https://www.bodyarmornews.com/ancient-composite-armor-ii-chinese-paper-armor/
> The first recorded mention of paper armor comes from the Northern Wei dynasty, in 501 AD, when an army besieged within a walled town turned the books within that fortress-town into armor scales for ad hoc armor plates. They were nevertheless defeated.
> A later and unambiguous account comes from the mid 9th century, during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. Imperial official Xu Shang was appointed military governor of Hezhong – a southwestern border province – and in one of his first acts assembled a standing army of a thousand soldiers to defend against the Göktürks (Tujue) who had not yet submitted to imperial rule. That one thousand man army was outfitted in “armor made from folded paper.”
> Paper armor turns up fairly frequently in later accounts. It was used by the military – who called it “white armor,” and who had by the 13th century set up dedicated manufacturing and inspection facilities for its production – and it was also the armor of choice for bandits, pirates, and peasants in rebellion, likely on account of its lower cost in comparison with metal and leather armor.
Kaikeno on
I mean as long as it doesn’t rain it’s not too shabby on a budget
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https://www.bodyarmornews.com/ancient-composite-armor-ii-chinese-paper-armor/
> The first recorded mention of paper armor comes from the Northern Wei dynasty, in 501 AD, when an army besieged within a walled town turned the books within that fortress-town into armor scales for ad hoc armor plates. They were nevertheless defeated.
> A later and unambiguous account comes from the mid 9th century, during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. Imperial official Xu Shang was appointed military governor of Hezhong – a southwestern border province – and in one of his first acts assembled a standing army of a thousand soldiers to defend against the Göktürks (Tujue) who had not yet submitted to imperial rule. That one thousand man army was outfitted in “armor made from folded paper.”
> Paper armor turns up fairly frequently in later accounts. It was used by the military – who called it “white armor,” and who had by the 13th century set up dedicated manufacturing and inspection facilities for its production – and it was also the armor of choice for bandits, pirates, and peasants in rebellion, likely on account of its lower cost in comparison with metal and leather armor.
I mean as long as it doesn’t rain it’s not too shabby on a budget