How To Make Chain Mail

Once an essential component of a medieval warrior’s armour, chain mail or rather 'maille' was a treasured and expensive possession, passed down through generations. Today, it remains a coveted costume piece among the historic reenactors who continue to wear it into battle. But have you ever wondered how it is created? We joined traditional maille makers Nick Checksfield and Mark Hale to reveal the skills and process of making a full coat of maille, which can have around 2.8 kilometers of wire within it and take up to a year to create.
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#HowTo #Medieval #ChainMail

[@lcngnear2374]

“So, you have a job?” “Yeah, im a mailman” “Oh you deliver mail?” “ *n o* “

[@zoleroid7027]

Maille man

[@catspaw3815]

now you're yanking my chain

[@greenwoodorganics4681]

Technically they do deliver mail

[@raspillade6027]

"It's an honor to be able to continue to study the history of mail and share our knowledge." It's an honor to watch your amazing craftsmanship and intense dedication on KZbin.

[@ShiningAndStarstruck]

my late dad used to make chain mail armor, he even taught me how to do it. he also built motorcycles from scratch and painted them himself since he was a natural artist.

[@Beowulf-eg2li]

if you have kids or are planning on having them, please teach them what you know from your father :)

[@redblade5556]

A craftsman indeed...

[@littleriverfarm6920]

Wow, that's how it made?!? I have all those tools. And a new goal in life.

[@littleworldkanthima5949]

If you are making it, can I have an update?

[@gunslinger7857]

How’s the mail ?

[@sumerrana6805]

all the best bro

[@Lantanum057]

@@littleworldkanthima5949 he is in the Virtual World now

[@hellohowareyou7495]

Update?

[@ujlt7198]

they work so wholesomely together

[@ISquintsI]

When I see things like this it really amazes me how people hundreds of years ago created this. People really are amazing and were so much more advanced then I realized they were back then

[@zysis]

Find "Made by one Man" here.

[@Maeglin7936]

That skill clearly requires the artisan to have beyond god level patience.

[@AdrienneMorrisa]

I learned how to make chainmail last year. I don't do riveted chain, which is what they show in this video, so it takes me a little less time to make something, but I ended up making a vest for myself, and let me tell you... your comment is VERY true.

[@thetemplar8167]

@@AdrienneMorrisa if you don't do riveted then you don't do armor, if you want you could try to use the blowtorch to unify the rings and make a much better armor than just the butted mail, it would stop the rings from falling down or being opened during exercise.

[@AdrienneMorrisa]

@@thetemplar8167 Yeah, I don't do armor at all, I just do jewelry, and my vest is purely for decoration.

[@TheTonySRich]

There is a term for that level of patience It's called OCD

[@Mrdevs96]

@@TheTonySRich lmao true

[@whatglassessees3368]

Doctor: you only have 5 minutes left to live Me:

[@whatglassessees3368]

LagiNaLangAko23 indeed

[@lukesmith262]

So originial

[@liamsomeone6333]

Most original comment I've ever seen

[@krisguntner4805]

ANSWER: Very freaking slowly.

[@nickchecksfield333]

Beer helps

[@IcchiNutz]

And carefully

[@masonjellison4319]

I was wondering this for a long time

[@tanjapetties9965]

Thank you for the history lesson English Heritage. I never would have known it takes up to a year to complete a coat of armour..

[@1Aldreth]

I just finished my riveted maille standard (like a collar that protects neck and shoulders) a few weeks ago and it took ages... And I didn't even make my own links... Much respect to these craftsmen.

[@IEATUO]

Oh my lord that is a brutal amount of detail

[@ronstarkronstark500]

Absolutely brilliant. Completely compelling and awe-inspiring. My fathers was a tool and die maker as was my grandfather. But ‘twas nothing compared to this. Thanks not only for the privilege of viewing but for telling a story few really are aware of. I’m sure there’s more and I, for one, encourage whatever parts 2, or 3 or more there may be. Thank you thank you and many times more.

[@mtnation2923]

You’re trying so hard.

[@davidoberle9023]

I want the Master Mailler to make a KZbin channel. Just set up some cameras and let them roll. I'd just watch him for hours.

[@rhijulbec1]

MORE! MANY MORE like this! I love that history is being kept alive like this~someone asked in another comment why this is still done. One word says it all. History. Keeping history alive is paramount to our existence. We are the most curious of animals on earth. We not only keep our past alive, but we also leave history for our future humans to learn from. It's an inate need. Please, please do more of these. Jenn 💖 in Canada 🍁

[@COJ.Island]

It took a year to create? Wow amazing!!!

