Q: How much would a suit of chainmail cost in Medieval times?
A: If you include the weapons and a horse, it would be equivalent to the
price of a house today.
Q: Do you know of anywhere to buy pre-cut links?
A: There are several sites on the web that sell links, one is
The Armour Guy's Custom Maille. You can find other sites at Infoseek by searching for chainmail.
Q: Do you do anything to the ends of the links?
A: No, just push them together and they should keep their form. In Medieval
times they would flatten each end and rivet them together. If you want
to do that - go for it - you will have a working suit of chainmail in
about 20 years!
Just in case you are wondering, don't shoot arrows at your chainmail or
stab it with a sword. The links will pull apart and anyone wearing the
chainmail will die. This is bad.
Q: Can I use a dremel drill.
A: You can but be very careful. (The sparks can really be painful) Make sure you use fiber glass reinforced cutoff wheels. (they don't break as easy.)
Q: Which way should my chainmail hang?
A: Chainmail should always hang closed. See diagram below. I also run the
sleeves in the same way.
Q: Can I link to your site?
A: Knock yourself out! Use this page anyway you can. Please do not take
credit for it or make money off of it! Anyone caught "selling" this
material will be attacked by a band of battle-hungry Vikings!
Special thanks to Leon Greene, Kevin (Dragonfrek), Lewis, Nathaniel Galletta, Sunshyn and Hil for their advise, questions, and interest.
Q: Did I learn this in shop class?
A: No, a friend of mine taught me this.
Q: Am I ripping people off?
A: No I have very cheap prices.
Q: Where do I get my wire.
A: I get my wire at Feldmans for about $15 a 1/4 mile. If you don't have a Feldman's near you, you can also go to Builder's Square or Ace Hardware and get the wire by 100 ft for $5.
