So I found an old Point Blank vest at work recently. It’s been in a cold/server room for about 10 years now (according to my boss) and looking at the inserts it looks like it was manufactured in September 1992 (they state the warranty expires 5 years from that date). Being in video production I don’t know much about armor, but I’m sure this isn’t really useful being this old (at least from my understanding of Kevlar vests).
What would you guys do with a vest like this? Is it worth anything for sale - if not the inserts, how about the two carriers? Would you trust wearing it if you needed armor? I don’t wanna toss it if it’s worth something, but everything I’ve read says that Kevlar degrades over time and exposure to heat. I can account for 10 years of it’s life, but the previous 8 are a mystery to me.
Water, ie sweat, brakes down the weaving of the kevlar threads. The manufacturer gives a 5 year warranty to avoid use if the weave loosens. I have shot at a few vests that were quite old and they stopped everything I threw at it (that it was designed to stop). As far as how much it’s worth, not much. You can buy a vest on ebay for like $50. I would not bet my life on your particular vest but it would most likely stop what it’s designed for.
Kevlar and the rest of the aramid fibers break down over time. Heat, UV, and moisture break down the properties of the bonding agent over time. The new armor is better at blocking the previous mentioned threats. I wouldn’t trust my life to it. I have old RBA soft armor lining my ammo foot locker and that is it. Please don’t use this Bro.
I’m a video director by trade - I don’t really have a use for the armor at all. Mostly I was hoping it would be worth something so I could sell it and put it towards an Aimpoint or x300. Doesn’t seem like it would be, so it’ll just get tossed back into a closet (unless I find a place I could shoot the crap out of it).