Thoughts out loud or a bulletproof vest with your own hands. Part 1. / Smoking room / Not Lost

Nowadays, many people in extreme situations prefer body armor, or BZ for short. This device is an element that provides individual protection to its owner. If necessary, you can make a bulletproof vest with your own hands. It is worn like a regular vest and protects the human torso from attacks with bladed weapons and firearms, as well as the damaging elements of some projectiles. The composition includes materials that retain and dissipate the energy of bullets and fragments: ballistic fabric, metal or ceramic plates.

Ease of use

One of the key performance characteristics of a bulletproof vest is its weight, because it has to be worn for quite a long time (up to 24 hours). This creates a serious burden on the musculoskeletal system. The back and some joints are especially affected. Exceeding the established standards will most likely lead to disturbances in the functioning of the joint system - osteochondrosis, scoliosis, displacement of intervertebral discs and other diseases.

To prevent possible problems, manufacturers of passive protective equipment use special materials. Among them are the already mentioned 45X2NMFBA armored steel, aramid fibers (including Kevlar), polymer materials (pressed polyethylene) and composite ceramics. They have sufficient strength and at the same time lower density compared to most materials used in civil industry.

Let’s compare the density of the heaviest material used in industrial products—armored steel—and other metals that are proposed for use by “inventors.”

Bronestal 45Х2НМФВА - no more than 9.13 g/cm2;
Steel 25 - 7.82 g/cm2;
Titan VT22 - 4.6 g/cm2.

As you can see, armored steel really has the largest mass. However, one should not rush to conclusions: to obtain a level of protection comparable to that of 45X2NMFBA, a VT22 titanium plate must be at least 2 times thicker. For steel 25 this ratio is at least 2.5 times. Otherwise, the reliability of the body armor will be insufficient to resist fire damage. It is not for nothing that body armor with titanium plates ceased to be used by the Soviet army back in 1983 - only 4 years after their introduction.

6B2 body armor in service with the Soviet contingent in Afghanistan. The increased mass of the protective product also negatively affects the maneuverability of the user. In an emergency, an extra 200 grams of equipment weight can be fatal. This is why the use of thicker and heavier plates in body armor is impractical.

Price

As a material for making plates of homemade body armor, it is proposed to use, in fact, any sheets of metal that are at hand.
Most often we are talking about steel or, less often, aluminum. Sometimes “inventors” remember that damping material would be useful for protection against impact. Then polyester is also used, which is used for interior decoration. It is proposed to purchase it at the nearest building materials market. The performance characteristics of such an armored panel will, to put it mildly, not be up to par - at best, such a product will be able to prevent a knife wound or a long-range hit with small shot. Of course, you can use the most suitable materials - at a minimum, bullet-resistant steel grade 45Х2НМФВА. Plates made of armored steel can be found on open sale, but the cost of one element, even of protection classes 2 and 3, is only 2-3 times lower than a bulletproof vest of the same category.

Armored steel plates

It must be taken into account that at least two plates are needed. It is also advisable to add to the price of a “homemade product” the cost of damping materials, a fabric shell, aramid collars and shoulder pads, anti-ricochet bags, as well as time and labor costs. Thus, it turns out that the production of a homemade bulletproof vest is comparable in financial costs to the purchase of a new factory product. This nullifies the economic meaning of the entire enterprise.

What is body armor made of?

Before you make a bulletproof vest with your own hands, you need to know what materials you should stock up on in order to make a product at home that will help save a human life in an extreme situation.

The material, when it comes to lightweight and modern models, is usually Kevlar - a high-modulus armid thread, the production of which was first established in the United States. The disadvantage is the high cost of the material and the ability to withstand only the first three classes of protection: pistols and revolvers.

Heavier models are made from steel, titanium and other metals. However, the use of metal has its disadvantages. This is primarily due to an increase in the mass of uniforms, and consequently a decrease in human mobility.

An alternative to metal can be ceramic armor elements. They are lighter than metal, but heavier than fabric. Due to its durability, ceramics are very common in protective clothing. When deciding to make a bulletproof vest with your own hands, you should pay attention to this material, but remember that special tools are required to process it. Among other things, such a body armor can only be used once, since a repeated bullet hit will immediately lead to its complete destruction.

