Lorica restoration 01

Got a real treat at the shop earlier this year. Someone somehow found an old suit of leather Roman Centurion's armor at a flea market in somewhere United States and brought it to us to restore it to a usable state. We're not sure whether it was used for stage/theatre or fighting but someone put a lot of care into the original piece. Story goes that it was used as a costume in some period film maybe 80 years ago, but no one can find any proof whencewise about it.

Something is rather interesting about it regardless though: the entire molded latigo portions of it are, get this, 18-20 oz. 18-20 oz! You can't buy that practically anywhere these days! Someone waited a long time to kill the cow(s) that suit of armor came from, and Stateside cows usually don't last more than a few years.

To give you an idea, most saddle skirting comes in about the 14-16 oz range and I haven't been able to find anyone who sells anything thicker than that yet.

As far as "armor grade" leather goes, this is the real thing. It may not stop a good blade but I'll warrant it'll come really damn close!