Quote History Quoted:
They're single curve and 10x12 only which is a huge mark against it. Other than that I like them. I would look at the Hesco 3610, there is a reason this plate is recommended so much on here. It's a fantastic plate that is very light for type.
View Quote
The Hesco is 1.1" thick, which is like wearing a cereal box or phone book on your chest. The SKD plate is exactly half the thickness, .55". This should
more than make up for the fact that it's a single-curve.
Interestingly, they're almost exactly equal in terms of weight. The Hesco is 4.5 lbs to the SKD's 4.2 -- but the SKD plate is a Shooter's Cut, whereas the Hesco is a real SAPI. If they were the same cut, the weights would be identical. Given the fact that there's a huge disparity in thickness but no disparity at all in weight, I think it's safe to assume that there's probably a lot of NIJ.06 foam on that Hesco plate's strike face, and very little on the SKD. Which makes sense; the SKD plate isn't certified, so it doesn't need to pass the .06 drop test, so it doesn't need a quarter inch of foam.
The SKD plate was designed to be a low-cost clone of the $1000+ Velocity Systems API-BZ plate. Similar specs. As far as I can tell, the Velocity Systems plate isn't certified, either. It is, however, multi-curve and available in multiple sizes. It's also marginally thinner and lighter. You get what you pay for.
Certification isn't everything. All things considered, I think that the SKD plate is actually preferable to the Hesco 3610, if it is handled with loving care. 1.1" is just too damn thick for a Level III+ plate. That's thicker than the average Level IV plate.