What does social media have to do with it?

Shoplifters are shoplifters. They take out everything they can take from supermarkets, hypermarkets and boutiques. The main difference between shoplifting and the old theft, which has always existed, is the community and activity on social networks. Today, a shoplifter is an entire profession, and the “customer-executor” scheme has been carefully worked out and has managed to begin to acquire its own guarantors - so that neither party cheats. Some shoplifters go to work on a pre-order from a client, while others sell stolen goods after the fact. Typically, stolen items are sold for half their value.

In the Russian-language segment of the Internet you can find hundreds of thematic forums, YouTube channels and, of course, VKontakte groups. The community has entire tutorials from experienced shoplifters: on how to find a blind spot in a supermarket; which goods are easier to steal; how much you can take in order not to fall under the Criminal Code; how to behave if caught; how to create a “bronik” from foil for shoplifting, which blocks magnetic scanners in the store, and much more.

In the same VKontakte communities you can find a performer - someone who will steal something to order for you, and there you can sell the stolen items for half the market price. There, the caring public administration sells the equipment necessary for safe thefts. Community members communicate lively, post photos of stolen items and brag about who has the most stolen items. Exclusive content is especially valued—video recordings of the theft process sent by community members themselves. For the sake of likes and popularity, they don’t even try to hide their faces.

Schoolchildren love to tell stories about how they trolled guards and escaped punishment. Or, on the contrary, post photographs of indictments.

Why haven’t such communities been closed yet, you ask? Groups are regularly blocked by Roskomnadzor by court decisions. But they are revived again and again under such names that an unprepared user will not always understand what’s what. The letters are replaced with similar numbers and symbols - for example, “Shoplnftng taken out spnzdnli” or “x158x SHOPPLNFTNNG/SH0PLIFTING/TAKEN OUTN/SPNZDNLI/”. By the way, the number 158 in the name of the public, as you might have guessed, is the number of the criminal article regulating theft.

This is what the announcement of a guarantor looks like, who ensures that the transaction takes place and both parties fulfill the conditions

In addition, the administrators themselves deliberately make the groups closed and in the description of the communities they write that the purpose of the group is not to promote theft, but to “test and identify vulnerabilities of security systems in stores.” Or, for example, that the community unites former kleptomaniacs who realized their behavior and took the right path.

From the x158x community description:

In total, there are about a hundred public pages on the social network with strange names like “I love a magnet like your mother” or “Magazzino Ohrazzino.” Most of the subscribers are schoolchildren and students with fake accounts without real names and photographs.

Metal alloys and ceramics

If we compare protective equipment based on modern alloys and modifications that use traditional steel plates, they differ significantly in weight and functionality:

Models made of aluminum - this material is lightweight, can be welded without problems and is strong enough to protect the wearer from being hit by a blade, shrapnel and bullet wounds;
Titanium alloy is characterized by excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance;
Ceramic armor – made on the basis of composite ceramic elements;
Composite armor made of laminated plastic or a combination of viscous, elastic and highly hard material, for example, steel / aluminum + ceramics / quartz glass / corundum, etc.;
Combined - multi-layer option.

Aluminum body armor. The protective properties of armor are determined by the properties of the materials and technologies used. In any case, it must protect its owner from blows from sharp objects and shots.

The requirements for engineer body armor are much higher - they must be highly impact resistant. At the same time, the thickness and weight of such models are small, which makes it possible not to limit the user’s movement.

Such properties are possible through the use of hydrophobized Kevlar and a special gel substance with nanoparticles - this combination allows you to increase the durability of the material several times.

What types of body armor are there? DIY bulletproof vest

Dimensions of body armor and protective clothing

Body armor size
Size	S(cm)	M (cm)	L (cm)	XL (cm)	2XL (cm)	3XL (cm)	4XL (cm)
Chest (circumference)	91.4	96-100	100-111	111-121	121-132	132-142	142-162
Height (cm)	170-176	176	176-182	182-188	182-188	182-188	182-188
Conditional size (Russian body armor)	1	2	3	4

It is worth noting that the popular lightweight hidden BZ has a limited service life. After using and damaging it in extreme situations, it becomes unusable. Its weight is about 700 grams and reaches a maximum of 8 kilograms. It will only protect small-caliber small arms.

