Chain Mail

[Nuke]

Hello everyone,
I'm just getting into chain mail and want to create armor authentic to the period (1000 to 1100 - England).  I was going to create my own riveted chain mail...  What is your opinion on buying the Indian stuff?  to make it will take me thousands of hours and while I might still do that, I have a wife, kids, and many projects here on the farm to do first...  Any other mail out there that is riveted and good quality?  Also I was thinking of going with stainless or galvanized rather than the plain steel (which will end up rusting).  I'm giving up some authenticity for armor that should last my lifetime...
Any comments or suggestions welcomed.
Nuke
PS.  I'm in Colorado if anyone else here is in the area.

[Sir James A]

I have riveted stainless, and it's great. The extra cost is worth it to not have to deal with cleaning rust off tiny rings.

I believe earlier periods were wedge riveted rings and not pin riveted. That increases the cost more, but it is a minor detail. All depends on what you're looking for specifically.

IceFalcon here in the US is a great source for stainless mail. Kult of Athena has mail as well, probably stainless; I've only bought mild from them. I believe both still source their mail from India. The shipping is much cheaper since it is already stateside, not to mention faster.

[Sir Wolf]

welcome!

[Aiden of Oreland]

What kind of kit are you going for? What country?

[Sir Nate]

I assume your going for full body maille with a surcoat?
Norman knight or crusader?

[Nuke]

Yes. Normal knight.

knee-length mail hauberks with elbow-length sleeves, split at front and rear, conical helmets with a nasal bar, and leather or padded cloth greaves. mail stockings to protect their legs and feet. kite-shaped shield (paint decorated) Norman sword. 

Anything I have left out?  I haven't researched the undergarments yet...  Very thick materials I would suspect?..

[Sir Nate]

You covered most of it.
The under padding for the main hauberk is called a gambeson.
You'll need one that follows the shape of your hauberk.
Idk were to buy a knee length hauberk, I'm sure one of the knights could aid you with that.
Here this website has a decent selection of gambeson's.
It's also were I bought mine.
http://medievalcollectibles.com/c-12-arming-wear.aspx

[Aiden of Oreland]

You covered most of it.
The under padding for the main hauberk is called a gambeson.
You'll need one that follows the shape of your hauberk.
Idk were to buy a knee length hauberk, I'm sure one of the knights could aid you with that.
Here this website has a decent selection of gambeson's.
It's also were I bought mine.
http://medievalcollectibles.com/c-12-arming-wear.aspx

He can but he should buy a time appropriate gambeson. You can actually go to the links on the forum and explore the different sites. Or you can make your own if you want one that fits perfectly and is sure to be time appropriate! Allbeststuff.com has good quality, cheap, indian made armor maille. The only catch is the shipping. Darksword-armory.com and Albion-Swords has great sword selections that are fine and hardy.

[Thorsteinn]

I love me my stainless welded mail from Master Knuut. When I go for a riveted byrnie I'm just going to buy it.

[Mike W.]

I believe maille leggings wouldn't be appropriate for the average Norman knight. Only King Harold and Duke William are depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry as wearing maille leggings. Additionally, though gamebsons can be documented to as early as the late 10th century, they didn't become widespread until the 13th century. To be more representative, I'd skip the gambeson and maille leggings.

[Sir Edward]

That's true, the Norman knights generally just had somewhat longer hauberks to cover the legs, if I recall correctly.

[Sir Nate]

That's true, the Norman knights generally just had somewhat longer hauberks to cover the legs, if I recall correctly.

I read they may have been ankle length. Then they opened them down the center more to make horse riding more easily done

[Mike W.]

Ankle length seems a bit of an exaggeration. The vast majority of soldiers in mail in the Tapestry and other contemporary sources are shown with knee length hauberks with elbow length sleeves and integral coifs.

[Sir William]

Ankle length would be a lot of material flopping around while on horseback, beating the poor horse mid-gallop I should think.  That's not to say there was no such thing, but I wouldn't think it a viable option for a mounted knight or man-at-arms.  Seeing as maille wasn't an item that every warrior could afford, especially during the 11th and 12th centuries, I don't know that an infantryman would have such a long hauberk either.

[Sir Douglas]

I do seem to recall accounts of ankle length hauberks — was it Harald Hardrada's hauberk "Emma" that was suppose to be that long? I don't remember. — but you know how tough guys like to exaggerate. I'd say somewhere just below the knee would be more reasonable and practical for a long 'berk.