Medieval Living

I don’t even have the inkle loom weaving out of the starting block yet and someone starts asking about chainmail classes! Geesh! The date is set for the 21st of April from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Cherry Hills Library. I will post that to the homeschool forums – please, feel free to cross-post this information!

So what would I teach these homeschool kiddos? Well I don’t think I will force them into a full hour of cutting rings . . . maybe it would give them a true sense of how much work is involved in getting ready to “weave” mail . . . but I have a hunch that most of them would revolt long before the hour was up. Maybe five minutes at cutting rings will be sufficient. Of course, that means that I will be cutting rings for hours so that I have enough to teach the little darlings. That’s ok . . . I’m a glutton for punishment and I’ve been told that I have more patience then some saints. I probably will start them out with some nice, soft aluminum rings . . . easy to manipulate so as to avoid early frustration. We can move on to some good ol’ galvanized steel 16 guage rings . . . and I’ll have some 14 guage around just in case some of them are feeling like a challenge.

Every young lady should have a European 4-in-1 vest in her wardrobe!!!

As 14th century England is our Medieval focus, I would think European 4-in-1 would be the primary pattern for us to work on. Of course, having a few samples of European 6-in-1 and king’s mail will help to show some of the basic variations, along with a few of the “Japanese” patterns.

So . . . I don’t consider myself a sexist by any means, but I try to be aware of the sensitivities of the young ladies who might be in the class . . . and bending big rings of wire to make some silly armor pieces may not be of much interest. For them, I will offer a few chainmail-inspired jewelry projects to work on. While not Medieval in any shape or form, the projects would still teach the basics of chainmail weaving . . . and they might be alot more fun! Anyone who knows me also knows that I’ve probably produced a few hundered chainmail jewelry items over the years . . . so a few more won’t hurt! Actually, there’s a little gothic shop down the street – I’m hoping to convince them that chainmail jewelry might be something worth having in their display cases – Raven Blackwood. Once I get the first inkle loom class out of the way, I will spend a little more energy making some jewelry and cutting rings for the class. If you’re not doing anything, drop me a line . . . I’ll give you a ring-cutting assignment!!! I’m serious . . . if you’ve ever cut rings, you know what I’m facing . . . any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

One of the features of Medieval times was the use of chainmail armor. Its one of those curious developments, created during a time when military battles were almost exclusively hand-to-hand, and so the need for good armor was essential. I started playing around making chainmail back oh . . . ten years or more. Made quite a few different items, from simple coifs to the more complicated hauberk and even a pair of gloves or two. I even played with some less-than-Medieval chainmail jewelry. Probably one of the best know sources for information and materials related to Medieval chainmail would be The Ring Lord out of Saskatoon, Canada. He has been providing chainmail enthusiasts with supplies and tutorials since the mid 90’s. If you have any interest in how to build chainmail armor or anything else, he’s a wonderful resource.
In January this year, I will be offering some classes (primarily for homeschool kiddos, but don’t mind teaching others) on basic chainmail techniques and materials. If you’re interesed, and if you’re in the general Albuquerque area, let me know! The picture is a chainmail coif, made of 12 gauge galvanized steel wire formed into 3/8″ rings. The pattern is the traditional European 4 in 1. The dashing young model is #1 son.