The History of the Bullet Proof Vest

How did the bullet proof vest develop? When did people start using the bullet proof vest? Below is a short history of the bullet proof vest and the changes that is has undergone.

Throughout the early times, weapons such as knives, arrow, stone axes, spear and other sharpened objects were an important tool for humans. They are used for cutting, for catching animals in order to have food and mainly to protect themselves from enemies. Having weapons to use is not enough. There should also be protective garments that people may use to protect themselves from injuries caused by combats and dangerous situations. The early protective clothing used by humans was made from animal skins. Later on, wooden shields and armors made of metals emerged. Metal body armors were popular in the Middle Ages as there were being used by knights and royal guards.

During the 1500, the firearms and gunpowder were invented. The invention of these weapons rendered the early body armors invalid and ineffective. At that time the only reliable real protection were stone walls, large rocks and trees. People have invented various body armors that can be effective in defying firearms. The use of soft body armor started in Medieval Japanese with the use of silk as the main material for the body armor. But because of the high cost of silk, this kind of body armor was unacceptable.

The succeeding bullet proof invented was the bulletproof vest “flak jacket” used during World War II. This flak jacket was made of nylon and but only provided protection from fragments. It was worthless against most pistol and rifle threats. The greatest development made on the bullet proof vest was upon the discovery of Kevlar by DuPont Company. This Kevlar material started the use of soft body armor which was not only effective in defying projectile threats but was also lightweight and comfortable to use and wear.