The Armour Archive

I was shopping for an aluminum baseball bat (for my son, not a mace) and saw a display for EvoShield gel-to-shell "pads".
http://www.evoshield.com/

This is some kinda oxygen sensitive gel that solidifies after you open it. The baseball display had an interesting thumb guard, a "rearbrace", a chest protector, and a wrist guard that looked a bit to short to be a good vambrace.... but it looked like interesting stuff.

Website has non-baseball stuff, too, but I didn't comb it thoroughly.

- anyone try it?
- anyone know how hard it would be to get the gel-to-shell stuff directly?

That looks like it would be awesome low profile gear. I wonder how hard it gets. Almost worth getting the thigh pads to test for fun...





Marcus

Seems like 1/8" or 3/16" kydex level hard from feeling it. The strapping is nice too. I bet the soccer shin guards would work as vambraces if you could get the length right.

Good thing I saw this thread on my lunch break.
There is a shooter's recoil pad on the site that looks like it could easily be purposed into low-profile shoulder protection.

I called and talked to their Sales Guy.

The material is a medical resin that hardens after you take it out of the foil bag-- he says he's taken an aluminum baseball bat to the ribs in the rib compression shirt after the stuff hardened and not really felt anything.

For chest and kidney protection, the lacrosse chest protector/shirt has two plates in the back, plus the sternum coverage in the front.

They have custom tailoring available for a slightly higher price (custom@evoshield.com) that'll place the pads wherever (so they might be willing to put a forearm pad on the lacrosse sleeves, or whatnot).

Talked to a few guys at practice last night and they are really interested in the above elbow rearbrace.

We had just been talking about the medical resin casts they sometimes use now ...but it was (like all medical supplies) outrageously overpriced -- like $200 for a vambrace.

The EvoShield Protective Batter’s Elbow Guard looks like i could make a nice low-profile rerebrace....just mold it up a little hihger on the upper arm.

Hey Saritor,

Did you ask if they would custom design stuff? I'm curious if they would be willing to make a gorget kit.

Sir Wilhelm vonOstenbruke wrote:Did you ask if they would custom design stuff? I'm curious if they would be willing to make a gorget kit.

I didn't think to ask about it...he caught me in the middle of riding the (mountain) bike, so it was only maybe ten-fifteen minutes. I was trying to figure out how to ask them if they could put a second pocket on the batter compression sleeve to make it viable forearm protection as well as a rerebrace.

You can email the email address above, and they'd probably try and figure out something that would work. I think the only part that might give them pause is that they work a lot with compression materials and might have to think twice about compression material that's deisgned for your neck.

I'm going to try the soccer shins for a vambrace.
I'll let you guys know how it works.
I figure I'll cover them with some thin leather and attach to my elbows.

Does it actually absorb impact like the zoombang or does it just make a solid plastic plate that's custom fit/

Saritor: let me know if they figure that out. I wouldn't mind a set myself. I've been looking for something called "batter's arms" but never found them.

blackbow

Saritor wrote:

Sir Wilhelm vonOstenbruke wrote:Did you ask if they would custom design stuff? I'm curious if they would be willing to make a gorget kit.

I didn't think to ask about it...he caught me in the middle of riding the (mountain) bike, so it was only maybe ten-fifteen minutes. I was trying to figure out how to ask them if they could put a second pocket on the batter compression sleeve to make it viable forearm protection as well as a rerebrace.

You can email the email address above, and they'd probably try and figure out something that would work. I think the only part that might give them pause is that they work a lot with compression materials and might have to think twice about compression material that's deisgned for your neck.

Sir Omarad wrote:Does it actually absorb impact like the zoombang or does it just make a solid plastic plate that's custom fit/

The latter -- it's a medical resin that form-fits and hardens once you've exposed it to oxygen. Rip open the packet. fit it in the compression sleeve (or whatever appli9cable pocket) and wear it while it hardens up. Should be pretty much like plastic. Didn't think to ask about performance in cold weather, though.

Sent an email double-checking kidney coverage on the back plates for the chest and back guard, and asking if it were possible to create some unholy union of the full compression sleeve, the lacrosse triceps guard and a shin guard esque pocket for forearm coverage.

While I was there, I also asked if they'd thought about branching in to compression shorts with evoshield pockets, with the added bonus of better coverage in the hockey and roller-blading communities, as well as opening us up as a new market.

I'm interested, as well..being a skinny sort, this might give coverage in some area's I can't quite get formed.

Has anyone gone anywhere with this? I am thinking about dropping the cash to work with leg protection, but was waiting to see the results of other trials...




Marcus

See their reply here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=147423

I was hoping someone had used one in combat. I'd like to find out how they hold up to a hit, and if it needs padding or anything.




Marcus

marcus the pale wrote:I was hoping someone had used one in combat. I'd like to find out how they hold up to a hit, and if it needs padding or anything.

I haven't picked anything up from them yet, but the resin "plates" are designed to take hits from baseballs at pretty serious speed. Not sure how that compares to the force generated at the end of a piece of unpadded rattan, though.

I'm waiting to see what they can do for modifying the shorts for armor. (larger/extra plates)

Awesome, can't wait to see the result.





Marcus