As for external BZs, they are medium and heavy. Unlike the first ones, medium-sized BZ last longer. They can withstand several shots and provide safety from almost all types of small arms. Weight starts from 2 kilograms and can reach a maximum of 30 kilograms.

Lightweight concealed body armor

This type of body armor is intended to be worn by civilians and police officers. It is capable of stopping a pistol bullet, as well as withstanding shots from small-caliber automatic weapons. The disadvantage of this model is that the vest is, in fact, disposable, and after a bullet hits it, it becomes unusable. Having decided to make such a bulletproof vest with your own hands, you should take into account the fact that if it is damaged, you will have to start sewing again. This product weighs from 700 grams to 8 kilograms. This vest is used mainly by civilians. It is worn under clothes.

Both from a bullet and from a blade

Anyone who has decided not to spend money on purchased protective equipment, but does not know how to sew a bulletproof vest with their own hands, should first of all familiarize themselves with the classification of protective clothing. This is necessary to understand which armored vest you need to stock up on in a given situation.

All body armor is divided into two large groups: civilian or police, which are worn by ordinary people and law enforcement officers, and military, intended for members of the armed forces. Before deciding what kind of body armor to make with your own hands, the potential owner should study the types of these devices, each of which differs in the degree of protection and the type of weapon from which it is intended to prevent injury. The most common ones for the average person are light body armor for concealed wear and light/medium armor for external wear. Such armored jackets are designed to protect against injuries from firearms. If you need to make a bulletproof vest against a knife with your own hands, you should remember that the classes described above will not help protect against bladed weapons. This type of protective clothing is classified into a special, so-called zero class, which provides reliable protection against metal blades.

Steal, run away, post on social networks. How boys from good families are turned into serial thieves

66.RU has repeatedly written about a gang of young robbers who steal things with impunity from the most expensive boutiques in the center of Yekaterinburg. The police have been unable to deal with them for a year now. At the end of February last year, the administration of the BOSCO and Hugo Boss stores located in the Europe shopping center disseminated information to the media about a series of thefts from boutiques committed by the same group of young people. Footage from surveillance cameras that recorded the crimes was striking in the self-confident audacity of the thieves. Young people grabbed clothes with hangers and simply ran out into the street.

According to rough estimates by the management of the Yekaterinburg BOSCO, in 2022 alone, goods worth 150 thousand rubles were “taken out” of the store (calculation was carried out at cost). It is known that during the year the boutiques of Armani, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and others were subjected to the same attacks. Such cases occur regularly in all regions of the country. According to the Global Retail Theft Barometer, in 2015 Russia ranked tenth out of 24 countries in terms of total costs. In total, it amounted to 9.04 billion dollars, of which 34% (that is, as much as 3 billion dollars!) was shoplifting.

Protection from bladed weapons

If you need to provide protection against edged weapons of any configuration (sharpening, bayonet, knife and even an awl), then you need to pay attention to class “C” body armor. They are characterized by the following properties:

a wide range of models that use both thin, soft fabric armor panels and steel armor elements;
light weight - the lightest body armor for concealed carry knives weighs no more than 0.65-0.8 kg;
practicality—knife protection can be improved with additional equipment;
reasonable price - the only exceptions are “VIP” class products.

The properties of C-class models are also determined by GOST requirements. When struck with a bladed weapon, the blade does not penetrate further than 5 mm onto the inside of the product.

Such models can be invisible under light clothing, and weighing from 0.65 kg makes it possible not to feel the protection - it does not tire or limit the mobility of its owner.

Bulletproof vest model C-class.

As for the scope of application of such protection elements, they are used to ensure the safety of guards and guards, detectives, businessmen, private security officers and individuals.

Materials used to make body armor

What is the BZ made of? First, let's figure out what it is. A bulletproof vest is, in most cases, a sleeveless vest made using special material. The material used depends on the protection class. So, the following classification has been adopted, based on the protection class:

1 class
2nd grade
3rd grade
4th grade
5th grade
6th grade

Attention! The core is made of steel, lead and heat-strengthened steel. The type of core depends on the protection class.

