I am saying that something as weak as a balaclava would not even accomplish this. If you have ever seen people get hit by these wearing hoodies, and the like, you will see they tear right through that shit like it isn’t even there. This is like trying to reduce the trauma of a hammer blow with a sheet of paper.
It isn’t that out of touch with contemporary prices. Maybe 10 years at most, as a lot of the cost increase has been the past 5 years. Doesn’t mean the image isn’t older, just commenting on the price here.
A current restaurant serving Lobster Thermidor costs about 55$. While any place serving this dish is likely a high quality restaurant, it’s not until one obtains a michelin star that it becomes a 3 digit affair.