Normally I take time with my suggestions, but this is just a quick one. Perhaps, using the iron bar items, you could craft chainmail? Just wanted to post this before I forgot it, I shall expand upon it later.
if u could make it with iron bars, maybe make it so that it has protection between gold and iron, and crafted with chain link. Chain link could be created with 1 iron bar in the crafting table maybe? it would give you 2 chain links, so half the iron is required to make it.
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"Most people think life is a game, people like drug addicts and killers, but life is like a rocket, you only get one shot
Make iron armor, require to be forged, taking a bit of time, while chain mail can be made quick and easy. Make iron armor slow you down a tad, and chain mail not slow you down much at all
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"The oceans of minecraft are vast and nearly endless... and we just have a floating little box to traverse across them..." - doctorseaweed2
Would it be somewhere in between iron and diamond?
Iron bars are roughly easy to craft, so perhaps between leather and iron?
If you have the iron to make bars, Why not just make iron armor?
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"The oceans of minecraft are vast and nearly endless... and we just have a floating little box to traverse across them..." - doctorseaweed2
Perhaps chainmail regularly is weak, but if you put it in a forge, it becomes Iron Mail, which is between Iron and Diamond in strength?
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1011489-regarding-chainmail/