When choosing a protection class, bullet speed, weight and shot distance also play an important role. These are the main characteristics that manufacturers pay attention to. BZs are also divided for the use of ordinary citizens and military personnel, employees of internal affairs bodies. As for the mass of the BZ itself, depending on this indicator, they are heavy, medium and light. They are also divided according to the type of wearing: internal and external.

Most often, ordinary people prefer light ones and under clothes. It is worth remembering that they are not able to protect weapons from cold weather, but they will perfectly protect the most vulnerable parts of the body from firearms.

In manufacturing, I use high-strength material, which depends on all of the above factors.

Protection classes

Modern armored clothing is divided into several classes according to the degree of protection. These standards came into force in the Russian Federation in 2014:

1st class – protection against weapons of 9x18 mm caliber with a steel core;
2nd class - weapons of 9x21 mm caliber with a lead tip;
3rd class – 9x19 mm with heat-strengthened steel tip;
4th class – 5.45x39 mm and 7.62x39 mm;
5th class - 7.62x54 mm;
6th grade - 12.7x108 mm.

A big role here is played not only by the caliber of the charges, but also by their mass, speed in flight, and the distance from which the shot occurs.

Reliability and safety

Finally, the main criterion for evaluating passive protection means is reliability. Factory body armor has a special design, which includes not only armor plate and absorbent material, but also a number of additional elements. These include:

back section, apron, collar and shoulder pads, which serve for additional protection of exposed parts of the body and are made of aramid composites;
climatic-shock-absorbing supports (CAP), designed to mitigate retrograde injury;
anti-ricochet bags to prevent bullet fragments from entering the armor plate.

Quality

Large manufacturers of passive protection equipment pay great attention to quality control of their own products. This is hardly surprising: the slightest deviations from existing standards (primarily GOST 34286-2017) will lead to a sharp decrease in the number of orders and, as a consequence, colossal financial losses. Therefore, there is no doubt about the quality of factory body armor.

With handicrafts the situation is completely different. It is simply beyond the power of a non-professional to evaluate and verify the correct manufacture of the protective element. In addition, a lot depends on the qualifications of the performer; In everyday vocabulary, this quality appears under the name “directness of hands.”

Finally, accurate knowledge of the location of all structural elements of the body armor is also important. An error in assembling and connecting parts of a protective product will lead to a deterioration in its performance, rapid wear and a decrease in protective properties. In other words, if some parts of the product are positioned incorrectly relative to each other, then it will not be sufficiently reliable and durable even if no one shoots at it. You can avoid this: to do this you need to become a technologist in the production of passive protection equipment or purchase a factory-made body armor.

Body armor pattern

Sewing begins first of all with drawing up a pattern and preparing all the necessary materials. To create the correct pattern, you need to know your measurements: chest and shoulders, as well as height. What materials are needed: durable fabric, armored plates and threads. To process the seams you will need tapes and piping.

Also foam rubber, insulation, Velcro and tape. This is a complete set that is necessary for making a BZ yourself. To create a pattern and not spoil the fabric, you should first line it up on durable meter-long cellophane or use graph paper (special paper lined with identical cells for ease of work). The pattern drawing is done.

How to make a bulletproof vest at home from cardboard

This armored vehicle is designed for men of average build. On heroes it looks somewhat comical. Those. For very large men, the dimensions of all parts, including the steel liner, must be adjusted individually.

In the first picture we have the front part of the body armor (“belly”), the soft part of the Velcro fastener (loop), stitches for sewing on pockets, straps with a metal frame for fastening on the shoulders. On the reverse side there is a lining part. If I drew it, you would only see a pocket slit, closed with Velcro.

The second picture shows the back. You can see the pocket sewing seams, Velcro fasteners (the hard part is “hooks”), which we simply nicknamed “ears.” Straps for fastening on the shoulders (Velcro hooks at the bottom, Velcro loops at the top) and hard Velcro straps just below the shoulder seam for better fixation straps The lining side is similar to the shelf.

To fit comfortably, according to my estimates, you need a piece of fabric two meters long with a width of one and a half meters. Material: rubberized fabric, like for backpacks.

