[Philip]

Interesting to note that this helmet, like the Vietnamese and Chinese rattan bucklers, has an essentially spiral structure, the cane being of round cross-section and bound with thin, narrow strips of split rattan. The rattan headgear worn by the Vietnamese units serving in the French colonial forces (the Linh Tap) are constructed quite differently. Though they vary in size and degree of conality, they are made of thick rattan split into flat laths, assembled radially around a central peak and reinforced with other rattan strips at the rim.

Either type of helmet or hat will provide considerable protection against cuts to the head. Even a direct hit with a blade is not likely to penetrate the weave. The British learned from their experiences in Asia that they could not cut through a rattan shield with their naval cutlasses, which are quite stout, heavy-bladed weapons. The extensive use of cane for shields in areas as diverse as Tibet, Turkey, and parts of equatorial Africa attest to the virtues of this material in the construction of effective, lightweight, and inexpensive body protection.