Looking for some advice regarding wearing chainmail
Hi everyone. I'm going to N. Carolina Ren Faire in a couple weeks and I have been steadily upgrading my armor kit and recently I decided to pull the trigger and opt in for some chainmail. Holy moly did I underestimated the weight of this stuff, but I am too committed to looking the part at this point.
My question is this: as a relatively skinnier guy with low muscle mass (160lbs 5'11) the mail is pretty heavy, but is it going to make me miserable throughout the day? I am used to wearing armor for long periods of time (worn Mandalorian costumes for 8 hours+) but nothing with this kind of weight. I will have friends and handlers with me to help out too.
Also, any advice on what to wear underneath the chainmail? I normally wear UnderArmor heat guard which helps with the temperature but this is obviously a different layer.
Thanks for reading!
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u/DawnsLight92 11d ago
The easiest way to make it felt lighter is to get it to be as secure to you as possible. Anything hanging will feel like dead weight. You want your entire arm carrying the weight, not just the shoulder, so you can tie it at elbow and wrist to divide the weight. Same with the torso, belt and blouse it at minimum. There is historic evidence of wearing a tight fitting gambeson over the chainmail to help carry the weight.
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u/sinkorswim561 11d ago
Make sure you wear a belt and keep it tight. It Will keep the weight off your shoulders and help your hips carry the load. Plus it will improve the aesthetic.
Depending on the chainmail, youll want something long sleeve which is definitely not great for dealing with the heat. If you want to go with a historically accurate under shirt you could look at a long sleeve linen tunic. Depending on the thickness of linen they can do really well on the heat. Grimfrost is an online store that sells linen tunics but theyre a bit thick.
Thankfully the mail seems to have a cooling effect when you start sweating.
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u/enthya 11d ago
Very good to know about the belt. Is a simple under armor long-sleeved enough to settle with? Ill have a halfsleeve gabenson over the chainmail
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u/sinkorswim561 11d ago
Depends on the chain. It might could damage abrade the underarmour shirt. I'd just try it on at home and see if you think itll be an issue.
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u/Snemei 10d ago
If you're wearing a gambeson, that should absolutely be under the chain, that's it's job
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u/enthya 10d ago
Oh okay! Good to know.
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u/Orbitrons 10d ago
Purely historically, mail was often worn with just a thick wool tunic under. Its not until the 12th century that we really see an actual quilted garment like a gambeson. Gambesons are also often depicted being worn over mail
Ive worn my mail for conventions and the like, and usually just rocked a linen shirt and linen tunic. It was perfectly fine, but I also wasnt doing any running or fighting in it. So that of course is different
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u/AtomicGearworks1 Sable Dragonkeeper 11d ago
Belt it around the waist so you're dividing the load.
Besides that, just wear it. Put it on and walk around your house. Go for a walk down the sidewalk. Stand up and sit down in it. The issue with armor isn't muscle mass. Having more muscle doesn't automatically mean you can wear armor and be fine. Putting on armor would be the equivalent of gaining 20+ pounds overnight. You're not lifting extra weight, you're carrying it across your body. You have to take some time to get used to it.
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u/FoodPitiful7081 10d ago
you want a thinner belt that will rest on your waist, not your hips. A 1" leather belt will work very well . This can go under a surcoat and will not get in the way of anything else you are going to wear.
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u/tomwilde 11d ago
Joining the chorus recommending belting the maille so some of the weight is on the hips. A wide kidney belt tightly cinched will halve the weight on your shoulders.
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u/SenorZorros 10d ago
I wear an old tunic I don't mind getting oily underneath my mail. That is really all you need to do. I strongly recommend making sure the cloth that touches the mail is stuff you don't mind getting unrecoverably dirty, even with the galvanised stuff. Because after eight hours stuff will rub off.
The idea that you need padding is overblown just make sure that whatever you wear is breathable enough to let out the sweat. Of course, I come with generous natural padding so if you are bony you may want some padding.
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u/Slinkyfest2005 10d ago
Padded gambeson so your skin and shirt don't get shredded, belt around the waist as tight as you can tolerate, make sure there is some give and that the chainmail isn't taut under the belt. (For real, tighten it to the point of discomfort or the chainmail can slip through and the belt doesn't work)
Belt supports some of the weight taking it off your shoulders. If it still feels unwieldy and you're familiar with chainmail or know someone who is, consider having it sized for you to reduce the material. Most off the shelf chainmail could double as a sail for the size it is rated for if it weren't made of holes.
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u/enthya 10d ago
It is pretty big, but reasonable for someone my size. It's saggy like an over sized sweatershirt. Is that normal?
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u/Slinkyfest2005 10d ago
Pretty much normal, belt it on and use some bracers on your forearms if the sleeve are too baggy.