As many details are cut out as are drawn on the layout. Seam allowances = 0.7 cm are quite enough (do not forget to adhere to exactly the allowances with which you cut out the parts when sewing). The allowance for the Velcro fastener in the lining parts of the shelf and back is 1 cm. The only variations that are allowed are the method of cutting out the straps for the shelves (detail 1.5.) - they can be cut from one piece with a fold or from two.

I. Cut Velcro (6 pieces of the soft part of the Velcro, 5 cm wide, 15 cm long), 3 Velcro on each side. We put 3 cm down and to the side from the top point of the side cut, and begin to adjust the Velcro. First each, then all of them in a diagonal pattern - criss-cross. I guessed in such a way as to lay the second line, moving from one diagonal to another, from the side of the stomach - that area will be more often subject to “tear” tests when unbuttoning.

II. Pocket 1) Adjust the gain. 2) We bend the short side by 0.7-1 cm - this will be the entrance to the pocket. 3) Fold the pocket face up so that the entrance to the pocket is 4 cm below the raw edge, stitch along the edges of the pocket by 0.5-0.7 cm, remembering to fasten in strategically important places! 4) We attach the pocket with the wrong side of the shelf, figure out how to sew it so that the bottom of the pocket is about a centimeter higher than the bottom of the shelf. We make markings on the shelf where the pocket is sewn on. We mark the pocket (approx. 1 cm from the raw edge) on the front side of the longer part of the pocket. We roll the pocket into a tube with the entrance of the pocket down so that it fits under the sleeve of the machine (the “tube” of the pocket and the shoulder sections will be on one side), draw up the pocket sewing lines on the pocket and on the shelf, and stitch it. We unfold the pocket with the entrance to the pocket facing up, and add a finishing stitch about 0.7-1 cm.

III. Lining side of the shelf 1) We add 1 cm to the hem allowance for the Velcro fastener. 2) We adjust the Velcro with a zigzag seam. On the side of the armholes, we make indents of about 1 cm so that the Velcro does not interfere with final assembly. There is Velcro hooks on the yoke, attached from the wrong side (looking down). On the main part there are Velcro loops, attached from the front side (looking up). We fasten the Velcro. The lining is ready.

IV. The straps can be sewn from one long piece (7 by 46 plus allowances), from one wide piece (14 by 23 plus allowances), or from two (7 by 23 plus allowances) - the main thing is that in the end you get two straps of size 7 by 23 cm. 1) We sew it on three sides, cut off the allowances at the corners, turn it inside out, and add a finishing stitch. 2) We melt two pieces of sling (18 cm) along the edges, bend them in half, put a steel frame into the fold, adjust the sling onto the strap (we combine the melted edges of the sling with the raw cut of the strap), first under the frame and along the edges, then crosswise (under I, like a hereditary paranoid, went through the framework three times).

V. Assembling the shelf (this is not shown in the pictures). 1) First I sewed the straps. We apply the straps to the shoulder sections of the front part of the shelf (face to face) and sew them at 0.7. 2) Then we fold both parts of the shelf (front and lining) face to face, for convenience, you can pin them together at strategic points, and we sheath them by 0.7 cm on all sides. When walking over the Velcro fastener, it is advisable to make fastenings. 3) Cut off the excess in the corners, notch in the places of bends. We turn it inside out through the Velcro fastener and straighten the corners. 4) We lay a finishing stitch on all sides. Attention: in particularly “thick” places (where there are straps, for example), we slow down the machine so as not to break the needle.

Riga thieves: “We make one hundred lats a day at supermarkets”

A couple glides along the sales floor of the Seppala store in the Alpha department store.
A guy in a down jacket and jeans. In his hand is a medium-sized bag like a traveling bag. With him is a brunette in high-heeled boots and an expensive coat. Walking between the racks of clothes, she calmly loads her companion with bras, blouses and panties. Shopping is accompanied by sluggish bickering. - Dima, come quickly. The lunch break is ending, and we still need to drop by the bank.

— Allochka, what’s the point? I’ll transfer one and a half grand to them over the Internet, and that’s it.

Having collected their things, the young people head to the fitting booths. The girl draws the curtain and begins to change clothes. From time to time she jumps out of the booth, showing off new outfits. What is typical: the guy is skeptical about new things.

- These trousers make you look fat. And this is not your color at all.

- No, no. Then let's go to BikBok.

