According to Huang Renyu's Fifteen Years of Wanli, this dynasty did not lack skilled craftsmen in this field, but they all concentrated on the imperial city to make exquisite armor for the imperial army. The average field army can only bring a cotton-padded jacket made of small iron pieces or a "paper armor" made of paper ribs. As for the weapons used by soldiers, most of them are manufactured and delivered by local counties as part of the tax revenue. The quality is not excellent and the specifications are not standardized.
According to the record of "paper armor and cotton armor" on the volume of Zhuang Yong Essays in Ming Dynasty, paper armor is asexual and extremely soft, with a soft hammer, three inches thick and four nails in square inch. If it is soaked in water and rain, it is difficult for an arrow to penetrate.