Mail

Chain mail is a common feature in most arms and armor collections. It appears on a variety of objects, including shirts, helmets, and even pants. Links of mail also appear in many sizes and may be solid, butted, or riveted. Understanding how to make links is essential because repairing mail is an important step in treatment. Missing links cause the mail to lay or fall differently than intended, increasing the stress on other areas and resulting in structural weaknesses. Typically, the new links would be stamped with the initials of the institution so future conservators are able to distinguish them.

Before working on an object, I first practiced making my own links and creating samples of mail from various types of wire in the 4 in 1 pattern. I also gap-filled a piece of modern mail in order to practice link replacement within an existing mail structure.

Finally, I treated a 17th century Persian mail shirt that had recently been taken off display in the Royal Armouries Museum. I mechanically cleaned the links with a stiff bristle brush. Next, the mail was hot waxed, and finally missing links replaceed. This shirt is particularly interesting because the links are oval shaped. I worked with the techs at the museum to create a forming rod to the same size and shape to ensure the best match possible. As the links on the object are all riveted, I created imitation riveted links by overlapping the ends of my links and flattening them. From a distance, the replacements blend into the rest of the mail but it are easy to identify through visual examination. The new links also are stamped ‘RA.’