The couple leaves the fitting room, hangs the clothes that do not fit on hangers and calmly leaves the store. Together with them, unpaid items worth 100-200 lats float out of the store in a bag like a travel bag.

The most important thing, of course, is not to “squeak” when leaving the store.

“We’ve been deceiving these gates for a long time.” “Armor plates” made of foil help us.

“Bronik” is a homemade bag. It takes two rolls of foil and some tape to make. It is this device (“If done correctly”) that extinguishes the signal from the “beepers” and prevents the gate from screaming. However, the main thing is not just to have an “armor”, you also need to use it correctly.

— The security guards and sellers are not fools either. If you go into a store with a bag, it means you can easily take something out of it.

Therefore, a whole performance is played out inside the store called “reputable clients have come to shop.”

— It’s easier to deceive sellers than security guards. The most important thing is to show them that the bag is already loaded. To add volume, we put balls inside. Well, Dima pretends that our bag is heavy.

Another trick: while walking around the store, Alla hangs things on her arm so that it seems as if she has not three pairs of trousers, but, for example, only one. Next, in the fitting room, thieves blow the balls out of the bag and put hidden items in their place. However, the tandem uses such tactics only when there are no security guards inside or near the store.

- You see, the security guards have a professional memory. We go shopping every day. As a result, if a security guard copied you twice in a week, have no doubt: he will stop you and check you.

Makeup, glasses and wigs

However, security can also be carried out. But this takes a lot of time and money.

“It takes me about an hour to get dressed for work,” Alla complains. – Don’t think that I’m so slow. Too much depends on appearance. It's not enough to look decent. In order not to shine, you need to come up with a new image for yourself every day.

Alla does not have her own image maker. As a result, you have to deal with a dozen wigs, a bunch of sunglasses and simple glasses, a couple of closets full of rags.

— It is most profitable to dress like a businesswoman or a well-groomed girlfriend of a rich businessman. In the first case, these are strict classic things and a minimum of makeup. In the second - kilograms of cosmetics, some jeans, a blouse, a jacket. You need at least a couple of expensive things - with huge inscriptions like Gucci or D&G.

What is characteristic is that Dima’s equipment worries his accomplice no less. In terms of clothing, he is clearly not trusted. Alla chooses the entire set, from jacket to boots, for him herself.

- You see, he must correspond to me. And if you leave him alone, he’ll either put on socks of the wrong color or wear brown moccasins under his black trousers.

Top thieves: Sportland, Lindex and BikBok

Favorite stores of Alla and Dima: Sportland, Lindex, BikBok, Sepalla. These outlets are in every supermarket. Which is very convenient: one day you steal from one store, the next day from another. As a result, the chances of getting caught by security are reduced.

— During the day we visit all Riga supermarkets. We start with Spice and Olympija, then department stores Centrs and Origo, and for a snack - Domina with Alfa.

As it turns out, the young people don’t have a driver’s license or their own car, so they use taxis. Such a trip to supermarkets is inexpensive: for 4 hours of work, Alla and Dima pay the taxi driver 40 lats.

“We hire motor mechanics from trusted people,” explains Dima. - A stranger can easily go to the cops. Anyone can guess what we breathe. Even the stupidest taxi driver. It is in the car that all this pile of new clothes is stored, right with hangers, beepers and price tags.

However, most taxi drivers are not deterred by such little things. In a crisis, and even for 40 lats a day, they are ready to fulfill any client’s whim.

Market and arcades

After four hours of theft, the couple goes to sell the stolen goods. Sales are mainly carried out through the Central Market. They try to work on orders that have already been accepted. Client's gamble: a “branded” item from a store at the bazaar can be bought for only a third of the price.

- But this is only if the client agrees to buy an item with a beeper. During the day, Dima and I do not have time to remove these devices. Moreover, it is not difficult to tear off the “squeaker”; all you need is a lighter and a screwdriver.

It is clear that thieves prefer not to run around shopping aisles in search of customers. Security guards and police officers also walk around the market. Basically, goods are dropped among sellers of numerous points and modules.

Employees of Riga gambling halls are held in special esteem. As a rule, they work all day long, which means things can be sold there around the clock. Of course, acquaintances. But now we have every gambling hall with a bar – a district club...

