Chest Protection (Body Armor)

Several times while at wood carving round ups I've noticed carvers and whittlers wearing a thin wood sheet on a thong around their neck.  Some times it's a heavy piece of leather.  Either one, protects their chest area from knife or gouge cuts.  I never gave much thought to this piece of "body armor".  Never until I was making some small whittling cuts with my knife; towards my chest, and "fumbled" the piece of Basswood.  Nothing real bad happened, except that one of my favorite shirts now has a slice in the front.  This brought me back to seeing the  chest protecting body armor, and thinking - maybe not a bad idea.  I do sometimes use a V-Tool to texture a beard; and when I do, I work it towards myself (chest).

No mere slab of wood for me!  And the only leather I had was an exotic, left over from the "Swamp People" series.   Yes, there's a place for it in the fishing vest!