Subject: Re: steel mesh/armor

From: Matt Balent/HCS/CSC <Matt_Balent/HCS/[email-masked]>
Date: 8 Jan 96 14:54:53 EDT

>Date: 01/08/96 06:54:06 PM
>Subject: steel mesh/armor

>I've noticed a few individuals talking about making armor recently. Perhaps 
>you can help me. 
>I am trying to locate the steel mesh, for lack of a better description, which 
>is commonly seen on armor outfits that would have been worn by knights (in 
>movies, reenactments, etc.). It seems to be finely woven and often has a 
>polished finished. It appears as if it contours whatever it lays upon. Am I 
>making any sense?

>If you know of a commercial source for this material, sizes, gauges, etc. I 
>would appreciate  any info you can provide.

>Jeff Reiter
>Frankfort, IL
>[email-masked]
 
You are talking about what is known as 'Mail' or 'Chainmail',  which was used 
from
about Roman times through the Middle Ages.  I made myself a shirt out of 14 
guage
stainless wire a couple of years ago which contains about 14000 individual 
links.
I've seen shirts and coifs (for the head) for sale in the Museum Replicas 
catalogs 
(expect to pay about $500-$600).  Phone them at 800-883-0300.

You can make a shirt yourself for about $150 plus 3-4 months.

- Matt.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 15:28:59 -0500

Whiting and Davis Co. in Attleborough or North Attleboro, Massachusetts makes
such material for shark suits, and for gloves used by meat and poultry
butchers.  It is type 304L stainless steel welded chain mail and may be what
your'e looking for.  The wire diameter is about .025/.030 inch, and three or
four links are welded to each link.
Mike Schermerhorn
Kilo-Sierra Forge

---

From: [email-masked] (Jason Guptill )
Date: Sun, 14 Jan 1996 13:10:06 -0800

Ring armour or chain mail can be made with various sized rings to 
accomplish the shirt/coif or knee length full suit of mail. The larger 
the dia. of the wire you use generally the lighter (somtimes) the 
wiegth. There are several patterns that can be used to start the mail 
suite refferred to as 3 around 1, 4 around 1, 5 around 1, and 5 around 
2 that I am aware of. The higher density of rings you use the closer 
the knit will be versus the diameter of the ring, thus more protection 
it will give the wearer. 5 around 2 or 5 around 1 is the heavest I have 
ever dealt with, as much as 125 lbs for a full knee lentgh suit with 
coif. There is a Blacksmithing shop in Truckee, California that 
specializes in Medeval armour called McKenzie Smith. Sorry I don't have 
the number for you but I know that they are still there. Cost of a 
average shirt is $500.00 last time I heard a price. It takes about 4 
months to make the rings and put it all together for custom orders.

Jason Guptill
[email-masked]
Fairfield, California