Why This Chainmail Shirt Is FASCINATING

[@tested]

The MET's Arms and Armor Department: www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/arms-and-armor Adam Savage Meets Real Armored Gauntlets: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2qQaoOid5J5Z7s Adam Savage Meets Real Ancient Swords: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXvcoXukqKqhbtE

[@SmokingMan26]

I know this series is going to have to end at some point but god i really don't want it to... LOVE it

[@jshlyrad]

Tell me about it.

[@j3tztbassman123]

Same

[@adamday6315]

Same here

[@tested]

We have a few more to come from this visit! And we’re always game for going back.

[@josephevans1415]

​@@testedPleeeease dont stop! Its such a great way for museums to show off the wealth of items they have tucked away. And having it explained in this way, with passion and clear explanations is priceless!

[@KevinsChili]

When I saw each individual ring had inscriptions on it, I almost fell off my chair!! What an amazing series of videos. Thank you Adam & Tested ❤

[@FectacularSpail]

And did they say the individual rings are riveted?? The amount of time that must have gone into making this is crazy.

[@Justowner]

@@FectacularSpail good chainmail was riveted in the past. Poor chainmail, the rings were simply bent into shape without any adhesion.

[@GrugTheJust]

I've seen chainmail like this a few times, it's gorgeous. There's also a lovely set at the MET in NYC where the rings are two tone colors to reveal Arabic script in the weave.

[@blackdragonxtra]

I'm filing this video away as "+3 Chainmail. while attuned, the wearer is under the 'protection from evil and good' spell."

[@myview5840]

The names are stamped with a dye, easier than inscribing

[@Han-rw9ev]

This chainmail's got some serious history. (I wasn't expecting a Taj Mahal connection). And the guy who cleaned it up became part of it as well.

[@missourimongoose8858]

During that time India was by far the most wealthy country on the planet

[@Lemingtona-x5g]

@@missourimongoose8858 it was the Mughal empire not India you think of today created by the British

[@DreamFearless]

This piece is _astonishing._ Its every aspect; of appearance, significance, craftsmanship, symbolism, age, history, restoration, has me wondering if this is literally the most beautiful chainmail in existence? Bravo! This team has restored a beautiful gift for the ages.

[@theeviljames]

I love Sean Belair's enthusiasm and passion - makes the subject extra engaging

[@ThomasThomas-wn3km]

Adam, Thank you so much for these interviews with the conservatores. Hearing the process they have to go through to clean and what the original builder went through to create such a beautiful piece. I know it was for use in battle. But, the original blacksmith went to a lot of extra work and time to also make it beautiful and give it great meaning. It is so fascinating. Thank you again! Listening to the conservator gives the piece so much more feeling. It's so great!

[@briw4647]

Watching this series has really opened my eyes. Like many, I assume, my introduction to armour and weapons was what I saw in movies. Heavy, clunky and solid. Seeing this, I have been surprised in the advanced methods and knowledge . Spring loaded mechanisms for jousting, rotating plate armour for knights, lightweight balanced swords. Amazing

[@cleverusername9369]

Adam Savage inspecting arms and armor is my probably favorite aspect of Tested, unless he's meeting Apollo equipment or anything Indiana Jones. There's just something about Adam's deep appreciation for the beauty, craftsmanship, and functionality of these magnificent pieces that is such a delight to watch.

[@tested]

Thank you for this!

[@GSAUS]

This has been an amazing series. This piece in particular is stunning.

[@tested]

More to come, too!

[@MrPolymath0]

For anyone wondering the Arabic inscription is a well known verse from the Quran called Ayat Al-Kursi on the left plate and the right plate has the next verse 2:256

[@patrickdiehl6813]

Absolutely fascinating piece of history and meticulous attention to detail. It would be a huge disrespect to it to clean in any other way that it was. Thanks for sharing this with us Adam 👊

[@gumpable]

Nothing better than an interview with someone passionate about their work with someone asking the questions almost equally passionate in curiosity of it.

[@Babarudra]

Thank you, Adam, for again giving a glimpse behind the scene at a museum. The mail is fantastic, but I love that the hard work that goes on in the rest of the day in the life of a museum, is being showcased. Most folks don't give the process behind an exhibit a second thought, and really at the end of the day, not everyone wants, and/or needs to know how the sausage is made. But I'm still glad that you gave a peak behind the curtain.