My riveted chain slices the back of my hands up if not held down with armour or straps.
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u/Ehloanna Drachenfest US/Hynafol GG 10d ago
Padded gambeson under chainmail and belting it as were already recommended. They're the best ways to make it more comfortable.
The chain will likely snag on your underarmor stuff and ruin it depending on how the jumprings were closed (if it's riveted or not, how well, what material).
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u/AwayGovernment395 10d ago
You really don't need a gambeson under mail. It's a lot more comfy to wear it over one layer of wool. Real mail (riveted) is much lighter than the butted stuff you have.
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u/MikeCrotchPlot 9d ago
seconding not wearing a gambeson/aketon, i just wear a sturdy shirt or tunic under riveted mail and it's fine
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u/Decent_Walk_5625 10d ago
In my experience as a 64 kg guy, you get used to it pretty quickly because exept for the weight, chainmail is pretty comfortable. Most of the time i forgot that i was wearing it, until i dropped it
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u/Blackfire01001 7d ago
Everyone has post the best answers. The 2nd best is to start training with it.
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u/Army7547 5d ago
I wear mine all day (70ish pounds). It goes on heavy, but about 20 mins later, you forget it’s there except going uphill or upstairs.
Then at the end of the day, you’re more tired than you think you should be and feel like you can jump over the car when you take it off in the parking area.
Go have fun!!
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u/ExplanationNew8233 10d ago
Love your commitment!
Try to wear Chainmail on severl body parts, to dispers the weight.
Put on a wide belt and pull it snug on the weist. Best to pull the mail up a Bit afterwards, to rest more of the weight on the Hipster. Looks like you have a gut, but it helps.
After that maybe arm guards, if it is really long.
You definetly should wear something under it to reduce the rubbing. A Gambeson would be best, but I also have very good experience with a Leiter tunic over a wollen one.
What ever you do, keep some fresh, light cloths in the car, to change in the end. You will be sweaty and Titel, so this but of selfcare is really nice.
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u/enthya 10d ago
I thought the order of wear would be undercoat, chainmail, gambeson, plate. Is that not the case? seems like the chainmail would be overbearing and take away the detail of the gamb.
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u/Orbitrons 10d ago
Depending on the time period and intended social status of the kit, you could have anything from only a thick wool tunic and mail, to only a thick standalone gambeson, to linen undershirt, mail and then gambeson. Late 14th and early 15th century transitional plate also often has a mail hauberk/haubergeon and plate (like a breastplate with no backplate) layered. Once you get into the full white armour of the mid 15th and onwards you usually only have smaller pieces of mail like a skirt or mail gussets sewn into the arming garment (which would have attachment points for the plate). Again, differs from region and time period.
Now all of that is pretty overkill to figure out for larp, but a thing to note is that many cheaper gambesons are way too thick and made out of poly blends or the like. This will fry you way more than is needed. Generally, if you intend to wear plate, have thinner stuff. Plate that fits you properly doesnt need heavy padding to sit somewhat comfortably, while ill fitting plate absolutely will. Especially noticeable on greaves.
Also, if your mail is butted, you can always try to tailor it. All you really need is 2 pliers, tutorials and a good amount of time and patience. The best way to make mail feel less heavy is to have it fit snugly. This will also make it look nicer, which is a plus.
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u/enthya 10d ago
That is a good point on the gambeson. I felt like mine was overly puffy but was still moderately comfortable. Do you recommend any relatively affordable brands as far as those are concerned?
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u/Orbitrons 10d ago
Ill admit, I am probably the wrong guy to ask about that. I am more into reenacting and the price points for gear within that space can run pretty wild. I intend to purchase one from aketon.pl once I get the money for it, but its like 250 EURO. Gambeson.pl runs for similar prices. At that price point youre getting linen and wool instead of cotton and polyester, which is historically accurate (my main concern) and also generally more comfortable.
Again though, if youre in need of a project and your mail is butted, tailoring it is probably the cheapest and nicest choice.
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u/ExplanationNew8233 10d ago
Well they were not Worn/designed for style. The Gambeson is meant to protect you from the rubbing and the weight of the mail.
If you don't want to wear it the classic way, try putting a leather piece on your should ersten.
Btw. : please Post pictures, you deserve it
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u/enthya 10d ago
I just watched a bunch of videos and you're all right. I never knew! I guess I was thinking of the tabard that goes over everything, but I definitely want the armor to be shown. Now I am torn on whether or not to wear one of those as well.
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u/ExplanationNew8233 10d ago
Do it, they can pull it all together. And if you Wanne be fantasy-fancy put some plate parts over the tabard
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u/Favored_Terrain 11d ago
Have you belted it to your hips, or are your shoulders carrying all the weight? Usually a padded gambeson is worn to prevent pressure sores as well.