The proofing of armour is testing
armour for its defensive ability, most commonly the historical testing of
plate armour and
mail (armour). In the early Middle Ages, armour would be classified by the blows it could withstand, being certified as proof against
swords,
axe
An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...
s, and
arrows. As firearms emerged as battlefield weapons, armour would be tested against them, as well, from which came the modern term "bulletproof".
In Japan the testing of armor by arrow or a musket ball is called ''tameshi'' with the tested armor being called ''tameshi gusoku''. Helmet and chest armors were tested and many examples of these armors showing the bullet test marks still exist. In the 14th century, Japanese individual scale armor pieces were said to have been tested by arrows before being assembled into an armor.
''Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan''
Authors Oscar Ratti, Adele Westbrook, Publisher Tuttle Publishing, 1991, P.188
References
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Western plate armour
Medieval armour
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