[@jerrywelch177]

Absolutely one of my favorite series! Constantly waiting for more

[@tested]

So glad to hear! We have a couple more to go from this last visit!

[@CannedMan]

Mr Savage, you’ve done and seen all the things you have and for sure have a big name, but you still come across as humble and curious. You are inspirational.

[@sunnny819]

insane piece of history right there glad its preserved now and not in a pile of rust. just imagine how much artifacts are hidden somewhere throughout this huge world! glad to see this pop up

[@isodoublet]

Humanity owes these guys a debt of gratitude for being such good stewards of our history.

[@Canis.Lupus.Arctos]

in 1 word: _appreciation_

[@MrTravbad]

I enjoyed watching Mythbusters and thought 'that would be fun to do' ... but Adams Arms and Armour visits ... im really envious of.

[@thegreyinitiate3680]

I’ve been blasting through all of these MET armor videos and I absolutely love them. This should honestly be just a full time series 😂 I’d love to watch an ongoing of them getting new pieces in and the processes they use to conserve them

[@j.r.millstone]

The googly eyes on the drill press is a nice touch.

[@eugenio5774]

What an absolutely glorious piece! The craftsmanship is so incredible... Making mail is painstakingly certosine work, can you imagine inscribing each ring with writing??

[@SaszaDerRoyt]

All the work that goes into cleaning and preserving beautiful pieces like this isreally a conservationist's love letter to the original artisans who laboured to make it in the first place, I have so much appreciation for the folks in this field and the work they do to preserve world heritage like this

[@corrinastanley125]

Thanks Adam and the Tested team, another really interesting episode.

[@tested]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting!

[@balcorn9211]

That is SO COOL! Sean was right on the money when he said he wants this mail to be on a ship leaving Earth when the sun is at the end of its life (in 4.5 billion years). That really should be the goal for preserving historical artifacts!

[@WhyDoesMyCodeNotCompile]

What an amazing piece of craftsmansship. Huge props to the people who restored this precious artifact

[@permanenttrack]

I love the end comments about the pieces they work on becoming part of their lives. And their lives, too, become part of the piece; they are become that piece. Just lovely.

[@fiend_gaming]

I always find it interesting to think about where these pieces of armor have gone throughout their existence. It was worn by, and then later passed around all the way until now where a legend(Adam) now shows us. It's creator could never even begin to imagine the journey his work would take.

[@cycoholic]

The MET Armour people need to keep this going in their own KZbin Series. ❤

[@cholulahotsauce6166]

Yeah, like the British museum. Get on that Met armor people.

[@maxipadi42069]

These are the absolute best please keep them coming!! More Asian armor would be cool 🎉

[@docskate4312]

"What's a few hundred hours to make this right?". I absolutely agree with him. May this piece survive us all.

[@johnburrows6542]

I love these interviews so much!

[@Broccli87]

Keep these historical style videos coming, im in my element

[@tested]

A few more to come!

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

A princely piece for sure & it would protect the wearer quite well. At least from cuts & most thrust. As an aside they also wore a linen shirt covered in prayers underneath their armour as well.

[@Javierm0n0]

When he mentioned the pliers i could see the "gotta find a pair for the workshop" idea forming in Adam's head xD. This is a fantastic piece o.o

[@boxhead6177]

Here is this amazing piece of history, art and conservation... can't stop looking at the googly eyes on the drill in the background when the camera pans to Adam

[@johnbullard2129]

Love the adventures you take us on. Thanks.

[@Topcatyo.]

This series has really been great, thanks for making these videos. I have a lot of respect for the restorer, too, I appreciate his commitment to truly preserving this relic for as long as possible.

[@zangmaster]

So cool. Love thay there's people so dedicated to preserving artifacts

[@OneofInfinity.]

Beautiful piece of history and craftmanship.

[@PieterBreda]

The craftsmanship is breathtaking.

[@ZeFroz3n0ne907]

It is just amazing that piece has survived in such great condition, amazing work conservationists!

[@williamkapp1110]

That was awsome. I've made chain, but that is way beyond. Amazing piece of work.

[@avoirdupois1]

I was so surprised at the intricacy of this piece, and the enthusiasm that Adam brings to the exposition.

