Leather Cuirass

[Paullus Scipio]

My copy (acquired from the author in 1980 ) contains the following:

Table 4.2 -Dynamic perforation tests in flat plates of annealed bronze, 1mm
Table 4.3 - as above---------------------------------------------, 0.62mm

Table 4.8 - Dynamic perforation tests on leather 5mm; and annealed bronze, 0.5mm, on leather
Table 4.9 - Dynamic perforation tests on 9mm Gaboon plywood, and a canvas military webbing belt.

Blyth never carries out any tests against linen of any sort.

Tables 4.5 and 4.6 are tests against cold-rolled bronze, 1mm and 0.62mm
The gaboon ply is intended to give some idea of shield resistance (the later aspis appears to be a type of ply ) and the canvas web belt is intended to give an idea of textile resistance. The latter was largely a failure, and Blyth comments that " the difficulites....restrict interpretation."

In his conclusions, Blyth says "With regard to the corselet, information is insufficient to say much.We cannot be certain that corselets were spearproof, and they may have been designed primarily to resist a slashing blow, or as a second line of defence. No work was done on slashing."