How Reliable Are Stab Vests?

A lot of security professionals have either purchased or been issued with stab vests, but how reliable are they?

I think a good starting point is to highlight that no stab vests are completely ‘impenetrable’. This is the main reasons why most manufacturers refer to their products are ‘stab resistant vests’ or ‘stab resistant body armour’.

Every body armour, regardless of bullet or stab resistant or a combination of, can be defeated. How??The level of performance or indeed protection is simply subject to the type of edged weapon it is being subjected to (i.e. standard kitchen knife, combat knife, machete, meat cleaver, broken bottles etc.) the speed of the assault, and the angle the knife is heading your way.

Stab vests are made from a variety of materials, such as aramid fibres (i.e. Kevlar?), polycarbonate or if you really want to be on the safe side, carbon-fibre.

Now you need to understand that fine differences can indeed make the difference of you coming home safely or not at all. Some body armour manufacturers will make incredible claim, some of which are without any doubt unsustainable. Not being able to ‘read between the lines’ may well make you purchase stab vests, which ultimately will not perform to the level you will believe they do. The consequence of this little ‘misunderstanding’ can be that the wearer of such body armour will be willing to engage in a situation where their body armour will fail, of course, unknowingly to the wearer.

Governments around the world have put extremely sensible ‘safety nets’ in place. They make compulsory that stab vests are being officially tested and subsequently certified, so any body armour manufacturer can verify the claims they are making are indeed true. All certifications should be made easily available to any interested party, so they can make the best and most informative decision.

Stab Vests | Certification

Please note, each performance level must have its dedicated certification. Meaning, CAST KR1 stab vests are certified against this particular single threat: Knives… and knives only!

CAST KR1/SP1 stab vests are however certified against both, knifes and spikes. This means you are well within your rights to ask your supplier or anyone wishing to ‘sell’ you stab vests to present the relevant certification or indeed certifications (plural) in case spike protection is also what you are after.

The following video is demonstrating a scientific test rig as used by many body armour testing facilities around the world:

The very same counts for blunt force, or also called impact protection. Only because a body armour is utilising or incorporating a more rigid material or ‘trauma liner’, it will not make it ‘certified’ and its performance will remain questionable.?To seek clarification, again ask for the certification. There is in fact a dedicated certification available. It is a German body armour standard/certification called VPAM W1-W5.

I am aware of only one stab vests model in the UK that is offering the highest level of blunt force or impact protection W5 (100 Joules of impact energy). The following video gives an indication what level of protection this represents in a ‘real life scenario’:

Whatever type of stab vests you are considering, it is of utmost importance to take great care of it. Such piece of PPE should be inspected on a regular basis for damage, as well as wear and tear. A body armour will only be able to offer you maximum protection if it is in the best condition possible. ?This also means if at any point somebody has attempted to assault you, you should carefully examine your body armour before wearing it again.

In case you have any questions or wish to meet with our Technical Director Col M (27 years with UK Police, Counter Terrorism, Surveillance, Covert Ops and Firearms) please contact us.