[@anthonysunseri1865]

I love that Adam has been going on this historical arms and armor binge, it's been a lot of fun watching him nerd out over this stuff.

[@ericanderson2482]

Gave me chills remembering my visit to Agra and learning about the history. Great artifact.

[@nhansen197]

I made a chain mail vest once. Let's just say that's how far I got before I quit. The fact that each and every ring is stamped just blows my mind.

[@paulkinzer7661]

I've been fascinated by mail since I was a kid looking at old illustrations (I've still never seen any 'in the flesh' [which would be so very painful in its literal sense]). I still try to wrap my head around how it was not just made for the elite, but for lesser warriors as well, even though the work to make it had to be so time-consuming. These videos are wonderful, not only in what they discuss, but in what they show us of the folks who work on this history. The conservators you find are clearly passionate and knowledgeable, but also approachable and down-to-earth. I loved how, here, I was watching and listening to the detailed discussion, and then noticed the googly eyes on the drill press behind Adam. Well-placed!

[@edwardscott3262]

They mentioned in the video how often mail was repurposed, repaired and reused. Once weapons and armor were made reusing and recycling were the way to go. It was much easier to start with steel already mined, refined, and forged into something than it was to mine and create steel from nothing so it was done regularly.

[@tobiasprice5378]

Hey Adam and Tested team. I just wanted to say thank you for all the work and content you put it. It's always such a joy and peaceful experience. I watch you while I work on things and it always manages to bring focus and still be informative. Thank you.

[@davidcarr3337]

Missed opportunity @ 0:21 “You’ve got Mail”

[@erinkarp]

This series has been so good omg!!!

[@l-l]

Breathtaking piece

[@ColdTakes585]

The amount of hours and skilled craftsmanship that must have gone into creating such an intricate, beautiful piece, especially taking into account the technology available during its creation, is truly unfathomable. Just awe inspiring work!!

[@nightshade7240]

As someone who makes chainmaille and is utterly fascinated by everything to do with it, this is such a fantastic video!

[@elideaver]

The inscriptions on each ring is amazing

[@malagastehlaate230]

That is an amazing piece! Fantastic ... can't imagine the effort and time put into restoring that and cleaning it but... wow amazing.

[@86fifty]

Heck yeah more Arms and Armor videos! I love these so much :)

[@michaelburbank2276]

The smile Adam releases at 9-minute mark, is a true testament that you can teach and old dog a new trick! Ego less craftsmen right there

[@Prophes0r]

One of the few things I really disagree with about the restoration of pieces like this is the "Hiding without hiding" part. I feel that, just like OTHER repairs in regular life, close-but-not-the-same makes something look confusing and TERRIBLE. I think alterations should be OBVIOUS. They should tell their own story. They SHOULDN'T hide. And, especially for a museum piece, I would take this to the extreme. I'm talking about doing the repairs with magenta or lime-green nylon rings. The kind of repair that REALLY tells you "I'm here to help you see what the overall shape might be like. But there is NO mistaking that I'm original." Pieces being missing can often tell a story. Or they might just cause one to ponder about their existence. "Why are these joining rings all missing? Do they wear out faster? Were they a poor design and frequently broke?" "Is that missing patch the result of a battle? Was this part repaired with a different material while on a campaign, and that material was poor quality and rotted away?" Further; keeping something TOO close to the original can twist people's idea of a thing. Many things dealing with arms & armor were practically (or actually) disposable. (Example: Leather scabbards were for field-use, and rarely lasted a few seasons) Showing something remade to look "whole" can cause some serious misconceptions about how durable something is, or how long it was expected to last.

[@Thomas_Esson]

I might not go full-on magenta or lime... but otherwise totally agreed. Or at the least, provide a super clear diagram delineating which portions are replica. Always hate having to track down a docent to figure this out.

