Durability of aluminum chain mail under breastplate

[Kevin the Hound]

After seeing Janos' amazing looking kit I realized what I want to do with mine. I have a globose multi-plate breastplate from Ice Falcon along with Ice's splinted legs and spaulders. I've been trying to figure out how to fill in the gap between the bottom of the breastplate and the leg armor. Seeing Janos' kit told me the answer: Chainmail! I have a galvanized steel wire hauberk that weighs close to 40 pounds, but it's just too heavy for my leg joints to tolerate at my age (if I'd started wearing it at age 14, though...). Anyway, I'm looking for aluminum chain mail to wear with this kit. Trouble is, I've seen the prices for the "combat quality" suits and, "gee whiz" $500 plus for a mid-sleeve hauberk...man I've got good taste! I could probable sell my steel hauberk for around $200 or so, but I've still got to pony up the rest. My real question is: what grade of aluminum chain mail can I get away with using in this application? It will be under the breastplate/spaulders and hang down to mid-thigh or so. I hope someone can clue me in. Thanks!

Kevin the Hound with really good taste in armor

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Pars Acuta in Alio (The Pointy End Goes into the Other Man)

[Steve S.]

Kevin:

The latest Museum Replicas catalog has riveted aluminum maille for sale. I don't remember the price but I do remember their riveted steel shirts to for $700. Their aluminum shirt only weighs like 7 pounds!

However, in a couple of months I will have very authentic maille made of fully flattened 18GA steel rings. The should weigh less than 20 pounds. They will be available with either "European" style wedge rivets or "Eastern" round rivets.

Steve

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Forth Armoury
The Riveted Maille Website!

[KeggeR]

[b]Kevin:[/b}

If you are looking for uppper leg protection I would go for a chainmail skirt made from 12 gauge Alum. Lord Charles has great deals on loose 12 G ALUM links and they are very nice and light weight.

-Adam

[schreiber]

Or make it yourself.
I've got the finger callous once again from making mail... this time I'm working with aluminum, and egads, is it easy. The first couple of square inches I did with my fingers alone.

Which got me worried about it... I haven't tested it in combat yet (current piece to be an aventail), but if I grab one end and have my wife grab the other, I can drag her around the house with no noticable defects. That's 14g 3/8" ID.

Finding wire's a bitch, tho... I had to settle for house cable (the kind of stuff that feeds a breaker box) from HD... stripping it is loads of fun.

I've spent about 6 hours of half hearted TV work on it so far and I'm half done with the camail.

Mail pyjamas, here I come...
HELMUT

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Bridging the gap between his contemporaries, Helmut wore boxer- briefs.

[Clay]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Which got me worried about it... I haven't tested it in combat yet (current piece to be an aventail), but if I grab one end and have my wife grab the other, I can drag her around the house with no noticable defects. That's 14g 3/8" ID.</font>

Well, maybe I got some softer temper wire than you did, because I found its strength to be pretty comparable to 16ga galvanized when I used 14ga 3/8" rings. I could close them with my fingers with relative ease and I wouldn't trust it for combat. But that's just me.

[Dwarlock]

I've seen the rivited al mailee as low as $475, but it averages around $550.

no matter what you use one thing you mus to is make sure all the cormners on your armour are verry rounded, I'm talking round enough that there is no way for an edge to get stuck in a ring. If you don't do this, rivited or not, you'll have moth holes all over your armour.

[Karl-Magnus]

Kevin,

12.5G Alum rings are plenty strong enough to stand up to SCA Combat as just a hauberk. If you are going to have supplemental plate (the GLobose and Spaulders you mentioned) there should be no problem at all.

I Find the Alum very easy to work with..I wouldn't trust a ring closed by hand though. I have a 3/4 sleeve mid thigh hauberk that weighs in at just over 15#'s ( I am 5'8" 210 for comparison)

I second the warning about rounding the edges of your harness to avoid a snag and a possible tear in your maille.

RLTW

Just wanted to give Ld. Charles a nod as the suppliers of the alum in my shirt...you can't go wrong with him.

[This message has been edited by Karl-Magnus (edited 05-08-2001).]

[Lord Charles]

Biggest problem out there with aluminum for armor is that there are as many different types of aluminum as there are sand on a beach.

You get the right stuff for what your wanting and aluminum can be your friend.

I personally feel it is the best material around for modern chainmaille armor.

That being said, 14G aluminum is pretty weak for armor unless you make small rings or use a re-enforced weave like 6-1 or kings maille.

Best all around alum for armor in a 4-1 weave is 12.5G 3/8" I.D. rings. I swear by the stuff.

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Épreuves plus quo noús pouvons décrire

Lord Charles DeCordené
Fyrd, Mallet, Torse (Calontir)
Squire of the body, Sir Donatto El Lobo

DeCordené WireWorks and Chainmaille Discussion Board

dccharles@hotmail.com

[Raselsnarf]

Well, I have been doing chain maille for about 6 years now. For what you are wanting to do, my best suggestion is to do a chain maille skirt. We did one for my knight not too long ago. Being that the skirting he had on his Cuirasse made him look like a Weeble Wobble when he wore is tabard over his armor. We sewed it onto a web belt with sinew (SP?) and then just lace it in the back. Works great and is light weight. Only weighs about 7 Lbs and that if for a man who is quite large and is made from 14 Guage 3/8 ID Stainless steel rings. Purchased from the Ring Lord.

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Kiernan Delaney
The Drunken Irishman