SCA Heavy Combat Body Armor

My current SCA armor covers the minimum requirements, which is fine for single combat tournaments.  However, during melees, where things get a bit more amped up, I'd prefer to have more protection for my sternum, ribs and spine.  My current setup of sandwich armor (fat) and the two kidney plates hidden in my lendenier belt leaves a little to be desired.  However, given that melees tend to happen during the summer, and heat is a major factor for me, several different form factors for body armor have been too hot for me.  

I was looking at making a Japanese style body armor of laced plates of abs plastic, thinking that the plastic armor would probably be cooler than my past leather lamellar, or my heavy padded gambeson that I tried out.  Given that I currently have a 14th century Norwegian kit, a coat of plates would be period correct, but the construction method for a coat of plates adds more layers of materials and holds in more heat. Any body armor I will wear will be hidden underneath my surcoat.

While delving into Japanese armor, I came across a method for a soft armor or folding armor that was worn under the main hard armor.  I've stumbled across two main styles, looks like it is called either a kikko vest, or a manchira depending upon the style and construction. 

The basics of it though, is a vest or mantle with little armor pieces sewn in between the layers of fabric.  Based upon the design, this armor was meant to cover the areas left exposed by the main armor, namely, the ribs and armpit area, the neck and shoulders and the top bit of the spine.

With minimal coverage of the body, I think I can adapt this design to provide me with a solution to cover my sternum, my ribs, and my cervical spine while keeping additional layers of armor or clothing to a minimum.  My goal is not to make an exact replica of the Japanese manchira, but rather to take their design and make my own bastardized protection that will hopefully add protection with minimal bulk through the use of small plates over a minimal padded garment. Anyways, I figured I'd try and document this to see how it works for me and maybe it will help someone else or it will provide an answer showing that this idea doesn't work. 

For this project, I'll be recycling an padded linen gambeson that I purchased from the Ukraine and found to be too heavily padded. 

I'll take this gambeson, and basically tailor down into a vest that reaches only to my navel. I'll change the closure method from buttons to basic ties.  Once that is done I plan to take some 1/8 inch abs plastic that I have and make small plates that I will stitch on top of the vest (instead of inside it, as that would require me to separate all the quilting of the existing garment).  While I like the look of the hexagon plates used in the Japanese armor examples, I may just make small square plates for ease of construction (or I may go extra...we'll see).  

At the end of the project, I hope to be able have a protective piece of hidden armor that doesn't hinder mobility, doesn't cause me to overheat (fingers crossed) and provides just a bit more protection than no armor with minimal weight increase to my existing kit. Once I've completed this project, I'll update with pictures and results once tested in a proper melee. My goal is to have this completed by November 20th for 100 Minutes War, but that may be too quick of a timeline, we shall see.  

Thanks for listening and feel free to hit me up with any questions!

In service to the dream,

Torstein Hartviksson