Chain Mail: the Beginning
Of Modern Chai n-making
Chloe Lavery
Period 2
ART 1040 – 005
11/29/2011
The making and use of mail armor is seen in almost all metalworking cultures. The term
chain “mail” comes from the French word “maille,” which means “mesh.” The technique of
joining metal rings together to form a tight mesh net that could be worn as protection has proven
to be very useful and has even led to other uses of the same practice. Obviously, it began its use
as armor against cutting or stabbing, but it has also been used by butchers working with sharp
knives, as armor against shark bites in the water and as ornamentation and jewelry into the 21st
century. (Mail (armour))
The beginning of chain mail dates back to just following 300 BCE. The Celts were the
first known people to use the application of chain mail. It is believed that the Romans adopted
the technique from the Celts and the rest is history. The Persians begin to use mail armor at the
start of the 3rd century AD. The use of chain mail spread to many other areas of the world
through trade, such as the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, Tibet, India, Japan, and
Korea. The basic technique stayed the same, but certain features were unique to the mail that
came from further East. The Asian mail was usually lighter in weight than the mail used by the
Europeans. Also, those in Asia usually had religious symbols stamped into the armor for further
protection. Chain mail proved to be very effective. The use of chain mail continued and is still in
use today. A full body shark suit has been created using mail. Chain mail gloves, that resistant
cutting from knives in the kitchen or work shop, are currently used. And of course, chain making
is still used in decorative purposes and jewelry making. (Mail (armour))
The manufacture of mail is a process developed long ago by the Celts and is still similar
today. First, wire must be formed. Wrought iron was used at first, but later wrought steel was
used because it could be heat treated. To form the wire there were two methods. One method
was to forge the metal into a plate, and then cut the plate into thin pieces that could be pulled
through a draw plate until the desired diameter of wire was reached. Another method was to
forge rods from a small billet of metal, then draw the rods into the desired width of wire. This
wire had to be formed into, what jeweler’s today call, “jump rings.” The wire is curled into the
shape needed to make a ring. The rings were riveted to keep the armor from falling apart during
battles. Solid rings back then had to be formed by punching rings out of plate. This is how the
rings were able to be stamped with designs. At the beginning of chain mail, it was alternated
between solid and riveted rings when making armor, but eventually only riveted rings were used .
Today jump rings can be soldered together to form solid links. The patterns that the rings are
formed in are almost infinite today. Several different patterns were known in ancient times. This
includes the most common way to link rings, which is called the four-to-one pattern. Each ring is
linked with four other rings; this is how the mesh is formed. This pattern was dominant in
Europe. In Japan, there were many patterns. Even an entire nomenclature was created
surrounding mail patterns. Chain making would spread to decorative uses including jewelry.
Currently, there are many different types of chain patterns. Chains are used to make
necklaces, bracelets, and even pendants. The simple “jump ring” itself is used commonly to
attach pendants to a necklace or earrings to hooks and so much more. And there are intricate
patterns used to make complicated chains. Sometimes, the wire is even woven together, without
the use of jump rings at all, to create chains. There is the single chain, which is simply one jump
ring linked to another, and to another, creating a simple chain. There is the double chain, which
is two jump rings in two jump rings, and so on. The triple chain, of course, is three jump rings in
three jump rings, etc. The pattern can be altered, such as two-in-three jump rings. The four-inone method is still used and can create chains, not just armor fabric. Rosettes can be created
from the jump rings by forming a round shape with multiple rings. These rosettes can be linked
together in patterns, forming chains. The more commonly seen chains in jewelry are the spiral
and twisted chains. These are formed by making a chain similar to the single chain, but the spiral
comes by inserting the rings into multiple rings behind the point the chain ends and keeping a
twist in the rings. This produces more of a round chain. Other chains are made using “boxes.”
Box chains are formed with a more square shape, rather than a flat chain shape. Also, “bubble”
chains are created when jump rings are inserted vertically to horizontal rings, creating round
bubbles that pop out the of the chain. And the Byzantine pattern is created by criss-crossing
jump rings to each other in a unique way. To all of these patterns, different sizes of jump rings
can be used to generate more unique chains that can show off the pattern more or less. Smaller
rings are usually used to make a tight, cohesive and smooth chain. And larger rings can be used
to pop from the pattern. (Art)
The techniques that were used in making chain mail armor in the Middle Ages are still
used to day in jewelry chain-making. Different patterns are used today to make simple and
intricate bracelets, necklaces, and even pendants.
Bibliography
1. Art, Silver Tiger. Weave designs. 06 9 2002. 28 11 2011
<http://www.silvertigerart.com/weave_designs.htm>.
2. "Mail (armour)." 28 11 2011. Wikipedia. 28 11 2011
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_(armour)>.
Cover page picture references:
Chain background: http://mayang.com/textures/Metal/html/Patterned%20Metal/index.html
Man in armor: http://www.cbswords.com/default.php/cPath/30
Black and silver: http://www.bluewhitelight.com/jkatsch/index.htm
Pendant: http://www.stylehive.com/bookmark/celtic-star-chainmaille-pendant-necklace-free-byredpanda-on-etsy-783113
Blue stone bracelet: http://jewelrymakingprofessor.com/shop/Chainmaille-Byzantine-BraceletVideo-on-DVD-SKU161337401.html
Cuff: http://www.bluebuddhaboutique.com/blog/2011/03/
Multiple chains:
http://www.garysnyderjewelry.com/Workshops/WorkShopSignupForm/ClassicalClosedLoopCh
ains.aspx
Glove: http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products/6017430/Chain_Mail_Protective_Glove.html
Blue and silver cuff: http://www.beadinggem.com/2011/02/chain-maille-book-reviewchained.html
Bracelet: http://www.stylehive.com/shop-chainmail-jewellery