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Aventail- stainless or mild
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:10 pm
by William de Faleston
I've put off buying an aventail for too long. The vervilles I installed on the bascinet two years ago are starting to look silly without it. My big question now is whether to go with stainless or mild. I'm looking at Duke Icefalcon's 9 mm flat riveted blackened, and from what I hear, excessive shinyness won't be a problem. The cost is what's making me hesitate. Going mild would free up cash to buy new elbow cops and other goodies.
Having never dealt with mail, how much trouble is it going to be to take care of a mild aventail? Is going stainless really worth the added expense? Are there easy techniques for keeping rust off an aventail? Any significant weight difference?
Any thoughts would be appreciated
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:12 pm
by Vitus von Atzinger
I don't know how they do it but my squires have non-stainless mail and it's NEVER rusty.
Ask Jess. I'll stick to stainless.
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:49 pm
by Blackoak
The time you spend cleaning and maintaining the mild will far outweigh the added cost of stainless, IMO. Not to mention not having to deal with getting rust or oil on your fighting tunics.
To me it's a no brainer. Stainless is the way to fly.
Uric
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:13 am
by Jess
Stainless is better. But if you don't have the money and like the blackened look, mild is fine too.
I have a mild steel flat ring riveted shirt and aventail and use this on it:
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=40
Spray lots of light coats. I sprayed them both on a nice warm summer afternoon. After that IT IS ALMOST NO MAINTENANCE. I sprayed it on shortly after I got it the summer of 2008 and have re-sprayed the aventail once. That's all. I fight in it about twice a week and at GW and Pennsic. I don't worry about spilling drinking water on it or anything. If it does rust eventually, you don't have to strip it or anything. You just spray more rust converter on it again.
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:41 am
by Eamonn
The description of that stuff says to only put it on already rusted metal. So does that mean I have to let my mild aventail rust before I can put that on it? Or can you actually put it on clean surfaces?
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 8:32 am
by Jess
I put it on pre-rust.
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:08 am
by Angusm0628
I'm gonna second Jess' recommendation..
With a mild you can hose it down with WD-40 then light it.. Will blacken the mail and help with rusting. Use a pump bottle, like a windex style, coat liberally and then fire it up..repeated application will darken it further.
Re: Aventail- stainless or mild
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:55 am
by MattL.
William de Faleston wrote: Any significant weight difference?
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:20 pm
by Jess
I have no idea regarding the weight difference.
I recall it took me like 3 months to get used to the weight of the new aventail, but that was compared to no aventail at all, and compounded by the fact I have a neck longer than E.T. I assume that normal people will not have this problem.
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:57 pm
by Stephen du Bois
When I bought my aventail, titanium was only $50.00 more than stainless..It was money well spent.
Stephen
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:12 pm
by Rasper77
Well... whats the helm made of?
If its a stainless helm I would make it match.
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:04 pm
by William de Faleston
Hmmm Rasper, you have a point there. The helm is stainless. The again, dousing something with WD40 and lighting it sounds like something that would be fun aside from the blackening value.
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:23 pm
by Halbrust
Who offers stainless riveted? Or does anyone? I don't like the look of welded maille
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:26 pm
by Angusm0628
Halbrust wrote:Who offers stainless riveted? Or does anyone? I don't like the look of welded maille
Icefalcon....
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:33 pm
by Rasper77
William de Faleston wrote:Hmmm Rasper, you have a point there. The helm is stainless. The again, dousing something with WD40 and lighting it sounds like something that would be fun aside from the blackening value.
Fire is fun.. but ide stick with stainless on a stainless helm.
That way you dont have to worry about rust. and its matching.
You can always order some Stainless Blackener if you prefer the look.
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 8:15 pm
by Morgan
I must concur with Brother Stephen... TI is the way to go.
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 8:19 pm
by Halbrust
Angusm0628 wrote:Halbrust wrote:Who offers stainless riveted? Or does anyone? I don't like the look of welded maille
Icefalcon....
I just went back to his sight and see that he indeed does. So I ask, who makes shiney stainless riveted maille?
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 8:23 pm
by Angusm0628
Halbrust wrote:Angusm0628 wrote:Halbrust wrote:Who offers stainless riveted? Or does anyone? I don't like the look of welded maille
Icefalcon....
I just went back to his sight and see that he indeed does. So I ask, who makes shiney stainless riveted maille?
Check Ice again... I know he has blackened, pretty sure he may have regular as well
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:19 pm
by William de Faleston
Icefalcon isn't listing shiny, that's where I've been looking. I think I've decided on his stainless blackened. With a 16-month-old I' not wanting to worry about the time needed to maintain mild. That leaves enough cash for a pair of crecy-era elbows from Anshelm. I'll have to pit off the 14th century pourpoint from Revival that I've been watching, but I'm still convinced that I might be able to make that one day. Thanks for all the advice.
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 12:21 pm
by Vladimir
Jess wrote:Stainless is better. But if you don't have the money and like the blackened look, mild is fine too.
I have a mild steel flat ring riveted shirt and aventail and use this on it:
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=40 Spray lots of light coats. I sprayed them both on a nice warm summer afternoon. After that IT IS ALMOST NO MAINTENANCE. I sprayed it on shortly after I got it the summer of 2008 and have re-sprayed the aventail once. That's all. I fight in it about twice a week and at GW and Pennsic. I don't worry about spilling drinking water on it or anything. If it does rust eventually, you don't have to strip it or anything. You just spray more rust converter on it again.
Can you get that stuff at Lowes or Home Depot?
I'm heading into town later today.
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:04 pm
by Jess
Sure. I think I bought mine at Lowes.