I started it back in October and proceeded with a “no deadline, it’s done when it’s done” attitude. Which means, of course, that I didn’t finish until April. As a matter of fact, I’ve still not finished, but I’ve run out of materials for now. The shirt also went through some design changes as I ran out of black rings far too quickly and my supplier had since changed the way they make them, which of course means that if I ordered more the new ones wouldn’t match, of course meaning this was not going to look quite like what I wanted it to. Originally the cross on the front was to have been much smaller, there was not to have been a cross on the back, and the shoulders, collar, and bottom weren’t to have been silver at all.
Anyways, without further ado, may I present my new maille shirt:
Shirt Front
Back
This provides a window into the original design intent. I may do a revision of this after ordering a few pounds of the stainless rings though.
I remember wearing one of those for a school play, once, when the Head of the English Department went beserk and hired replica armour. It was Richard II. Must have been a fair amount of work went into that. Heavy auld yokes too. You must be very proud.
I hope you don’t mind me saying, but it looks a bit on the short side. Of course, I don’t know your measurements. Re-enactment gear, then?
Or you just always wanted to make your own maille shirt?
I am a kilt wearer on occasion, but this shirt is a gift for my brother once I’m finished tailoring it and all that. And besides, the modern kilt, which is what I wear, did not coexist with widespread use of maille armour. At that time we were typically wearing a brat and leine combo.
