Chain Mail Armor

Chain mail armor is an ancient type of armor crafted from thousands of small or large rings interconnected to create a mesh. Hauberks (chest armor), coifs (head armor), chausses (leg armor), and mitons (hand armor) could all be easily crafted out of rings to make maille. Chain mail is relatively easy to make, if perhaps a little mind numbing. modern people often buy the rings and spend hours pressing rings to make their own armor.

Archaeologists debate when the earliest chain mail appeared some say the Persians have the earliest physical evidence, while others argue the Celts were first through historical accounts. The Romans adopted Celt armor and used it in their war machine. The early types of chain mail would have been little more than large rings sewed onto leather chest pieces, these were often referred to as ring mail.

Mail like most armors, followed the usual progression of metals, copper, bronze, brass, iron, then steel. The softer metal types (copper, bronze, brass) would have been quickly replaced due to their fairly low strength. Stronger weapons were invented and chain mail also evolved. It evolved from ring mail, to butted rings (the rings are just pushed together), to eventually riveted rings which were the strongest of the three. In addition to the types of rings, chain mail could also be put together in different patterns. 4 in 1 is the most common ring configuration meaning each ring attached to 4 rings around it. 6 in 1, 8 in 1, 8 in 2, and 12 in 2 are some other common medieval patterns.

With chain mail's superior flexibility, slashing and crushing protection and fairly simple creation you'd think it would continue to dominate the armor scene. One weapon in particular spelled doom for mail and forced armor smiths to eventually look for additional protection, namely plate armor. This weapon of course was the crossbow. Easy to use, squads of crossbowmen wrecked havoc on the previously heavily protected soldiers in chain mail armor.