Mail 1 - Lorica Hamata
2nd Century Roman Lorica Hamata maille body armour.
Maille armour - or "Chainmail" as it is more commonly known is a protective garment woven of linked iron rings, each riveted together so it forms a tough but flexible mesh of iron.
It has been used since antiquity right into modern times by most cultures but it is with the European medieval period that is is more widely known. Medieval armours were so skilled that they could make garments of maille that provided protection for the entire body yet still allow the wearer to move with ease and comfort.
Maille was typically worn over padded garments and the combination of both provided effective protection against most weapons for many centuries.
Making maille in the correct historical style is time consuming and takes a lot of skill. We can source maille items for you at a cost much less than the cost of your own time in doing it yourself. While we can source all types of maille, some are more historically correct than others both in the materials used and the construction method.
Because we want to keep our maille authentic and cost-effective, we favour the "Flat Ring Wedge Rivet alternating Flat Solid Ring" or "Flat Ring Round Rivet alternating Flat Solid Ring" types of Maille which are not only the authentic types of European maille from Ancient to late Medeival times but also one of the strongest. It is also less labour intensive for our manufacturer to make so it is cheaper than the other authentic option which we can also offer which is all Flat Ring Wedge or Round Riveted".
Our iron maille is also made from 17 gauge/9mm internal diameter flat iron rings. But if you want finer maille we can obtain this for you as well. Maille can be finished in a Natural Polished Finish or Blackened Finish. Both are authentic. Alternatively if you aren't too worried about an authentic look then you can have them Zinc Plated for rust-proofing.
All of our prices quoted below are for our Flat Ring Wedge Riveted alternating Flat Solid Ring and Flat Ring Round Riveted alternating Flat Solid Ring maille 9mm/17 g. Please send us an enquiry if you want prices for altrenative types of maille.
While Mild Steel maille is the most authentic (as this was the only metal available for making maille in the medieval period), we can also get maille made for you in either Aluminium or Titanium. These are only available in the "Flat Ring Round Riveted Style" but are more practical then standard mild steel for some uses.
For example maille garments made from Aluminum are great for theatre groups, film makers and LARPers as they are much lighter than mild steel and about 60% - 70% of the cost of the equivalent in mild steel. However, they are not as robust so cannot withstand metal weapons style combat and do require careful treatment to get rid of the obvious aluminium look.
Titanium maille on the other hand is 60% the weight of mild steel maille, is much stronger and rust proof so it is ideal for full contact applications such as 'Battle of the Nations" style combat or jousting. However, titanium maille is expensive and a titanium garment costs 2 to 2.5 times the cost of it's equivalent in mild steel. That said, if treated well it will never require maintenance and will basically last you for your life time.
You can order steel, aluminium or titanium rings and rivets in loose 1 kg packets along with a Riveting Tool if you have the time and want to assemble the maille garments yourself or to allow you to tailor the standard garments for youself and to make repairs to your maille as it will take some battle damage over time (other than titanium that is!). We can also provide loose Brass rings which you can use to decorate the edges of your garments.
I have been using Lord of Battles maille for over a decade in both medieval foot combat and jousting. It has taken many direct hits including direct lance hits in the joust and withstood them all protecting me from injury. So I am very confident in recommending this type of maille to you. Lord of Battles was one of the first commercial producers of modern day maille starting with the maille covering for the epaulets for Indian Army tunics before moving into more historical items and nowadays Lord of Battles maille is used by both re-enactors and also by the film industry in such programmes as "Merlin".
Callum.
The haubergeon is a maille shirt extending to the mid thigh with sleeves extending either to the elbow or to the wrist. It was popular garment throughout the dark ages and medieval periods where it changed very little. It is therefore a generic garment and one of our best sellers.
The hauberk is a maille shirt extending to the knees with sleeves extending either to the elbow or to the wrist. It provides almost complete protection with only the lower legs and head being exposed. It was the main piece of armour used by professional warriors in the late Dark Ages and early Medieval periods. Price quoted is for Size "L".
Separate maille sleeves for the arms and shoulders.
12th - 14th Century Maille Chausses (Leggings) in M/XL
The coif is a maille hood that covers the entire head (apart from the face) as well as the top of the back, shoulders and chest. It was a simple and effective form of protection that was used throughout most of the medieval period.
The Maille Skirt protects the torso and upper legs. This area is vulnerable as it is difficult to protect with solid armour as this would impede mobility. The Maille Skirt first appeared in the late 14th century and was secured around the waist. This is a Large Sized skirt - 120 cm by 37.5 cm
The aventail is a curtain of maille that is attached around the base of a helmet to protect the neck and shoulders. It is a common feature on helmets from the mid 14th century and was used well into the 15th Century.
The standard is a maille collar that covers the base of the neck and top of the torso. It protects the gap between the base of the helmet and the top of the brest plate and back plate.
Voiders are pieces of maille that were sewn onto the arming doublet or arming coat to protect the underside of the upper arms and armpit area as areas cannot be fully covered by plate armour.
Loose Maille links for repairs, tailoring maille garments or assembling your own garments from scratch. Many types available so prices vary. We always try to keep natural or blacked flat ring maille links with either round or wedge rivets in stock and can supply other different types in 60 to 90 days.
Loose Maille links for repairs, tailoring maille garments or assembling your own garments from scratch. Many types available so prices vary. We always try to keep natural or blacked flat ring maille links with wither round or wedge rivets in stock and can supply other different types in 60 to 90 days.
Riveting Pliers to repair maille, tailor maille garments or to assemble your maille garments from scratch. These come in two varities - one for round headed rivets and one for wedge rivers.
