The stab resistant performance of p-aramid fabrics reinforced with thermoplastic LDPE resin and thermoset epoxy resin was investigated by quasi-static or drop tower stab resistance testing, and the stab resistance behavior against different shapes of impactors was also evaluated. The destruction behavior of LDPE reinforced p-aramid fabrics against a knife impactor shows three distinctive steps; the initial penetration step with maximum strength, the cutting step by knife edge, and the destruction step of accumulated fiber bundles. On the other hand, epoxy resin reinforced p-aramid fabrics against a knife impactor exhibit just two steps without the accumulation of fiber bundles. In the case of a spike impactor, the maximum stab resistant strength is observed from the initial penetration step; however, the stab resistant strength after initial penetration drastically decreased regardless of the reinforcing resins. It is also found that, even if the LDPE reinforced fabrics are multilayered, the performance improvement by resin reinforcement is observed only from the initial penetration step and the stab resistant strengths of the cutting step and the fiber accumulation step are not improved. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012