Cardboard Armor

Experimenting with making armor from cardboard. I doubt it's durable enough for LARP but I could use it as templates for EVA foam or leather armor.

Helmet

First up is a flat top helmet. I figured that flat top is the easiest to do.

Here is the inspiration.

Crusader Flat Helm from Medieval Collectibles

Here is my version.

It's a prototype, using tape to keep it together. It needs to be painted.

I think I made it too short. I should try a version that's a little taller. I may also add faux chain to it.

Greaves

Kind of cheating - using Velcro straps. Still, it came out good.

Next, I should try a version that extends over the knee.

Cuirass, Pauldron, and Bracer

Sorry about the flash.

The Velcro straps work well for the bracers too!

The slits on the cuirass aren't a feature of the armor. I just so happened to have a bunch of cardboard panels with slits. If I did this design for real, the plates would just be solid.

I am really happy with the pauldron. I wanted something to fit onto the point of my shoulder. I took a flat piece of cardboard, cut out a diagonal wedge at top, then bent the cardboard so that the edges of the diagonal meet. It worked!

Next Steps

In all, the prototypes work. On to the final product.

But the big question is what material to use.

• Leather is an obvious choice for LARP. But it is so expensive!
• Cardboard is cheap but I don't think it will be durable. Perhaps I should try Plastidip on it.
• EVA foam is commonly used for cosplay armor. But will it be durable?

As I write this, I think Plastidip cardboard greaves might be a good test.

A Silly Project

I started messing around with a silly project - cardboard armor!

The Evolution of a "Project"

It started with me thinking about how to do a beginner kit in the cheapest fashion possible.

Part 1 - Basis Garb

I figure that one could do basic garb with a t-shirt, sweatpants, and hiking boots.

Here is an AI generated example.

Part 2 - Enhancements

Then I got to thinking about how to enhance the above kit. 

The simplest idea is to add a tabard.

Also, how about some armor? But I want to keep things cheap. Which leads me to ...

Cardboard Armor
I've been researching cardboard armor and found some very intriguing sites.

On YouTube, Mark's Workshop has some good videos, like this brigandine.

Some more ideas. I will add more as I find them.

• Greathelm
• A spangenhelm with faceplate - nice design!
• Another helmet
• Black Raven Academy "Legio" cuirass and pauldrons.
• Fantasy knight armor
• Skill Tree EVA foam bracers

Honestly, I don't know if I can make cardboard armor resilient enough for LARP. Perhaps if I plastidip it? But even if it doesn't work, I can use the patterns for leather armor.

The Simplest Armor?

I'm pondering what the simplest armor would be.

• Greaves and bracers should be pretty simple. Probably not going to bother with bracers; I recommend people get gloves instead.
• Helmet? Probably a flat top design, although I recommend open-face.
• Body? The brig seems like a lot of work. What would be easier?