The Armour Archive

Steve,

I just got AAotMK and was looking through and found something interesting... You've probably answered this before and I apologize if this is a redundant question..


On page 176, there is a section of a riveted maille shirt, circa 15th century germany, that has a brass ring stamped "BERNART COUWEIN".

Is this the armourer, or the owner? Was this a common practice in maille?

Just a curious question.. thanks

Aidan

My guess is that this is a maker's mark, just as what you see with plate armour. Without being able to identify a specific person with the name, of course, we cannot be entirely certain exactly who is named - I suppose the shirt owner could have had his own name woven into his shirt for some reason.

However, I suspect it is a maker's mark.

I don't really have a feel for how common it was - certainly there are many extant pieces of maille with no makers ring. There are, however, also several pieces with makers' rings and/or other talismanic rings or combinations of rings woven into the maille.

Erik Schmid can probably speak to this with greater authority than can I.

Steve

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Forth Armoury
Highly authentic, affordable riveted maille.

The measure of a man is not in the steel of his skin but in the steel of his heart. - S. Sheldon

I still say *YOU* need to have brass makers rings made up, and you should put one in every hauberk/coif/whatever you make.

Seriously.

VvS

I think they stand out enough on their own, but a ring would be cool too