A shark’s-teeth sword was donated to the Diocesan Library in Linkoping, Sweden in 1824, and coconut fiber dungarees were donated to the Whitby Museum in 1834. NID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads.

The helmet surface does not make a loud sound when objects fall on it. This is achieved by the architecture of hollow and rigid nature of coir fiber as it tends to absorb more sound than plastic helmets. The helmet is robust, handy, and comes with an adjustable inner ring which, by means of an adjustable headband, can always be adjusted to the right fit. The hard outer shell gives the helmet, in contrast to foam helmets, a longer life and better protection for children.

Kiribati armor and blowfish skin helmet, Gilbert Islands of Kiribati, late 1800s (Daderot / Public Domain ) What is Kiribati Armor? The warrior holds a three-pronged weapon (taumangaria) edged with shark's teeth. He may also have worn undergarments, a porcupine fish helmet and ray skin cuirass on top. Fighting in all those layers must have been quite hot and restrictive and descriptions of duels mention each warrior having an assistant with him to help keep him upright. The Kiribati were isolated from the West for many centuries. Then, in 1606 Pedro Fernandes de Queiros came across the islands. The British explorers John Byron, Thomas Gilbert, and John Marshall then passed through the island chain between 1764 and 1788. Russian and American adventurers then fully mapped the islands in the early 19th century.

Our resident curious questioner Martin Fone poses (and answers) another head scratcher - or should we say, head banger? While the battles that necessitated this armor are over, Kiribati now faces the new challenges of climate change and the effects of westernization on traditional life and culture.The Kiribati armor also made heavy use of human hair. Human hair was both special to Kiribati culture and readily available. Hair was used to decorate the armor and bind shark teeth to swords. Kiribati became an independent nation in 1979, and since then the image of the “warrior” has re-emerged, and can be seen used on clothing and as mascots for sports teams—a symbol of strength and pride. It has also been repurposed by the Mormon faith Moroni High School in Tarawa, who see themselves as fighting both a spiritual and physical war in the modern world.

Eco coir safety helmet is designed to protect the wearer against falling parts and prevent a fractured skull or injuries to the brain. Regarding the main protection aim, eco coir safety helmet consists of an outer shell made of rubberized coir fibers combined with a compound. Coir has a low thermal conductivity and heat transfer through the coir-based helmet is slow. Therefore, the person who wears the helmet feels comfortable. This is particularly important for the working conditions in tropical countries. It's like this; our main raw material is coir. It is a waste by-product of coconut kernel based manufacturing industries. Since the industrial revolution has started the pollution of air and water has increased. So by using coir we are trying to reduce usage of synthetic material. In manufacturing this coir based helmet, we didn't use any highly hazardous chemicals. We thoroughly consider the chemicals we are using because a helmet, being a wearable thing, should not be toxic to the human skin and should be comfortable and environmentally friendly. It would be sad to think that the Kiribati people lost so much of their culture due to colonization, but thankfully, this is not true. Kiribati separated from the British Empire in 1979, and since then, traditional Kiribati culture has seen a resurgence.

What is Kiribati Armor?

At first sight, Kiribati armor might look a little strange, it is certainly not a suit of armor as we tend to think of it. It was surprisingly effective, given that it was made from coconut fibers, and little else. Kiribati society changed drastically after their first encounters with westerners, but their armor offers a fascinating glimpse into what Kiribati life used to be like. The shape covers down to the sides and lower part of the head providing a tough protection for the head with the outer shell made from a hard, durable ABS plastic and a foam lining for an additional layer of protection and added comfort. It was around this time that Kiribati armor first started appearing in western collections. Not long after this, however, the armor started to disappear. This is believed to be due to the French and British missionaries, the great destroyers of many native cultures, who descended on the island between 1888 and 1892. The nation, known today as the Republic of Kiribati, was once known as I-Kiribati. It is a nation made up of thirty-three coral atolls that are spread over 1.3 million square miles (3.5 million square kilometers). The islands are located in Micronesia, a region of the Western Pacific. Cinderclown Shoes • Combat Boots • Cowboy Boots • Crystal Shoes • Dark Boots • Dragonscale Boots • Emily's Magic Boots • Firewalker Boots • Genie Shoes • Leather Boots • Leprechaun Shoes • Mermaid Boots • Rubber Boots • Sneakers • Space Boots • Thermal Boots • Tundra Boots • Work Boots