[@majstealth]

i can tell you, i only added some parts to mine, both only open bended springsteel rings, but even this with already ready to use rings takes hours to net together.....

[@genijable]

If you take your chain mail just to LARP or you do not want to make it historically acurate you can make it in far less time. Especially with modern tools. I made one for myself(I am a student) in just under 2 and a half months. But I did not connect the rings by rivets, because of that I have replace bend rings pretty often.

[@shivampassi7303]

hi maybe chandmal banata ho

[@ka850]

i like it that there are crafts men still working on the art. thank you for the video.

[@AlecEburhard]

How did they make enough for warriors back then?

[@FullThrottleAxolotl1]

I made my first chain mail today. Took about four hours from wire to 22 rows of seven strip. It’s fun to play with in ur hand. I’m hooked, or better, looped lol. This is so much to make. I’d love to learn how to make a basic vest

[@snakee2-p2k]

Is hard?

[@simongee8928]

Considering the time, skill and cost of producing a sit of mail, I'm surprised that other simpler types of protection that were much cheaper, faster and easier to make weren't so popular.

[@nickchecksfield1066]

There were loads of different types, (leather, horn, felt, linen, etc) but they aren't shiny so don't get much air time

[@samanerajacob6058]

This is absolutely beautiful work. I picked up maille making as a hobby nearly a year ago, and have almost completed my first butted maille hauberk. I hope that one day I will come close to this level of skill

[@shockwave6213]

It could take a year with 1 person doing it from scratch. Making the rings from wire, making the tiny rivets, which are themselves just little tiny bits of wire and hammering the ends into a flat plate section and drifting the rivet hole. In a medieval armor workshop, there was probably a guy who did 1 part of that task all day, every day. You got the guy who draws and rolls the wire into rings on a mandrel, the guy who cuts and flattens the ring ends, a guy who drifts the rivet holes and finally a guy who probably has a bucket of finished rings, loops them together and finally rivets the last ring per weave shut. I bet a high class workshop could turn out 15 to 20 full sized hauberks a month if they only made new ones. A hauberk could last over 300-400 years if the owners who acquire them over time take care of them and get regular maintenance. Especially if the piece was handed down among families with a tradition of military service. Its entirely feasible that a knight of the 1400s could be wearing a handed down hauberk from the 1100s that was shortened by removing a large amount of the leg protection and sleeves to make a Haubergeon to wear under the newer generation of plate armor.

[@simonandsimbagaming]

I imagine any maille that old would become a bit of a ship of Theseus situation, what with all the repairs it would go through.

[@shockwave6213]

@@simonandsimbagaming There was also the concern that the rings would actually grind themselves down on each other over time. The rings would get thinner and thinner over a long time as they scraped on each other during movement. But yeah, I bet some shirts were probably only 30% original rings LOL

[@antonintresl1761]

The difference between the classic LARP chain mail and this is so obvious it hurts. Awesome work. Friend of mine tried to make a complete mail shirt once, but after few hours he decided to make a coif and be done with it XD The amount of required patience is astronomical.

[@neferet501]

I started making chain maille for LARP in the UK, but these guys are truly dedicated, making the rings from scratch. I wish I had the time and dedication to do what they can :)

[@lincolnmcgowan]

Oh cool!!! My ancestors crafted mail armor too. In fact they were all Scottish blacksmiths + did different kinds of metalwork including the chain mail stuff

[@chrysides]

I have no words for their patience.....

[@RinLockhart]

The closest I've ever been to seeing chainmail was a special glove used in Chipotle to keep hands safe from sharp knives.

[@raraavis7782]

Rin Lockhart I recently saw something like that...it was meant to hold mussels while you pry them open with a knife. I was quite fascinated. It felt surprisingly light and supple.

[@MRKapcer13]

That, too, is a form of mail, although it's butted (not riveted like here) and obviously made out of stainless steel or other non-corrosive material.

[@HomoLegalMedic]

@LocalToast What does this have to do with gloves that protect from knives?

[@nedinu9940]

I used to slice meat in a deli and we had a similar glove for cleaning the slicers.

[@williamwilliam5066]

America has no history. Or worthy culture.

[@leeshackelford7517]

Back in 1979 I started playing D&D. Made my own maps and adventures even.... I forget which year, but i found a coffeeshop in downtown San Jose CA.... The owner ran BIG D&D games there..... Also.....he made chain armor. I forget if it was riveted or not......but....I got to put on a completed set of chain...... Not too heavy, and really cool. (IIRC, the coffee shop was called Bandersnatch.......)