- So, have you really never been caught?

- Well, why, many times... Only now it’s not so scary.

For example, in the early 2000s, Dima received a year in prison for shoplifting. And now…

“Nowadays, when you are caught stealing, employees of most stores are in no hurry to contact the police. At first, they will simply offer to buy the stolen items. If you agree, then after payment you will be released.

Manufacturers review of some models

Among the manufacturers of body armor in Russia, the following can be noted:

Cherepovets Iron and Steel Works “Severstal” is known for its models made of rolled steel:
"VSMPO-Avisma" - their products are based on titanium plates;
Moscow region, Korolev - this manufacturer produces models with protection made of ceramic and titanium;
Moscow, Research Institute of Steel, JSC

The products of all the listed manufacturers have an excellent price-quality ratio.

VISIT body armor against a knife.

For example, the range of bulletproof vests of the Scientific Research Institute of Steel includes models of the “VISIT”, “STYLE”, “RECORD”, “INKASS”, “BEETLE” and “PRESS” series. Each series has a line of models with different protection classes, which allows you to choose the best option in accordance with customer requirements.

Thus, the VISIT series body armor made of high-strength economically alloyed titanium alloy offers protection of classes 2, 3 and 5 according to GOST R 50744-95, that is, up to the AKM assault rifle. This type of protection is made from traditional ballistic materials and is also intended for concealed carry.

The design features of the joints of the armored element sections provide maximum mobility and flexibility.

The VSMPO-Avisma line of body armor includes models from 1 to 5 protection classes. Made from economically alloyed titanium alloy VST2, such protective equipment has a clear advantage over similar products from other manufacturers - it is lighter by 12-40%, while such body armor is capable of providing protection against a Kalashnikov assault rifle and SVD rifle.

Tweezer's Notes: 10 Ways to Steal Your Valuables

1. Pickpocketing is such a common phenomenon that last year in Russia, for example, 44 thousand street crimes were officially recorded.

It’s a shame to realize that a complete stranger will rummage through your phone, or out of the blue you’ll lose the money you’ve earned through hard work or the watch your beloved grandfather gave you. And many do not even realize that they have encountered pickpockets. The best way to deal with villains is to know how and when they act. Victims are becoming smarter, and scammers are becoming more agile...

2. Run into a crowd

This seems to be the most common trick used by street pickpockets. It would seem that he bumped into a person in the crowd, well, it doesn’t happen to anyone! And your wallet, friend, was shamelessly stolen. This trick has many variations: a pickpocket can swoop down on you, knocking your wallet out of your pocket, or he can brazenly dive into your pocket and steal the precious contents from there.

There may be several such pickpockets, and they all work together. So it’s better to protect the contents of your pockets from theft rather than shed tears afterwards.

3. Cut your pocket or bag

A seductive stranger in a fit of light mood wants to hug you? Or perhaps a handsome young man? What's the big deal, especially when you've left a bar, nightclub or similar establishment after downing a few drinks. And how often does a charming stranger turn out to be a swindler, whose mind is not acquaintance, but your pockets.

5. Feel carefully

It is no secret that most street thefts occur on public transport, especially in the subway, where it is a great success not to touch your fellow traveler’s stomach with your stomach.

When prolonged physical stimulation, especially during rush hour crowds, is concentrated in one area, the brain simply becomes less vigilant and perceives it as something familiar. This is what scammers take advantage of.

6. Play like an old friend

Using such a cunning trick, the scammer has a high chance of fleecing you completely. A stranger may catch you in a busy public place, pat you on the shoulder, cover your eyes with their palms, but in the end they will admit that they misspoke. Well, who doesn’t it happen to...

Just remember how many times you mistook a stranger for a classmate or a neighbor boy with whom you played football 15 years ago. In this case, your confusion will play into the pickpocket’s hands: while you are trying to find familiar features in an unfamiliar face, the street swindler will acquire a wallet, a mobile phone and a new watch. Be careful!

It's nice when a stranger on the street shows concern and brushes the dirt off your shoulder. Either way, it's very suspicious! Often, scammers themselves dirty the clothes of a potential victim so that in an unfortunate moment they can come to the rescue and completely rob the poor fellow.