Armour Flexibility

[Dan Howard]

A few layers of quilted cloth will stop a sword cut so there is nothing special about mail or segmentata doing the same. Properly riveted mail will stop any stab that can be delivered by a hand weapon. You'd need a heavy bow at close range to pierce most types of mail. Segmentata provides better resistance to percussion weapons and blunt trauma though the susceptibility of mail to this seems to have been overrated. Mail covers a lot more of the body than segmentata; if you want protection on the armpit, stomach, groin, etc then segmentata is no use at all. Mail is heavier, but you'd expect it to be since it covers more of the body. Properly fitted segmentata doesn't hinder movement much but mail is the most flexible metallic armour ever invented.