Chainmail was made by linking together thousands of small metal ringlets. These ringlets were forged from tiny strips of iron and later steel, with the rings joined in a specific pattern and then closed by pressing, welding or riveting.
The pattern the ringlets were linked in determined the type of mail that was produced. The popular four-in-one design (ie each non-edge ring connecting to four other rings) typified European mail, while six-in-one patterns were more common in Asian mail.
The size of the rings – both in diameter and width – was also important, with larger rings covering a bigger area with less material (and therefore being lighter), yet having a coarse finish. Smaller diameter rings, on the other hand, granted a finer finish and a stronger mesh, but would weigh in considerably more.
The major benefits of chainmail over the solid cuirasses which had been worn in battle prior to its invention were a greater degree of movement for its wearer as well as more extensive coverage (ie arms were protected too). However, chainmail also suffered from a notable weakness in that sword and spear tips, or arrow heads, could penetrate individual ringlets at a direct-on angle. As such, knights would commonly wear a cuirass over the chainmail shirt for extra protection.
Shirt – The most common piece of chainmail armour was a shirt. As you’d expect, this covered the chest and upper arms.
Skirt – Certain chainmail sets featured an integrated – or separately attached – mail skirt. This covered the pelvis and upper legs.
Undergarments – Chainmail sat on top of cloth or leather undergarments that covered the entire body for warmth.
Cuirass – To counter a weakness in mail to be pierced by sharp-tipped weapons at specific angles, a cuirass might be worn over the shirt and skirt.
Finish – More expensive sets of chainmail would have edges embroidered with decorative material for both comfort and style.
