[VajraSupremus]

Am I the only one who finds it to be a step-back to have Kevlar armor for SWAT in a world of Monofil fabric, Organoweave silks, and even ceramic-titanium plates?

[All4BigGuns]

Not really considering that police departments are private corporations and kevlar is cheaper than those things. (One reason to become a Runner, better pay and hence better ability to get better stuff to keep your arse alive)

[VajraSupremus]

I figured as much. I'm sure you see Kevlar in large quantities in the Barrens, also.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

Is it modern day kevlar or a superior futuretech?  The kevlar threading is an improvement to armored clothing, so kevlar itself is being used in some innovative and superior ways.

[CanRay]

Shadowrun!Kevlar is probably a product improvement on IRL!Kevlar as well.

Then again, Shadowrun!Bullets are probably an improvement on IRL!Bellets too, so it evens out. 

[VajraSupremus]

What Canray said.

Honestly though a large swath of Arsenal felt so antiquated. Like a Cyberpunk2020 book. I was half expecting to see a combat cybermodem and a coupon for Kibbles(tm).

[DamienHollow]

Odds are they still use Kevlar as at least part of their armor.  Single sheet of the stuff can do some pretty amazing things. As I like to point out, for Kevlar, the question isn't always "can it stop the bullet" but can it do so in a short enough distance not to kill you through blunt trauma. Same reason that I doubt anyone seriously considers spider silk as a component in armor, it tends to stretch, A lot.

[JoeNapalm]

Odds are they still use Kevlar as at least part of their armor.  Single sheet of the stuff can do some pretty amazing things. As I like to point out, for Kevlar, the question isn't always "can it stop the bullet" but can it do so in a short enough distance not to kill you through blunt trauma. Same reason that I doubt anyone seriously considers spider silk as a component in armor, it tends to stretch, A lot.

There are typically dozens of layers of Kevlar in a bullet-resistant vest.

People have been working for years on spider silk body armor. It is the Holy Grail of bullet-resistant materials. It is many times stronger than Kevlar, they just have to manage to mass produce enough of it.

While some types of spider silk are very stretchy (I've read that a pound of spider silk could stretch around the Equator) I have never heard or read anywhere that it would be anything but awesome for body armor.


-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist

[Mirikon]

If it was made, a synthetic spidersilk suit of body armor would probably include a good deal of padding under the weave. As it would likely be difficult to pierce or slash through it, but wouldn't negate the kinetic energy of the blow, you'd be looking at blunt trauma. With the pads, it would likely mean you're getting some severe bruises, possibly even a cracked rib or internal injuries, but it beats the hell out of being dead. Note, however, that only applies to where the armor and padding cover.

[DamienHollow]

Odds are they still use Kevlar as at least part of their armor.  Single sheet of the stuff can do some pretty amazing things. As I like to point out, for Kevlar, the question isn't always "can it stop the bullet" but can it do so in a short enough distance not to kill you through blunt trauma. Same reason that I doubt anyone seriously considers spider silk as a component in armor, it tends to stretch, A lot.

There are typically dozens of layers of Kevlar in a bullet-resistant vest.

People have been working for years on spider silk body armor. It is the Holy Grail of bullet-resistant materials. It is many times stronger than Kevlar, they just have to manage to mass produce enough of it.

While some types of spider silk are very stretchy (I've read that a pound of spider silk could stretch around the Equator) I have never heard or read anywhere that it would be anything but awesome for body armor.


-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist

Most spider silks can stretch three to five times their length. Their strength is usually comparable to steels but it's their toughness (a result of their ductility)  that makes them of interest. There are other issues as well, such as a habit of shrinking when exposed to water (though i don;t think they stay shrunk after they dry). Only one piece of cloth has been made from spider silk, a golden cape (can't for the life of me remember the details) and I don't think it's been lab tested.

[farothel]

Shadowrun!Kevlar is probably a product improvement on IRL!Kevlar as well.

Then again, Shadowrun!Bullets are probably an improvement on IRL!Bellets too, so it evens out. 

There's two quotes that go well on this:
-In the battle between warhead and armour, warhead always wins
-If you can see it, you can hit it.  If you can hit it, you can kill it.

This also applies to dragon (admitably, the warhead has to be a 'little' bigger). 

I assume there will indeed be advances in Kevlar, and that it's used because it's still cheaper than that new YNF Softweave (or whatever it's called) from war.  You can also add it in regular clothes so they provide some protection and don't look like armour.  And some protection is always better than no protection.

[JoeNapalm]

As it would likely be difficult to pierce or slash through it, but wouldn't negate the kinetic energy of the blow, you'd be looking at blunt trauma.

That is exactly opposite of how body armor works.

Soft body armor doesn't do jack-all vs piercing or slashing. What it does do is distribute blunt trauma.

A knife or arrow will go right through a bullet-resistant vest, by simply cutting the fibers.

A bullet gets caught by the fibers, which disperse the kinetic energy of the round over a much larger area. It doesn't negate the energy - only reactive armor does that. But it spreads the impact out.


-Jn-
City of Brass Expatriate

[CanRay]

Which is why a Trollbow is a valid build in Shadowrun. 

[VajraSupremus]

The spidersilk could be enhanced with a factory designated coating of hydrophobic layering. Just enough to prevent the issue you spoke of, but not enough to otherwise prevent contact-vector chem attacks like the Chemical Resistance mod does.

[CanRay]

*Giggles Wickedly*

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Dikote.