How it stops thing may have something to do with performance in specific applications. For instance, chaps worn by lumberjacks keep a chainsaw from cutting your leg by the kevlar turning into "cotton candy". I'm not sure whether bullets are deflected or absorbed by a kevlar vest.

> I heard a story about an fencer (Epee, I think) that died as
> a result of using kevlar in an inappropriate manner. What happened
> was his opponents epee broke off about 1 foot from the hilt. No one
> realized it because it happened too quick (he was in a fleche attack,
> a full tilt charge with no hesitation). The break happened as a result
> of a parry. The broken epee penetrated the kevlar mask without stopping
> or slowing the least bit. It also penetrated the guys skull. Needless
> to say he died. Kind of a tragic story considering the two fencers
> were friends and teammates in the final rounds of a competition.

> The moral of the story: Kevlar doesn't stop slow velocity point
> loads. It does stop high velocity, blunt objects like bullets. It
> probably doesn't matter as much for wood-core construction as it does
> for skin-on-frame.

> Of course, I could be all wet.

> KTK