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Main => The Armoury => Topic started by: markpart1 on 2016-02-20, 09:20:12

Title: Chainmail sleeves elbow expansion
Post by: markpart1 on 2016-02-20, 09:20:12

Hi all
I am new to the wonderful world of chainmail crafting and I need some help. I am making fitted chainmail sleeves down to my wrist and I am tapering them down with hole row contractions. My problem is what kind of expansions do you use to make space in the elbows (elbow pouch) for a better range in motion? I know there is the knot row expansion, any help would be greatly appreciated it. Also the direction of the rings on my sleeves are open hang ( pattern going along my arm not around it)

Title: Re: Chainmail sleeves elbow expansion
Post by: Sir James A on 2016-02-20, 16:29:15

Are you doing this yourself? You may want to talk to Tom Biliter on Facebook, he does this... I've never tried to do it myself.

Title: Re: Chainmail sleeves elbow expansion
Post by: Sir Wolf on 2016-02-21, 02:15:12

i know JamesB used to talk about making diamond shaped expansions in certain areas

Title: Re: Chainmail sleeves elbow expansion
Post by: markpart1 on 2016-02-22, 10:57:14

Yes i am making this my self, thanks for the advise. I have completed the whole sleeve and the arm movement so far i can move it about 90 degrees before the chainmail stops me.  I will try to research some more and take both of your advise and hopefully i can get some more arm movement

Title: Re: Chainmail sleeves elbow expansion
Post by: Ian on 2016-02-22, 17:29:04

Attached is an image of an original mail sleeve and under it, a reproduction.  The twisty ties on the original are marking every tailoring ring.  The tailoring rings are black on the reproduction for visibility.  You can see there are a couple gores, and rows of expansions in both the elbow and the armpit.  The reproduction was made by Tom Biliter.  You can find him at https://www.facebook.com/historicallypatternedmail (https://www.facebook.com/historicallypatternedmail).  You'll also see he has higher resolution images of the same.

Title: Re: Chainmail sleeves elbow expansion
Post by: Sir Douglas on 2016-02-22, 18:09:37

I'm going to jump on the Tom Biliter bandwagon as well. He'd definitely be the guy to talk to. :)

Also note that, in the image Sir Ian provided, the sleeve isn't just a straight tube. It bends upward around the elbow, and you can see there's a bit of an angle in the join there. What it looks like to me, and what I've found from re-tailoring my own hauberk's sleeves, is that if there's too much extra bulk on the inside of the elbow joint, it will bind, so it has to be shorter than the part of the sleeve going around the outside of the elbow.

Title: Re: Chainmail sleeves elbow expansion
Post by: markpart1 on 2016-02-24, 01:11:04

those are nice pics of  fitted sleeves i wonder if by the elbow those are column expansions