have sonic booms though (of course accellerating your hand to that speed within the range of a punch would deglove it.) It's kinda like apples and oranges though. If a bullet goes through you you don't absorb all the kinetic energy.


----------



## Daniel Sullivan (Aug 5, 2009)

Msby said:


> I was browsing Thinkgeek.com when I stumbled on this...
> http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/miscellaneous/9080/
> 
> 
> ...


Watch Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then you will see that the guy in the chain mail shirt gets killed and that the best defense against knives and guns is to bulk up and go shirtless! 

Daniel


----------



## angrywhitepajamas (Aug 4, 2010)

I have to admit these things do work within their specialty.  My friend wears the long sleeve chain shirt when we spar. so far the major downside is not the protection offered by the mail, but the heavy metal poisoning he contracted while using the armor without padding.


----------



## Big Don (Aug 4, 2010)

Daniel Sullivan said:


> Watch Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then you will see that the guy in the chain mail shirt gets killed and that the best defense against knives and guns is to bulk up and go shirtless!
> 
> Daniel


With a thrust! Just as many here opined. 
Now, you're blowing off some steam, Bennett...


----------



## Carol (Aug 4, 2010)

My state does not require motorcyclists to wear protective gear, yet when I was on I-95 today, I saw a motorcyclist in a leather jacket, zipped up to his chin.  In the 90 degree heat.  Why?  Leather jackets aren't perfect, but they are proven garments.  Bikers have been wearing them for decades to protect themselves from all kinds of injuries should the laws of physics work against them.  

If you really want some kind of protection against a knife attack, get a good leather jacket.  Wear it zipped up to your chin.   Sometimes you don't need to re-invent the wheel. 

If you need something that will offer you genuine protection without defensive skills....don't waste your money on clothing.  Invest it on a move to a better neighborhood.


----------



## sgtmac_46 (Aug 5, 2010)

Msby said:


> I was browsing Thinkgeek.com when I stumbled on this...
> http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/miscellaneous/9080/
> 
> 
> ...


 
Put a helmet on, and you're ready for the SCA!


----------



## ap Oweyn (Aug 5, 2010)

It's from "thinkgeek.com"

Odds are decent that the geek appeal is higher than the actual efficacy of it.  And I say this as a card-carrying, RPG-playing, Doctor Who-watching nerd.

What are you _doing_ of a weekend that you need to armour up?!  And I thought the kenpo teacher who insisted on wearing a cup every time he went into Baltimore was overdoing it. 


Stuart


----------



## Scott T (Aug 7, 2010)

arnisador said:


> Yes, a stab would likely still get through--at least enough to cause real damage.


 Unlikely, but possible depending on the strength of the guy wielding the knife. I was working as a bouncer at one of the bars on Vancouver's Main Street (near Chinatown) and one of those things prevented me from getting punctured. The impact hurt like hell and it bent a few of the rings, but the blade didn't go through. Sported a nice bruise for a while too.


----------



## jks9199 (Aug 7, 2010)

ap Oweyn said:


> It's from "thinkgeek.com"
> 
> Odds are decent that the geek appeal is higher than the actual efficacy of it.  And I say this as a card-carrying, RPG-playing, Doctor Who-watching nerd.
> 
> ...


I don't know... depending on where you're going in Baltimore (or DC, for that matter), maybe it's a smart thing to wear a cup.  And chainmail.  And definitely Kevlar.


----------



## BloodMoney (Aug 16, 2010)

Mail is pretty hardcore, a lot moreso than people think. Mail will definitely stop most slashes and some stabs. An ice pick or similar is pretty hard to stop, but most "stab-proof" vests cant stop something that thin either. Mail was more effective against arrows than most armour too, and once again more effective than many believe. Tightly woven "modern" chainmail (as used in gauntlets for butchers etc) is pretty hardcore, we sell it at work (I sell knives for a living  ). Youd be hard pressed to stab through that stuff, let alone slash, and your attacker better be very strong or an Escrimador or something, your average person isnt going to be able to do it.

As has been said though, highly impractical for normal everyday wearing. Your better off with a leather jacket or knife resistant civilian clothing (they make hoodies and stuff out of kevlar weave now days).

So yeah, not very useful, but damned if chainmail isnt some of the best armour ever devised, what it will stop and how much it protects you would surprise a lot of people I reckon


----------



## xXStretcHXx (Aug 21, 2017)

I made a account because the stupidity of page 1 made me angry.... A real chain mail vest will protect you from just about anything, unless you were being stabbed with a good spear you can count on the chainmail saving your life, of course nothing is 100% but chainmail protected people from swords, i think it will protect you from a $5 beer can knife....

If you watch history channel entertainment shows or play video games and thing you can just stab or cut someone with real chainmail I will personally where mine and take the stab/cut(as I have before)  lol 

The chainmail on the wbsite is probably **** tho


----------



## JR 137 (Aug 22, 2017)

An old thread, but somehow I read it and felt like adding my 2 cents...

I guess it all depends on the quality of the chain mail.  I saw a show on I think it was the Discovery Channel where they were testing it against shark bites. Guys were putting bait in their sleeves and the sharks were trying to get it.  They got a few very small and superficial puncture wounds through it, but nothing major.  They were bruised up from the crushing force and it looked like they could've dislocated a shoulder or elbow from the sharks' pulling, but they were pretty well protected from getting their arms cut off.  

If it's effective against shark bites, I'm assuming it'll be effective against a knife stab.  Not a painless type of protection, but probably enough to keep a knife from going deep enough into your body.

All dependent on the quality of materials and construction, obviously.  And probably on the fit as well.


----------



## Tez3 (Aug 22, 2017)

or you could just wear stab resistant clothing designed for the job. High Quality Stab Resistant Vests & Stab Vest. Top UK Supplier of Stabvests


----------



## lklawson (Aug 22, 2017)

xXStretcHXx said:


> I made a account because the stupidity of page 1 made me angry....


Feh.  Most of the "information" and opinions about Maille are still wrong.



> A real chain mail vest will protect you from just about anything,


Tell that to the mass graves at Wisby.



> unless you were being stabbed with a good spear you can count on the chainmail saving your life, of course nothing is 100% but chainmail protected people from swords, i think it will protect you from a $5 beer can knife....


Properly constructed Maille can offer pretty good protection against slashes and thrusts.  By "properly constructed" I mean "riveted" not "butted."  But even then, historically speaking, Maille was often damaged, failed, or needed repaired.  And no one wore Maille without a specific undergarment beneath it to act as protection from the chafing of the Maille itself, to absorb impacts from blows that were stopped or turned, and (along with an over-garment as well) to keep the sun from turning your armor into an oven.



> If you watch history channel entertainment shows or play video games and thing you can just stab or cut someone with real chainmail I will personally where mine and take the stab/cut(as I have before)  lol
> 
> The chainmail on the wbsite is probably **** tho


Feh.  I'm still wondering why you're calling it "chainmail."

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------