[@faisalhadi511]

OMGi didn't know why this wasn't already recommended to me by the algorithm. Full mail chain mail till head where u can only see the eyes is my favorite. It just look so cool and fearsome to me 💪

[@CyberKingSAL]

Absolutely fascinating stuff. It's so interesting to see the time-consuming process of making mail and there's no way I would ever have the patience to do it. Nice educational video English Heritage.

[@ronbird121]

this is just art, i make butted mail and this is hard work alone, i would never reach this true perfection.

[@ronbird121]

im still not finished with my shirt

[@markofthedevil845]

Ive done 100,000 links for various stuff and it's still as fun as day 1 every time even through pain and frustrating times it's so relaxing. Sober sports

[@MrFarnanonical]

My favorite type of armor.

[@Mrdevs96]

was looking for the traditional method and this is the riveted joining which i was looking for. Such a strange and amazing skill. Thanks for sharing

[@Chill-mm4pn]

So much patience and skill.👍🏿

[@hoovillian9293]

Beautiful craftsmanship , thank you for sharing

[@shellbug3100]

I find this stuff sooo interesting... ty for sharing it w/us 😍 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@MRKapcer13]

A beautiful video and an excellent craftsman. I love the Milanese armour hanging in the background when the whole set is shown. I want to get into armour-making too at some point, though I doubt I'll make mail - it just takes far too much patience.

[@cap-a-piemaille4321]

Thank you, that's my personal harness which i'm currently learning to ride in for jousting

[@MRKapcer13]

Milanese style of armour is probably my favourite ever. Is this one based on a specific example(s), or the general aesthetic?

[@032319581]

Fascinating. Great demonstration.

[@RogueAgent96]

General Sam led me here

[@Aneokame]

Wow, what a great episode.

[@dells8504]

2:34 cute little anvil there...

[@pattyb8736]

Thank you for making this video. My third-grade class wondered what “chainmail” was when they ran across the word when we were practicing the “ai” spelling for the long a sound. Short but a great explanation. Now we’ll use visual clues to figure out what “anneal” means!

[@touchmycamerathroughthefence]

It's absolutely fascinating to see how much work and craftsmanship goes into making maille armor. 2:51 just making that wedge shaped rivet looks very difficult

[@michaelvrooman5681]

My buddy made a full set of chain mail out of electric fence wire. He wrapped it around a 3/8" steel rod and cut the rings with a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel. Then used a needle nose pliers to assemble the rings.

[@1incutheta]

I just want to sit in that room and watch.

[@nickchecksfield333]

Always welcome, it's a great cure for insomnia🙂

[@curiousotter2056]

Fuck that

[@mr.pooples2871]

Brilliant

[@tolga1cool]

That has to be the cutest anvil I have ever seen

[@tamasnagy9214]

Hihetetlen nagy türelmet igénylő munka. Elismerésem!

[@bjw4859]

That was an amazing video, I was lucky enough to meet a real mail maker & got to try on a hood & vest, I could barely move, they should teach these things at school.

[@skjoldgames]

This is so cool, definitely deserves far more than 100K views!

[@Hevynly1]

Wow! I have a new appreciation. Great upload!

[@colleen523]

This was so awesome, thank you.

[@justynatarnowska6134]

Amazing craftmen!

[@catherinegoldie3432]

So amazing 💕

[@crittert7828]

Fascinating🎈

[@kap79]

Fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

[@cpom5075]

A man with a very large forehead and his virtual son sent me here.

[@1aikane]

Fantastic! Wish I could have a set for posterity.

[@sapphirejade5029]

Absolutely insanely incredible! History lives on through the hands of wonderful talented artistans. Would love to try it it but I'd probably lose my head in the first five minutes of even trying it unless having god tier patience.😅

[@ronstarkronstark500]

Small and wonderful world. While I can hand-machine small things lathe work is outside my good self. As an art conservator my science is better served. But I’d bet if I lived close to your shop I’d find a reason to pop in and at least sweep the floor!

[@nickchecksfield333]

Always welcome🙂

[@jamesgunn8544]

That is amazing

[@kmed92]

More! More! More on Maille!

[@driftinghobbies277]

would love a full series were we get to watch you make a full set of mail

[@jamesalexander8193]

I can imagine a armour maker would have loads of appropriates all making little patches of mail to later be all joined into one shirt.

[@SharkWrestler]

Took me a year to make my first butted maille shirt, unhistorical and far easier to make than theirs. Looking to buy myself some riveted maille gear, but it goes into the hundreds to buy.

