I agree in general. It's similar to rough hands; whether or not they're considered 'beautiful,' they show that someone has participated in serious effort.
Fantasy art is a tough bar to walk for any RPG, much less an adult one. On one hand, you want characters to look good and recognizable, but yeah, the most effective way to not die is plate armor and a good helmet. Hitting that balance is gonna be an uphill battle, especially given how few artists seem to like drawing armor, much less realistic armor.
Sam's new combat outfit is definitely on the budget end of protection, though more appropriate for a newbie swordsman.