Chainmail
chain; see chain letter.
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Mail (commonly if somewhat incorrectly known as "Chainmail" today) consists of small metal rings put together in a pattern to form a mesh. Although mail could be punctured by a spear, shorn by the blow from a heavy axe or sword, or the body beneath pummeled by blunt weapons, it was still an effective and popular defense. It was quite effective against arrows and weakly slung bolts from crossbows; (longbows and the more powerful steel-armed crossbows could burst the rings with their projectiles). In preventing wounds which broke the skin, it increased the warrior's chance for survival after being wounded. Medieval physicians could usually set broken bones, but when it came to preventing infection they were woefully inadequate. Thus the mail was weak in defending against wounds which could be more easily mended but strong against those to which the soldier was most vulnerable.
Mail has been used since the time of the Roman Empire. It was originally developed by the armor smiths of the ancient Celts, from whom the Romans received the technology. The use of mail was prominent throughout the High Middle Ages, until the mid 14th century when plate began to replace it. It could still be seen after this point being worn by those who could not afford plate. Several patterns of linking the rings together have been known since ancient times, the most common being the 1-to-4 pattern where each ring is linked with four others.
The word chainmail is actually a pleonasm: in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, chain was the English name for it, while mail was the common French name for it. This - and the alternative spellings "maile" and "maille" - derive, through the Italian "maglia", from the Latin "macula", meaning "net". Mail was never known as "chainmail," however, and this is a misnomer. To call it "ringmail" would be closer to the fact.
Manufacture
In Europe, the 1-to-4 pattern was almost completely dominant, with 1-to-6 being seen very rarely. In East Asia (primarily Japan), chainmail was also common, but here several more patterns were utilized and an entire nomenclature developed around them. In the Middle East, yet other patterns were developed and often combined with metal plates linked in with the rings.
Historically, the rings composing a chainmail armour would be riveted or welded shut, to reduce the chance of the rings splitting open when subjected to a thrusting attack or a hit by an arrow. Often pieces were made of alternating rows of riveted and solid rings of steel punched from a sheet.
In modern re-enactment and Live action role-playing games (LARPs), suits of chain mail are hand-made from rings of wire. They may or may not be welded or soldered but are rarely riveted. They may also be made of split sprung steel washers. Usually two pairs of pliers are used to bend the washers open and closed whilst "knitting" the chainmail. The resulting mail is usually heavier than traditional wire-wound mail.
Modern usage
During World War I, chainmail was evaluated as a material for bullet proof vests, but results were unsatisfactory as the rings would fragment and further aggravate the damage. A mail fringe, designed by Captain Cruise of the British Infantry, was added to helmets to protect the face but this proved unpopular with soldiers, in spite of being proven to defend against a three-ounce shrapnel round fired at a distance of one hundred yards (92.3m).
Chainmail in film
In many films, chainmail is sometimes substituted with knitted cloth spray-painted with a metallic paint. There are also machines which knit metal wires to produce something which looks somewhat like mail, usually for use on things like butchers' gloves.
Films dedicated to costume accuracy use plastic rings, for the lower cost and weight. Thousands of such plastic mailcoats were made for The Lord of the Rings film.
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