[@slome815]

I don't agree at all, this clearly wasn't a disposable item, and when you say "Many things dealing with arms & armor were practically (or actually) disposable." That's also not really true, just the sheer amount of rehilted swords, mismatching and adapted armor show this. There aren't to many metal tools and weaponry or armor that were disposable in general until very recently. Where do you even draw the line, is medieval armor repaired and restored in the 16th to 19th century fine? If it's battle damage, or things that were destroyed on purpose like the weaponry and jewelry at Illerup adal, no museum is going to hide that. But you're talking about damage from a couple of centuries of corrosion and neglect. Also, just imagine if art museums would do what you say, there wouldn't be a single painting made before the 20th century that wouldn't be either nearly completely black, or a mess of flashy colors. With buildings there is also discussion on a similar subject, on the one hand you had architects like Viollet-le-Duc, who did full restorations, often filling in the blanks with his own creation. This gives historic buildings (or city in the case of carcasonne) a purpose, gets tourists in, and gives a new lease of life. On the other hand you had Charles Reed Peers, who's school of thought was to leave ruins like they are, and not to restore them. The problem is that we have always been rebuilding and restoring buildings, For example, there are very, very few gothic cathedrals with their original timber roof structure, the vast majority of those burned down, and were replaced, from the 19th century onwards often with cast iron or steel structures. You could never tell that from the outside, so we still get to know and enjoy what a gothic cathedral looks like.

[@Prophes0r]

@@slome815 Obviously the chain fabric isn't disposable. Metal parts rarely are. That wasn't the point of my second argument. My point is that replacing everything that is missing and attempting to make it look "whole" gives people the wrong idea about how durable/long-lasting these items were on average, since everybody wants to display a "whole" piece. The painting argument? Well yes that does sort of break mine. That stuff is so fragile that it slowly dissappears over the ages without constant maintenance. Surely there must be a middle ground though. I have seen too many objects that, upon close inspection, are 95% rebuilt. And that has always felt disingenuous.

[@archivist17]

So much history in one exhibit! And plenty more to discover yet.

[@xcreeseseater38]

These amazing museum episodes remind me so much of an Antique Roadshow vibe, but for ultra rare stunning one of a kind historical artifacts. I cant get enough

[@LewHarriman]

Fabulous work. Thanks for the history, Sean, and for everything you guys do! (And thanks Adam, for letting us all know about it in such an engaging format.)

[@jezlawrence720]

"whats a few hundred hours against *that*?" Well said, that man, and thankyou on behalf of that objects rich past and future.

[@bear1255]

Amazing! I'm familiar with this mail but I never knew the rings were individually stamped thank you for this information

[@polishedpebble4111]

I'd prefer if additions are made to a historic piece for structural reasons, or a more complete silhouette, that those additions be something like bright red. So we can clearly see what is original and what isn't.

[@OurCognitiveSurplus]

This series is amazing. Never stop.

[@BauldyBoys]

I see all this stuff online to be depressed about and then there is Adam just getting psyched on cool shit and it brings me back to earth. Focus on the fun stuff people, there is so much too be excited about.

[@tested]

Love your comment. Thank you for taking the time to make it; it really means a lot to us.

[@nathkrupa3463]

Oh man you are awesome 😊great work sir thanks for sharing

[@kevinwhitehead6076]

Please continue the content from the METs collection!

[@pyro3446]

If it was given out as a gift, you would keep it until you expire, change it to fit your new growing body as you age and gain a belly and add a few links to the center. its like going to your grandmothers for dinner you wear the shirt she got you.

[@allenrodgers1577]

More!!! I need more, Love these videos

[@MarceloVolcato]

That's one beautiful piece of armor.

[@JohnThorpe1623]

What a remarkable piece! So thankful you brought it to our attention!

[@SolaceEasy]

Talk about the passion.

[@CiroMastino]

These episodes are 🔥🔥🔥

[@Psychlist1972]

That's absolutely beautiful

[@marshallmorris88]

I have to wonder if this was refit over time if the lettering /script changes over a period could be an indicator. Very beautifully done and thankful for the care in preservation.

[@tigershirew7409]

There is the saying "there is never enough time to do it right, but there is always time to do it over." Which is true, but also a terrible way to go about things. I very much appreciate that folks like yourself and others who work in preservation just "do it right". This truly is a fascinating shirt. I also love that you have googly eyes on your drill press.

[@dogenjinn4806]

Truly, a beautifully crafted item. 😮

[@jerryglasses2229]

I lived a few block from that mueseum as a kid. been there more times than i can count. The arms and armor section was my favorite.

[@nuancedhistory]

This is incredible. The Apotropaic protection of the inscription is truly fascinating.

