Re: Plate armor thicknesses
This really depends on the sheer strength and hardness of the steel. Steels can vary by a factor of 10 in sheer strength and by a factor of two in hardness. This is one of the reasons why modern plate armor can be so much better than historical plate armor.
In general, historical plate armor is made from soft steel and cushioned by a layer of cloth padding for comfort and safety (which also prevents the sweat of the wearer from corroding the armor). Light plate would probably be 1/8" thick, medium plate 3/16" thick, and heavy plate 1/4" thick. This does not include the thickness of the cloth padding.
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