[@alceon1]

Took me a year too. Now I'm starting a second shirt made from iron wire and smaller rings. It'll still be butted, but will look and feel better

[@keystonerenovation8687]

QUESTION: It is amazing to see how it was made back in the day and the dedication required. However, the rings were made by coiling steal wire into a spring then cutting into rings. My question is. How did they form the steal wire in 700AD in order to make the springs? I know today we use lots of heavy machinery to heat up and roll out a steal billet, but i wonder how it was done in the old days.

[@clonegreivou]

I came here wondering the same

[@nickchecksfield333]

The draw plate was around from at least the 11th century possibly before. But before that came about hot billets were hammered, twisted and pulled at the same time to get it down to about the right thickness then just pull though a hole in a plate to even out the wire (that plate didn't need to be steel as it wasn't changing the wire size. It was also sometimes from a strip which is the hammered into a kind of Swiss roll then drawn down like the other way. All hugely time consuming.Hope that helps

[@johnoakley6362]

@@nickchecksfield333 , Hi Nick, just letting you know I've watched this excellent video, and you still boggle my mind with your skill and patience. It's so rewarding to me to see how far you have come over all these years, very well done!

[@jbayg]

Very soothing video to watch

[@anishapoorwakispotta7754]

Satisfying af

[@codythedoggo7671]

Insane stuff

[@clairdecat7630]

So mesmerizing! What a cool job!

[@vickinoble4744]

This is absolutely amazing. Thank you!

[@HappyCamper84]

2.8km! 😮 Fascinating!

[@DobleWhiteAndStabley]

Oh. I learned a new thing to make my armor. A stamp for the trimming rings. . . Sigh, now I need to make one. 😂

[@giovannifontanetto9604]

It always amazes me how people in developed countries can focus on such tasks.

[@Bricecenturion974]

Who the hell did come up with this idea in the first time ? Really like the first guy be like : " Yeah let's try doing little spring of metal and attached them together" Such a skill

[@heksogen4788]

This is state of the art chainmail, not the one mass produced in medieval.

[@rnbrineg]

I can't even knit a full sized blanket. This would be like if I made a house out of wool yarn that I had sheared, spun, and dyed myself.

[@miekekuppen9275]

Great video!

[@djay6651]

Used a lot of techniques I learned close to 20 years ago from sites like Armour Archive and the Maille Artisans International League. I have a pair of punch tongs with wedge shaped drifts. It's much faster that hand drifting. I also got a more consistent peen by using a small hammer with the peening pliers.

[@RandomAmerican3000]

Not quite what I was looking for, but interesting none the less.

[@nou4371]

This is fascinating

[@grisha9982]

thank! best compilation!

[@anthoines1864]

very nice video.

[@CanIHasThisName]

The video quality is great, but I honestly have to say that I was also very interested in seeing how the wire was made.

[@mistydelahay9255]

This was so interesting and impressive. Thank you!

[@simonbryce9542]

Thanks EH, the workshop looks awesome. Love the content really informative can you get them to do more videos please

[@neroreen]

Those Roman battles were hella expensive!

[@kaydensom3810]

1:20 He tried stabbing with an axe 🤣🤣🤣

[@UrbanTiger74]

Holy crap thats dedication

[@Metalfan-ve1zg]

Imagine if Mrs. Crocombe joined in

[@TheRostami]

This is how Persian warriors invented and made these beautiful armours!!! sasanian great knight! First knights in history! Long live Iran!

[@miguelvasquez8650]

Hermoso

[@xxlCortez]

It seems near unthinkable that people with medieval tech were capable of creating something like that. I thought there has to be a trick for it because just by looking at a chain mail makes one wonder how much work was put into it.

[@nickchecksfield333]

The amazing thing is they were doing it 400BC and were sometimes made with half the rings being solid which is really tricky to do 🙂

[@gabrielh7517]

So Much Effort

[@OneCupOfCoffee204]

Awesome. Each ring is flattened and riveted. I wonder how much a typical chain armour weighs? Do you then harden the finished product?

[@nickchecksfield1066]

Good mail seems to have been, case hardened, effectively giving a thin steal coating to each ring. For a full head to toe harness for say the 13th century, would be about 25kgish. Hope that helps

[@XacXado]

Why do you “draw the wire?” At 1:37. I have not seen that done before. Is the to ensure wire straightness before winding? Also, for annealing, do you go back and harden the maille?

[@AquaticFlapper125]

Fire

[@evanscammell4194]

gosh imagine trying to make an entire army those. That must have been crazy hard

[@BrunoDeMarques]

Sooner or later, it’s coming into fashion again

[@nmspy]

Useful in London