[@waynebimmel6784]

Mail is prone to damage from wearing alone and needs constant repair if worn in the field. Wouldn't it be sacrilegious to not immediately repair any damage in a good as new quality? Seems like a huge religious liability.

[@nuancedhistory]

@@waynebimmel6784 that's not how maille works at all. Maille is self cleaning and incredibly easy to maintain. The only reason you would even think it wasn't is because Indian-made maille hauberks are really badly made and are what are used by the overwhelming majority of reenactors.

[@Rage_Benny]

Fun to watch you are still learning every day even with your knowledge and experience, keeps it interseting doesn't it Adam ?

[@jaredkennedy6576]

Amazing detail, both in the construction and restoration of that piece. I also have that same drill press. 70ish years old, and better than nearly anything you can get these days. Just goes to show that when purpose and craftsmanship take the priority over profit, amazing and long lived things can be made

[@TheRealInscrutable]

A few hundred hours of cleaning. I'm glad that there are people that can sit there and do that every day and feel fulfilled. I am unqualified for that job by temperament. In a natural history museum I watched some volunteers removing the plaster protective layer from a shipment of dinosaur fossilizes. With dental picks. One small scratch at a time. Good lighting and lots of magnification. The people in that room were all over 70 - they had l;earned patience in their lives.

[@StoutHammerForge]

I love the videos and am so jealous! I used to read every arms and armor book I could find when I was a kid and I would give so much for these back stage views

[@NitaKerns]

Omg the satisfaction Knauer must've felt when he completed that cleaning ☺️

[@Violianom]

Dang good work! Can't imagine working months on end to clean the thing. Though it must've felt like unraveling a gift or something. Totally worth it

[@bigsarge2085]

That's awesome.

[@ajcole5967]

Royal Armorers Museum in Leeds Uk would make Adam pass out with excitement !!!

[@cherifgrib]

People back were truly artists

[@DaHaiZhu]

Making Chainmail seems like such a Zen experience.

[@bruneti12]

Well, that guy had one of the most powerful men of the time breathing on his neck, expecting only the highest quality. I don't know how zen that would be!

[@robadams1645]

The "making of" extras on the Lord of the Ring movies has a bit where the Weta people talk about making all the mail for the movies. It's plastic but the concept is the same. They definitely got into a certain mindset for the months it took them.

[@nela9994]

It’s like knitting, just in metal.

[@Glorfindel_117]

I would like to encourage the MET (if they see this) to consider making videos with Adam even with some of their 'boring' pieces. They mention they have thousands of random pieces and scraps away in storage. Even if they just pick a random lame of armour that they think came from a gauntlet, and then have Adam come in and do a show and tell, compare it to similar pieces in storage, and then show a gauntlet that it would have once been on. I know "content" has to be gripping and engaging and overtly interesting these days, but I hope they (and you, Adam) realize your audience are largely crafters. We simply like seeing crafted things, and I think most of us would love presentations of 'random' pieces that serve no real purpose for the museum, but are still cool pieces of armour or weapons, that we can reference and think about as crafters. I really love this series of videos, and I hope that even after they run out of cool flashy display pieces, they still keep doing more, and try to shed some light on the smaller nitty gritty pieces they have stocked up.

[@tylergodefroy8713]

i cant imagine how much work it took to create this incredible armor

[@JoshuaFontany]

My silat school has found a way to remove surface rust on old pieces with shop-pencil-graphite. We are still testing, but it is MUCH less destructive than grinding & may be comparible or even better than the wirebrush work mentioned.

[@mindbomb2000]

There is nothing like hearing an expert talk about their passion. Thank you, Sean Belair. And thanks Adam for bringing this to us.

[@zargonfuture4046]

Fascinating

[@alexfunke214]

Aha! Adam, while you are at the Met Armor department, have them show you the hand made prototype of the US Army helmet! Fascinating story.

[@wallyschmidt4063]

What would be very interesting would be the MET doing a utube channel on their reconstruction/repair of ancient armour.

[@JDS1592]

Dear Adam, You have stars in your eyes. The invention lies with the depths of this mail, but the truth is with held for it is an original masterpiece modeled from the Prince Ruperts drop. Good luck and may the harp ever be in your favor. First clue is invent shun.